Stop degrading women as unequal to check rape, extrajudicial killing not the answer

Chandigarh: It is perhaps for the first time that the extrajudicial killing of the rape accused has received such massive mandate across the country thereby providing it legitimacy.

This situation has far reaching consequences.

People are hailing the killing of four people arrested the case of rape and burning of a woman in Telangana.

There is nothing new in extrajudicial killing. Every state where some sort of struggle is going on has been witnessing such killings for years.

Would this type of ‘justice’ end the crime of rape?

Rapist, or for that matter a criminal, has no religion.

One has to go deeper into the ever increasing cases of rape, to the extent that India is turning unsafe for women.

The irony is that goddesses are worshipped in this country. Female kids are feasted in a ceremony at least once a year as part of the worship of the goddess.

However, the women are neither respected nor treated as equal. Women would have to be treated as equal as a first step. Every type of discrimination against women in the name of religion has to go.

Menstruating women are barred from entering Sabrimala temple.

Sikh women are not allowed to perform kirtan in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) despite the fact that Guru Nanak preached equal status for women. This breeds discrimination at every level in social hierarchy.

It is this mentality that has to go.

At the government level, the colonial governance has to go. Why should the wheels of justice turn so slowly?

The people who today hailed the killing of four persons accused of rape today cited the absence of justice to Nirbhaya who was brutalised in 2012.

Nirbhaya tragedy witnessed mass upsurge of anger. People came out at various places following the Telangana ghastly crime.

The rape cases have been on the increase even after mass upsurge of anger and some tougher legislation following the Nirbhaya case.

India has yet another problem.

Here even so-called godmen have turned rapists. They continue to be worshipped even after having been convicted and sent to jail. Gurmit Ram Rahim, who continues to head Dera Sacha Sauda, has been convicted in a rape case. His followers would stop their vehicle on the road near the Rohtak jail where he is kept to pay respect to their guru. Similar is the case of a Bapu baba. The number of godmen having been accused of exploitation of women is not small.

Law alone or extrajudicial killings would not check this crime. It is the change in attitude that has to be brought about.

Women have to be equal stake holders at every level. The initiative should come from political parties by giving more tickets to them.

The male dominated society has to change its attitude towards women. Women must be treated as equal and not degraded as dirty.

Let the houses of worship make the beginning.

Allow women of every age to worship at Sabrimala temple.

Let women perform kirtan in the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple.

This would make a positive beginning in the attitude towards women. Worshipping goddesses is not enough.