Abhimanyu
Ask about Rahul Gandhi’s role as a so-called youth icon and a hush descends on the Congress headquarters. The leaders are aghast at this young Gandhi’s role in the entire gangrape issue. While youths protested across the nation, this youth leader remained hidden indoors. “This was his chance to make his mark. But it seems, he is reluctant politician, who does not want to step out of his comfort zone-that is his home,” hissed an angry Congress leader. Rahul Gandhi’s condolences after 13 days turned into a joke on Twitter. Someone tweeted: “Rahul Gandhi has commented: Respect.” Congress’ youth icon like emperor Nero played the fiddle, while Delhi burnt. It is now not certain, whether the Congress will project Rahul in the 2014 elections. “ The nation’s mood is against him at this juncture. Will take a call when it comes,” a Congress leader said.
Where is the govt after all?
Despite the brutal gangrape and public outrage, there seems to be no let up in rape cases across the nation. News of the heinous crime continues to pour from each and every part of the nation. A day after the 23-year-old victim of gangrape died, another girl was molested in a DTC bus in south Delhi. Another case of gang rape has been reported when a 40-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped in Welcome area of Delhi by three people. The victim is a mother of the four. The accused entered into her house and forced her to consume a spiked drink and later took turns to rape her. A 3-year-old girl was raped in a play-school in Delhi. The child was allegedly raped by the husband of the owner of the school in west Delhi’s Sagarpur area, and the incident came to light two days later. There’s more. A 12 year-old girl was raped by a 35-year old. There have been two incidents of gang rapes in Orissa. Two new cases of crime have been reported in Odisha involving a 19-year-old girl from Bhubaneswar and a 24-year-old woman from Keonjhar district. Again five persons including a constable of DRI kidnapped a 24-year-old woman in their Alto car in their bid to rape her. In Bengal a 40-year-old woman was gangraped and chopped to death. The attackers also beat up her husband and made him drink poison. There seems to be no end in sight.
Needed better policing
Believe it or not. The day after the brutal gangrape of the girl, none other than Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit admitted that Delhi has become a “crime capital.” “Delhi is certainly unsafe. I was even ashamed to face the victim of the brutal gangrape, who has been battling for life at Safdarjung Hospital,” the CM had said. She was referring to the 23-year-old gang rape victim, who is undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjang hospital. She was raped in a moving bus on Sunday by six persons, beaten with iron rods and later thrown on the road in semi-naked condition. She is in critical condition and doctors are making every possible effort to save her.“The policemen need to change their mindset. Nobody monitors CCTVs installed in Delhi, I’m skeptical about isolated measured announced recently…if closing bars at 1 am will ensure safety, so be it. The incident had left Delhi stunned and I feel ashamed that I can’t do anything,” she added.
A rogues' gallery?
Talking about changing the mindset, here’s what out politicians say. Pranab Mukherjee’s son and Congress leader Abhijeet Mukherjee spoke with disdain about the “highly dented- painted” women protestors, which even led his sister to criticise his remarks. Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli insisted that the well known rape case of Park Street was “not at all a rape case” but just a misunderstanding between the woman and her client! And CPI(M) MLA Anisur Rehman wanted to know from the state chief minister what the fee must be if someone gets Rs 20,000 after being raped. Kakoli did not apologise, the other two did, and both got away with just a token rap on the knuckles from their respective parties. The Congress, CPI(M), Trinamul, who have leading women leaders have not taken any action against these politicians. VPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, who always tries to hog the limelight on women-related issues was on the run, the day her party MP passed an obscene remark against the Bengal chief minister. Speaking of Bengal, she remained quiet as her party MP, another woman, went out of her way to humiliate another rape victim. As for Congress, the less said the better.
Oil dip
Iran has questioned the US for threatening India with sanctions if it did not reduce its oil imports from the West Asian nation. It has asked how Washington can try and impose its will on a third country. The threat of US sanctions has forced India to cut its oil imports from Iran even as the two countries continue to enjoy close bilateral ties.
