Not Sensation but Sensitivity

 

 

Despite all public outrage over rapes and execution of the accused, particularly in the gruesome rape incident of Nirbhayain New Delhi seven years ago, and the encounter deaths of all the accused in the rape of 26-year-old veterinarian Priyanka Reddy in Hyderabad followed by gruesome murder and burning of the body to obliterate traces of happening, yet rapes continue to take place as before.

 

Media sensationalism of incidents and public outrage and furore cannot per se redress the deteriorating situation. Political leaders appearing at the doorsteps of survivors to gain photo opportunity do any good.

 

Furthermore, public outrage fails to arouse the conscience of people particularly lawmakers, judiciary, police forces and even society. No wonder, every gruesome rape fades away into background sooner than later.

 

Ironic but true, when the victim is a Dalit woman like in the recent case of Hathras, vicious selective politics breakout. Its aim is simple – playing selective politics for the sake of consolidating and advancing highly divisive vote bank politics.Politicisationleads to creation of caste conflicts.

 

Most rapes go unreported because rape survivors fear retaliation and humiliation. The situation is not different the world over. Indian parliamentarians have stated that the rape problem is being underestimated because many cases are not reported, even though more victims are going public about it.

 

By the criteria of rape rate per 1,00,000 (National average 4.2%), the status includes: India (32,033 at 4.9%); Chandigarh (112 at 20.7%); Rajasthan (5,997 at 15.9%); Delhi (1,253 at 13.5%); Kerala (2,023 at 11.1%); Haryana (1,480 at 10.9%); Assam (1,773 at 10.5%); Himachal Pradesh (359 at 10%); Uttarakhand (526 at 9.6%); Goa (72 at 9.4%); Arunachal Pradesh (63 at 8.6%); Jharkhand (1,416 at 7.7%); Chhattisgarh (1,036 at 7.2%); Punjab (1,002 at 7.1%); Mizoram (42 at 7.1%); Meghalaya (102 at 6.3%); Madhya Pradesh (2,485 at 6.2%); Odisha (1,382 at 6.2%); Telangana (606at 4.7%); Tripura (88at4.5%); Andhra Pradesh (1,086at 4.2%); Maharashtra (2,299at 3.9%); J&K (223at 3.5%); Sikkim (11at 3.5%); UP (3,065at 2.8%); West Bengal (1,069at 2.3%); Manipur (36at 2.3%); Gujarat (528at 1.6%); Karnataka (505at 1.6%); Bihar (730at 1.3%); Tamil Nadu (362at 1%); Nagaland (8at 0.8%); and other states.

 

In comparison to 2018, crimes against women have increased significantly in 2019 – one case of rape is reported every 16 minutes in India. In 2019, an average of 88 rape cases has been reported in India every day.Among metropolitan cities, the national capital of Delhi continued to have the highest incidence of rape at 1,253 cases in 2019, while Jaipur had the highest rape rate (per 100,000 population).

 

As per media reports of rape cases of the last 10 years, two-thirds of total rape cases in India are reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, UP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Delhi and Assam.