#NIRBHAYA

I am ashamed that I have to write on a matter such as this. However I find it to be a matter of great shame if I were to turn a blind eye to the growing number of child and women abuse. We like to think ourselves as a developing nation; however there is nothing more regressive about a country that fails to protect its women and children.

Rape, as many researchers have pointed out is not only about sexual frustrations but a need to dominate as well. Neither precedes the other and both, for whichever the crime is committed is equally heinous. A woman walking down the street is not open to the public for abuse irrespective of the time, place, her dress, her attitude or even her appearance. 

It is the fundamental right of every citizen of the country to wear what they choose to, be who they want to be. The fact is we have not evolved as a society to respect and treat our women as equals and men have always been treated as superior and women as inferior. The truth behind everything is that crimes will continue, paedophiles will roam amongst ourselves until and unless we as a civil society take the burden on us to educate ourselves to the extent where we can differentiate between what is morally right and wrong. 

We live in a country where politicians exploit the masses with false promises of education and development. We live in a society where young adolescents are swayed by what they see on screens and leading to think that they can be heroes off-screen as well. We live in a society

where a large number of people think sex as a recreation. Lack of proper and basic education, lack of civil infrastructure for underdeveloped societies are equally to be blamed for these heinous crimes. It is important that we start treating our children alike, both girls and boys.

There cannot be a differentiation as to why only boys can go to school and girls need to stay at home and be domestic help. There are still many who still shy away from having daughter at birth and there have been cases of child murders as well. Let us take a pledge to educate ourselves to remove dowry from our traditions, and in a few years I am sure as unkind to female child being born. WE NEED TO BE HARSHER AND SWIFTER.

Even as the Indian government was pressing it not to show the controversial documentary on the Dec 16 gangrape,  BBC decided to go ahead with its telecast, saying that the film had handled the issue “responsibility”. Originally BBC had decided to show it on March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day, but suddenly decided to advance it even as a storm was raging in India, saying it will enable viewers to see this “incredibly powerful documentary at the earliest opportunity”.

  
In a statement here, BBC said the documentary-Storyville-India’s Daughter, will be telecast in the United Kingdom on BBC Four at 3.30am IST. “This harrowing documentary, made with the full support & coorperation of the victim’s parents, provides a revealing insight into a horrific crime that sent shock waves around the world & led to protests across India demanding changes in attitudes towards women”, it said.

The statement said the film handles the issue “responsibility” & fully compiled with BBC’s editorial guidelines. The BBC statement came on a day the Indian Parliament witnessed outrage over the interview of gangrape convict, prompting the Modi Govt to promise an indepth inquiry & disallowing its telecast. “Under no circumstances, this documentary will be allowed to be broadcast... Govt has taken necessary action & secured an order restraining the telecast of the film”, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament.

The documentary included an interview conducted by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin & BBC, of Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23 year old paramedical student was brutally gangraped by six men on Dec16, 2012. Mukesh had made derogatory statements against women, Delhi police said. A Delhi court has restrained media from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or uploading the interview on the internet.

On her part Udwin appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to view the documentary, which she said, was a “gift to India”, before any action was taken on it. She said India has shown the lead globally in the wake of the horrific crime which had led to protests across the country. Rape was an issue of global concern which she has highlighted in the documentary, she said.

Dipanjana Pradhan

Msc.Media || PG:1