More muted screams

The resounding voices that erupted within India in December 2012 demanding the equal recognition of women – a consequence of the details of the horrific Nirbhaya gangrape being cast into the public eye — had almost granted the belief that perhaps, an incident of this gore would shake the conscience of our country. Alas, we were mistaken. Over half a decade later, our realities have been enhanced by destruction, inhumanity, and indignity. An eight-year-young Bakharwal girl of Kathua, provocative by no stretch of the imagination, was denied her right to dignity—whether as a Constitutional value or as an essence of religion. The Unnao victim was not only physically violated and mentally scarred but also deprived of her parent as her father was ruthlessly killed, to silence the victim. Yet, the assailant galloped the streets with no punishment and clearly, invisible remorse. The comfortable nexus between the protectors and perpetrators is as frightening as it is detrimental. Despite the many screams echoing from across the corners of our country, the ill-minded are unfazed as they continue their toxic charade. Social media has overflown with voices of condemnation, the public appears to be shaken—yet, another window of the same social media is perpetrating hate, circulating lethal messages of cruelty (sex-selective) and applauding the loathsome. Before the nation could come to terms with the occurrence of both these incidents, there emerges a third, in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. This time, a seven-year-old child. Despite the existence of close to a dozen laws selectively condemning violence against women, both physical and mental, the malpractice flourishes unabated. 2016 witnessed 338954 recorded cases of crime against women. Though this number already appears steep, the intensity of real prevalence is a fool's guess. 55.2 per cent women are victims of sex-selective crime, with 39 cases occurring every hour. While we're progressing on several quantitative fronts, the quality of our women's lives is regressing by the minute. The eight-year-old who died ultimately amid unspeakable torture was the scapegoat of a political rivalry to banish the Bakarwals from their occupied region. The fact that a group of respected men, who thump their chests in society, would conspire and rape an eight-year-old to snatch victory hints at how quickly morality is slipping away from underneath our feet. It is clear that no number of laws has been able to contain the crime. The perversion is magnifying, and, the only method to restore sanctity is to pace the wheels of justice as stagnation leads to irrevocable rot; and also, more qualitatively, provide education and rehabilitation to the deprived – whether mentally, physically, economically, or in any other way subjugated. If justice becomes a sham and a country of 1.32 billion proffers privileged criminals, we are dropping to nadir. The prophetic end of the 'Kali Yuga' is undeniably visible today in the sporadic currents witnessed across the length and breadth of our country—and perhaps, the globe.