HOW SAFE ARE WOMEN IN INDIA.
Just as Americans are trying to cope with the the tragedy in Connecticut school in the United States of America, another horrific incident had taken place in New Delhi in India where a 23-year-old woman accompanied by a male friend boarded a bus on Sunday night and was attacked by at least four men and gang-raped . The victim and her companion was battered with iron rods before the men took turns and raped her and the couple were then thrown off the moving bus, seriously injuring the woman. It is amongst the most horrific rape incidents ever reported, putting the spotlight on the vulnerability of women in India's national capital which has galvanized and outraged not only the whole political system of India but also the Bollywood.
This is a story of a dangerous decline in Indians and India itself. It is a sad reflection on our society that women feel unsafe and unprotected not just on deserted roads and car parks, but even in their own cities and homes and crimes of sexual harassment continue unabated in the in India.
Violence against women, cutting across the boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age is present in every country, Of all the rich G20 nations, India has been labeled the worst place to be a woman. Only countries like Democratic Republic of Congo and some warring countries of Africa may be worse that India.
Most Indians know fully well how tough life as a woman can be in the world's biggest democracy. We have had a woman president; we've had a woman prime minister. We have a woman as the Speaker of the Parliament and a women as the head of the strongest political party. Yet one of the greatest tragedies in our country is that women are on their own when it comes to their own safety. The story is the same. There is no respect for women. No respect for our culture. And as far as the law is concerned: who cares?
Of all the evils for which man has made himself responsible, none is so degrading, so shocking and so brutal as the abuse of the better half of humanity; the female sex .
In India women cannot step out of their house at any time, assured of her physical and sexual safety. Everyday women in this society face more problems than men. There are fear of violence and teasing restricts a woman's anatomy, curtails her mobility and her ability to work and participate in social activities. Even today in India, women can't move at night in secluded places and even at daytime at crowded places. Hundreds and thousands of incidents related to many issues where women are being victims of crimes like rapes, domestic violence, dowry death, sexual assault, etc make the news everyday in this country. India still has a male dominating society and women are considered as weaker and vulnerable section of the society and this is the main reason behind various crimes against women.
India is a nation where women are worshiped and this is the same nation where women are treated as a material object and also as an object to gratify the sexual desires of the male members of the society. Women are a part of the society and they should be respected. Modern society does not have gender gap; it treats every individual equally irrespective of their sex, caste or creed. However, it is really sad that women are not safe in our so-called modern society, although women have been subjected to many changes in recent times and Indian women have been able to achieve higher status in corporate enterprises etc, still they are not treated as equal. Although laws are there to protect women from falling victim of crimes , it is not effective enough. Women will be safe only with change in the society and education is an effective tool that can change the society and make India a safe place for women and a better nation. The problem is that laws in our nation lack proper implementation.
The society needs to change and the male members should accept that they are not superior to women and everyone is equal, then only these crimes can be reduced and India will be a safe place for women.
These increasing crimes speaks it clearly that India is not safe for Women.
Kewal Ahluwalia.
__._,_.___