Heinous crime (December 9)

Down the ages right from the Nupi Lal to the present day, Manipur women have brought glory and pride to the State. The recent example was the 31st National Games where our women excelled and surpassed the performance put up by other women from bigger and richer states.

Indeed without the performance of our sportswomen, it is doubtful if the State contingent would have managed to garner 30 gold medals and secure the third spot in the National Games. On the social aspect too women have been at the vanguard of protecting the social fabric.

In times of security excesses it is the women who are at the forefront to save the hapless civil population and in such a situation it is expected that society and man in particular would recognize the role of women in our society and reciprocate accordingly.

However all this is blown to smithereens when women become the object of lust and their modesty and womanhood is defied by some demented minds. The accusation hurled by a woman against her own husband of raping their 3 year old child was perhaps the most disturbing news to hit the local papers in recent times. That the man took it to satisfy his carnal lust on his own child defies accepted human behavior and should not be condoned at any cost. The man not only broke the universally accepted incest taboo but also outraged the modesty of the girl child. 

Another report that a 15-year-old girl was gang raped by her friend and other two persons at an isolated place was enough to send shiver down the spine of any right thinking citizen. Animal does not rape. It is only human beings, who are created in the image of God as the scripture teaches us, who rape and defile the most private aspect of a woman. 

Rape is a crime not only against the woman concerned but also against the whole society. This heinous crime challenges the sanctity and every essence of human society and the time is perhaps right to deal with rapists with an iron hand. Strict legislation and prompt action by the law enforcing agencies will certainly help in checking the occurrences of rape. 

It is scary to think that one of the two genders of mankind is in danger of being raped by some demented minds and there is nothing to exaggerate about it. The scars left behind can only be imagined and society needs to come forward and establish some support system for rape victims, particularly minor girls and the traumatized family members.

Union Home minister LK Advani may have sounded al little extreme when he suggested death penalty for convicted rapists but in the given scenario when parents of the girl child have to worry about the moments of their child, the suggestion of the Home Minister may not sound too extreme. The point however is to ensure that justice moves swift and fast and deals with the issue with an iron hand. Soft-pedaling the issue will only mean that we do not care about the plight of the fairer sex. At least our women deserve some better treatment than those demented minds.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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