By Soumya M:
What a fabulous way to start a new year, to utter the dreaded four letter word – RAPE. The past few weeks saw news channels engaging experts as well as citizens to voice their opinions on the statement given by the DGP of Andhra Pradesh. For those of you who haven’t come across this issue, the DGP has revealed the crime statistics of Andhra Pradesh and has responded to a question by a journalist by saying that women dressing provocatively increases the chances of them getting raped.
The DGP has stated that the crime rate in the state has increased by 5.5%. Out of the 1.64 lakh cases registered, 1291 were sexual assaults. In a certain way, I agree with the point the DGP is trying to make.
Provocative dressing is not appreciated in our country. But the statistics speak only for the number of cases that were registered. What about all the unregistered cases of eve teasing and harrassment of any form? I believe the ‘provocative dressing’ part is addressed towards young women. But what about the number of cases where minors as young as 3 and 4 year old girls are sexually harassed? What does the DGP have to say about the attire of these girls? Does our society and all the people who are supporting the DGP’s statement have an answer to this?
There is a pathetic case of a mentally challenged deaf and mute girl who was raped by three CRPF jawans in the state capital. The girl ended up pregnant and was raped even under pregnancy which resulted in a premature delivery. There are cases like these and we could keep writing about them forever and ever but they just don’t seem to end!When the DGP has made his point clear regarding the dressing of women, why wasn’t there and why hasn’t there never been any incident where a senior official could have remarked that men are becoming sex addicts?
The truth is, people are becoming sex addicts and nothing seems to stop them. This is a fact and the officials have to accept this. It is not the case of ‘provocative dressing’ that should come into limelight everytime. All these behaviours are linked. The fact is women and children alike are being exploited in ways never before encountered and a senior official stating only that women should dress decently adds fuel to the fire. Keeping in view of the crimes, the victim and the nature of the crimes, the women and child welfare society, the human rights commission, the home ministry and the senior officials should understand that dressing alone is not an issue. They should upgrade their knowledge on human behaviour and then decide who is at the fault, whether the 4 year old girl or 50 year old man who has raped her.
If the officials are of the opinion that dressing alone is the factor that screams ‘Rape me’, they are justifying the offender and the crime is no longer a crime. We need to wake up and realize the fact that for a criminal there is no limit, whether it is an 80 year old woman who lives alone, a 15 year old mentally challenged deaf and mute girl, a college going girl, a 35 year old married woman or a 4 year old kid playing on the road. The rapist sees no difference.
*The above mentioned statistics have been quoted by the DGP himself in a press meet.