This is a plea for my fellow Indians and every human out there willing to lend your support for social change. I want the Law and justice system in India to evolve, be stringent and resonate zero tolerance to horrific rape crimes.
I started a petition on Change.org and addressed it to the Prime minister of India, Ministry of law and justice, Ministry of women and child development and Ministry of human resource development. I need your support to get signatures in as many numbers as possible and reach the lawmakers and grab their attention to address this issue with intensity and great care.
The petition excerpt is as below. Sign and spread the word, young India. The future is yours.
I shudder every single time I see a headline that mentions rape. Rape of a child, rape of a minor, rape of an elderly pensioner, rape of a student, gang rape of a teen, gang rape, mutilation and death of a woman, woman raped after giving birth, a teenager raped and set on fire- there is no end to this barrage of crimes. No female is spared- no matter the age. This rape epidemic affects every geographical state and every demographic. I refuse to create further divisions based on religion, affluence, caste or any other factor that the media chooses to portray in reporting many a rape crime.
No amount of lobbying and campaigns for stringent laws and swift justice post the stomach-churning incident of Nirbhaya seems to have had an impact on the occurrence of rapes across the nation. The men who perpetrate these crimes have no understanding of the gravity of their crimes and neither do they fear the consequences of their action.
We as people need our citizens, lawmakers, ministers, judges, doctors, psychiatrists and every influential individual who can affect change; to rally and ask for a system that is zero-tolerant towards rape and violence against women. No bail, no delays in processing, no delays using appeals process, no waiting in jail for parole for rape crime accused and convicts.
We need to send a message to every man who even considers rape that he has no future. He needs to understand that he will not get to live like a normal human being after having violated a woman. His right to decent human life gets taken away the moment he rapes a woman.
Indian law and justice system- be it our lawmakers, law enforcers and those organisations that work with the above agencies need to strike fear into the hearts of every man who would resort to rape. Whether one is an accomplice or rapes a woman himself, set a punishment that is rigorous, life long and without parole; Not one that puts them in jail and gives them food and a place to live at the cost of the Indian public’s tax money. If they’d like to live a free life, let them learn to live and lead a life free from rape and violence against women.
I absolutely understand and concede that punishment should fit the crime but with the never ending barrage of rape crimes, all those who consider rape, need to know the dire consequences that they face afterwards. Human rights- the right to live and the right to live free of torture would force us to reexamine and rethink the need for the death penalty and other stringent punishments. But, what is being done when the very same rights that exist for a female life is being violated intentionally by rapists and their accomplices repeatedly with no fear of repercussions?
An extreme step becomes the sole choice, even if it is a temporary one.
Social change takes its time to reach 100% compliance. I also implore the other members of this petition to undertake a study to understand the root cause and the pattern of sexual violence and rape crimes. Education, awareness and grassroots level implementation of gender equality, gender rights and gender sensitization is the need of the hour. I urge the Ministry of human resource development and all the educational institutions to reexamine our textbooks and what is being taught in schools and colleges to include these vital concepts for enabling the creation of responsible, aware and educated citizens of tomorrow.
Education, awareness and grassroots level implementation of gender equality, gender rights and gender sensitization is the need of the hour. I urge the Ministry of human resource development and all the educational institutions to re-examine our textbooks and what is being taught in schools and colleges to include these vital concepts for enabling the creation of responsible, aware and educated citizens of tomorrow.
I cannot get myself to read the facts of rape crimes anymore. They are not stories or reports for me. I know not a single one of those that have been historically wronged but my blood boils for them and my heart bleeds for them and their loved ones.
This petition is being sent to the Prime Minister of India, Ministry of law and justice, Ministry of women and child development, Ministry of human resource development among others.
This is my attempt to initiate change in India. Even if your views differ from mine, I urge you to share this in the hope of creating a positive impact. If you agree with me, sign the petition and do your part so every daughter of India walks on our roads fearlessly.
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