“The darkest place in hell is reserved for those who maintain neutrality in the time of moral crisis” – Dante.
India today, is in a time of moral crisis. However, most people have developed a habit of listening to the news and then moving on with their life as if nothing happened. However, a strange fear does flash in their minds, that mostly goes ignored.
The most recent ‘news story’ that came in the spotlight is the Kathua rape case. The obvious sentiment is that the culprits must be punished, regardless of their affiliations for such a hateful and savagely inhuman act. The incident like is a blot on our society. Seeing events like this makes me sure that there must be something wrong with humanity as a whole. Apart from that, when I see the propaganda to promote enmity and hate between two communities, I realise that we are certainly heading towards a gloomier and tougher time.
What happened with the girl is horrible, and media’s coverage of it, so terrible, that it amplified it even further. Our media is emphasizing on the religion of victim and perpetrators more than the crime itself. Nothing more needs to be said about it.
Oscar Wilde had once said that “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” This quote fits he Kathua rape case perfectly. Human beings tend to dismiss what they can’t comprehend, and that’s what is happening all around us, on a daily basis.
I’ve seen people from both extremes (supporting the victim/perpetrators) blaming each other for the incident, hurling abuses, making rabid communal statements, etc. But one also has to wonder if there is some merit to the argument that most of this is propaganda being pushed over social media. Can we put in absolute trust in the narratives that the media presents? I have watched several first-hand accounts shot by local journalists of J&K that put doubts into my mind. Our generation has forgotten the art of thoughtful disagreement that was proposed by Chanakya.
In my opinion, most civilizations have always depended on a measure of elective ignorance. But, it is up to its people to decide what they want to ignore. Sadly, in India, most of this ignorance is regarding the plight of one community at the hands of the other.
The brutality and inhumanity with which this savage act of rape was carried out forced me to dig deeper. I searched and read almost everything available over the internet about this case, including the police charge sheet. It raises few pertinent questions which need to be asked and pondered upon.
1. Why Are They Protesting?
Did you ever wonder how so many people supported the rapists, and so openly? I was shocked when I read about it. But my conscience told me that they know what they are doing, and they can’t be such shameless people. I dug deeper, and found something which shattered even last hope of a fair media. They were not supporting rape victims, at all (which was shown anyway because it fits in the distorted and hateful narrative). Voices of anyone demanding a fair probe by CBI is being demonized as the “defence of rapists”.
They were protesting for following things:
- The torture of Hindus in that region in the name of investigation.
- Handling of the case to CBI.
- The deportation of Rohingya’s from Jammu region (I will discuss why it is relevant here).
As the alleged perpetrators had said in court, that they were being forced to say what was written in the charge sheet, the Jammu Bar Council decided on March 9, to put forward the demand of re-formation of SIT and inclusion of Jammu officers.
The Jammu Bar council has clearly stated that they aren’t in support of the rapists in any situation. Instead, they are against the way in which the investigation has been carried out, innocent people have been tortured. But, media choose to look another way and did not highlight this side of the story. Why?
2. Why Was Irfan Wani Appoited To Investigate The Case?
Why wasIrfan Wani, a tainted officer and an alleged close associate of Geelani who himself has served a jail term of one and half year in the case of rape of a minor girl and custodial death of her brother appointed to investigate the case? The SIT formed for this case was also done using Kashmir police officers, not officers from Jammu. Why?
3. Was Evidence Tampered?
Intense distrust in between the police and villagers, attempt to temper the original evidence by different investigating teams itself (allegedly), Unacceptable composition of the Crime Branch investigation team without due representation from Jammu region, a total of 3 investigations has been done, one by police, second one by SIT and 3rd one by J&K Crime branch and even then the investigating officer was changed multiple times. Doesn’t these things worth enough to be reported by a journalist? Think. This raises a serious alarm that if govt itself has not faith over its machinery why don’t just they let CBI handle it? And the trick lies here.
4.Why Is There A Demand For A CBI Investigation?
Do you know, women in the kathua region, in support of the alleged perpetrators are on the fast unto death Hunger strike demanding the investigation by CBI? It is a general sight in our country when victim’s family demands CBI probe but here it is opposite. Have you wondered why? They must have seen & faced something which has forced them to take such unprecedented step. Think what it could be.
5.What Is The Bigger Ploy?
Instead of repeated demands form alleged perpetrator’s side that the case should be handed over to the CBI, why not it has been done? Is it done intentionally to investigate the case for a predetermined conclusion or there is something bigger in this ploy? I can’t understand because of the alleged nature of the crime and alleged motive both are extraordinary and the case must be handed over to the CBI. Why is CM not doing so even after 3 months? That’s shocking and smells fishy. The Unnao case was handed over to CBI in just three days and a span of indecisive three months doesn’t seem enough time to do the same? Think.
6. Why Did It Take Our Media Three Month To Highlight This Issue?
Why we don’t get to know about the real incident when it had happened. Simple logic is, our media were busy catering their other needs and interests. This itself raises 100’s of questions. The way they are telling one-sided stories and doing media trial is not only hateful but also leaving very bad precedence. Media (especially Electronic) has no moral ground to tell us what is wrong and right. Their credibility is at an all-time low. They must be held accountable for what they are doing to the country and the ill effects of their misreporting and pushing a certain agenda.
7. What’s The Deal With Our Selective Outrage?
Some gruesome rape has happened in past week in Sasaram (Bihar), Assam & even in poll-bound Karnataka Itself. In past months several cases had emerged in which a ‘Cleric’ was found to be involved in the rape of minors (one even in J&K). So, why media took a 3 months old case and leave all these cases behind (read ‘for selective outrage’). Who will give voice to them? I know all rape cases can’t be discussed and reported with equal weight because we live with selective ignorance, we all. But still, I am talking about the most recent ones and most gruesome ones. I am talking about 9-day continuous rape by 9 men in her home itself, in a poll-bound state. Does not it have enough material to be discussed by media? I will tell you why, because the religion of victim & perpetrators aren’t fitting into their narrative for which they are being paid. Muslim Victimhood fits best in their model.
8. Why Is It Being Given A Communal Color?
If a terrorism & terrorist doesn’t have any religion than why a rapist has and if you do so then do it for all the cases. Why only for this one? Why this selectiveness? I have some serious reservations about the use of terms like ‘Muslim child’, ‘Hindu Men’, ‘Hindu Temple’ etc. I ask you all, does this crime become lesser evil if we use instead ‘8-year-old child’ ‘Rapist’ and other words etc. Can’t you see the divulged & devious political agenda in it?
9. Why Is Our Media Spreading Misinformation?
It is what the alleged perpetrator’s purpose (allegedly) was. And if it is happening then will it not make them successful in their malice motive? We seriously have to rethink what purpose media is serving here, of a news reporting medium or a narrative controlling medium?
10. Why Does This Happen?
We can’t just punish the perpetrators and pat ourselves that justice has been served. We have to delve deeper. We have to spot and fix the incidents of objectification of females in our social life. We have to teach our young generation especially “What really a woman is?” In Vedas, it is said
“यत्र नार्यस् तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः। यत्र एतास् तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास् तत्र अफलाः क्रियाः ॥”
“Wherever women are given their due respect, even the deities like to reside, and where they are not respected, all action remains unfruitful”
Yesterday’s solution to tomorrow’s problem isn’t going to work. We can’t use the same age-old tool & set of standard procedures to deal with the ever-changing (read degrading) situation in which even an infant is being “Gang-Raped”. This calls for extraordinary measures and demands for some radical change in the way we see a woman as part of our society.
Our consents should be the cause-cause for some positive change in society for its betterment not the cause of hatred, enmity, fight, differences or devious & divulged politics. We need to introspect our self. We should construct our thoughts by logic, not by hate. It is precisely the hate, which strengthens the malice motive of alleges perpetrators.
My advice to the citizen of this country: Educate your child about the woman and its importance. Teach them how to treat them as equals and how you should conduct before them. Introspect about where we are heading? Think about what if you are blessed with girl child? Would you like her to live in such situations? If no, then how will you improve it? Think.
My advice to Media: Make sense, not noise. Present news, not opinions. Make people aware of the incident by presenting facts instead of pushing a certain kind of narrative.
“All being, tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom you can hurt? What harm can you do?”– Buddha
This statement gives me hope. Hope that still we can build a better world. Hope that situation can be improved. Hope that all we had to do is to look inward & we will find a solution. Hope that someday, the woman became really the better halves of their partner in real life not only in scriptures. Hope that we will win over the dirty politics. Hope that evil will be defeated and just system will be there to protect everyone.
“Hope is a good thing, and no good things has ever died.” So, Hope for the Justice. Hope for the better tomorrow.