Crimes related to sexual abuse and violation are not unheard of in present times. The constitution has taken up steps, millions of people have protested for a change over decades and years but the scourge only seems to be growing day by day. Will we be able to provide a safe and protected gender environment for the future generation at this rate? Ignoring this question, however disturbing it may be, will only be at the cost of the society’s future.
We have all heard about the “Nirbhaya Case” where a young woman was sexually violated and thrown out of a moving bus and died a few days later in the hospital. This case is one of the cruellest and horrifying crimes ever recorded in India. We also know that most of these sexual abuse crimes are committed on women, although men do take a small share. Crimes like these are a common occurrence. Over and above these, a huge number of cases are not even reported by the victims for fears of how it will affect their reputations, families and their daily lives. They are forced to suffer the trauma of these assaults as well as the shame they bring, in isolation, destining them to bear the heavy burden of victimhood alone. This truly pushes people to ask, where do these crimes originate and how the society for most of the times, provides no moral support, especially by the older generation?
In countering these crimes, education plays a very important part. If we educate our young boys and girls about this prevailing concern, make them aware of how these crimes affect the victims, provide support and assurance that they should speak up about it, and very importantly, make them confident that the society will stand by them in their hours of distress, and also against these assaulters, then probably we will have an awakened, more aware and strong citizenry with individuals who can stand up for themselves and for others.
The men of this country should be taught from a young age to respect boundaries and have the capacity to endure a rejection because most of these cases occur because of these reasons. We should encourage feminism, fight for equality of genders, so that at least women are seen as human beings, if nothing else. The most shocking and disturbing fact is that these male assaulters do not have the capacity for sympathy or empathy. Not for children, young women and men, old people, or even animals. Indeed, there are many reported cases of rapes of cows, dogs and other animals. This really questions how much humanity is left in this world.
We as citizens of India, as educated people, should fight against these rapists, assaulters because if we don’t, nobody will fight for a safer society for ourselves and for our future generation. I appeal to the people and the government to take this issue as very important and appropriate steps be taken up introducing proportional and stricter penalties in the statute book to deal with these crimes.
This article was originally written in the school’s first-term examination, held recently and submitted here without changes.
The writer is a student of Class XII at MECI Explorer Academy, Imphal.
