Nirbhaya after 3 years - Feature

Do Indian Women Feel Safe After 3 Years Of Brutal Nirbhaya Case?

Nirbhaya – One name that united an entire country, brought together the rich and poor, the powerful and the powerless. It’s been 3 years since the tragic incident, an incident that wrenched our hearts and made us all take an oath to fight every violence against women. But, post 3 years what has really changed in our country? Have the savage animals (I won’t say Men as even my brother, father and husband are Men) stopped raping women? Have any of the amended laws create fear in a potential rapist? Does a woman feel free to walk out of their house at midnight?

Many rape cases faced legal tamasha but some were settled through marriages after rape, money as a compromise or a no-reporting rule as a social handcuffs for maintaining ghar ki izzat. But the death of Jyoti Singh Pandey(Nirbhaya) in Singapore within few days of the incident took India by storm. Politicians condemned the act but at the same time some blamed the victim. Politicians remarks: ‘Theek hai’, ‘wearing skirts in schools causes rape’, ‘very small incident it is’, ‘she should have called them Bhaiyya, and ask them to stop’, ‘Ninety per cent of rapes are “consensual”’, ‘Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance evoking an urge to indulge in such acts’, ‘Male pigeons always chase female pigeons. It’s an animal instinct’. Such were the comments of leaders we chose to rule us!

Women Planet takes you on a small journey, giving you an insight of how and what has changed in the past 3 years post the incidence.

Nirbhaya 2015 3

Image Source  Young Indians Against The Government

Post Nirbhaya – Amendments In Indian Laws

  • A Judicial inquiry committee was organised
  • Around 80,000 public recommendations were considered
  • The Criminal Law Ordinance was Amended
  • Six fast track courts solely for rape were set up
  • Immediate FIR logde system with charge sheet to the accused within 3 months
  • 3 years of imprisonment for policeman, if he/she is failed to file gender based crimes
  • The Indian Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act were amended
  • Nirbhaya fund and women helpline numbers were introduced
  • Various women’s safety schemes were launched in schools and colleges
  • A report was submitted to curb the Khap Panchayat and to stop digital vaginal examination of victims
  • Recently, lok sabha passed a bill on juvenile law
  • Juvenile Law: 16-18 year old sexual offenders to be prosecuted as adults

The Criminal law ordinance says, A rape convict can be imprisoned for not less than 20 years OR can extend till his natural death. Repeated rape convicts/offenders can be sentenced to death. Stalking and voyeurism have been considered as non-bailable offences. Acid attack convict can be sentenced to a 10-year imprisonment.

Safety Methods Initiated In Cities

  • GPS was introduced in all public buses
  • Crew verification of public and chartered bus owners
  • Compulsory  police verification of school buses and any passenger vehicle drivers
  • The number of PCR vans increased
  • Introduction of CCTV cameras at various spots of the cities
  • Appointing higher number of women police
  • Private e-commerce sectors like Safetykart were introduced
  • 36 one-stop crisis centre per state and union territory
  • Multiple schools and colleges offered classes for self-defence
  • Several phone security apps like vithU, Scream Alarm, bsafe, Pukar, Raksha, smart24*7 etc were introduced
  • Online Awareness: Self defence, moral videos, security products, tricks to avoid crime, awareness articles – Such as womenpla.net and safetykart

Though certain measures were taken in the capital city, some were nation wide spread. Along with these safety methods, filmmakers across the nation made documentaries, plays and films based on Nirbhaya. BBC’s ‘India’s Daughter’, was banned by Indian government for revealing the real name of Nirbhaya.

Three Years In Numbers – Did Rape Epidemic Stop Post modifications?

Has anything changed post Nirbhaya gangrape? Did Indian men’s mentality towards women changed? Do Indian women feel safe in the very city they live in?

What happened post amendments and strict laws pull off your trust on change that you were looking forward?

The National Crime Records Bureau 2013 annual report says, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in the year 2012. According to an online survey  from 2011-2013, the number of rape cases registered are – 82836! These were the ones reported, now imagine the number of rapes settled between families!

Just one year post Delhi gangrape, the cases that were reported flung to 125%, till November 2013, the Delhi Police registered 1,493 cases of rape against 661 of 2012. In total, the year 2013 witnessed 33707 rape cases in files nationwide. Though according to police this is not alarming as it is just that awareness to report the crime has been increased.

What Indians Expected?

Post this barbaric rape case several amendments were introduced but all in vein, a category of men has no fear of legal stamp that can haunt their life for committing such heinous crime. One of the reason fear isn’t prevailed is loose Indian legal system.

India should learn from UAE, China as punishment for rape is Beheading/Execution by stones, Death by Bullet/Castration respectively. India, without any court kacheri ke chakkar, should inculcate these into criminal laws. Had any of these prevailed in Indian laws, crime would have decreased. But No.. India loves to pamper their criminals and prolonged cases!

Women should feel relaxed for she has trust upon their police, government and the laws protecting them. But do we have anything better?

Politicians have great deeds to perform for themselves, for the country foremost, for the people who have elected them to that higher recognition. I always wonder for such incidents, is blaming the other ruling parties a applaudable thing to do? Have they lost their humanity or let me say common sense to do so? I feel angry, distressed for the reality that such are the leaders that we have chosen to rule our country, My India and I am sorry for it.

What should be done with such politicians? What according to you India should be in this modern world? Raise your voice and let us know what should be the core punishments for rapists? BTW, How much you and me have done to curb this problem?

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