What Lies Beyond the Headlines
When you read this article, the public outrage over rape will have subsided. And this won’t be the first time — it happens every time. For a while, people express their anger against rape, and then they forget. During the Nirbhaya rape case, the public was out on the streets, but gradually they forgot. Recently, when the incident of rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata occurred, the public woke up again. From Nirbhaya to Momita, countless incidents of rape and murder have taken place, but the public remained indifferent. Although people should express their anger over every case, the incident of rape and murder in Kolkata is horrifying and painful. Just hearing or reading about it sends chills down the spine. The beasts involved in this should be given a punishment worse than death.
But do you know how many rapes occur daily in India?
According to NCRB data:
– 86 rapes happen daily in India.
– 3 women are raped every hour.
– This means that every 20 minutes, a sister or daughter is raped.
– 49 crimes against women occur every hour.
– The highest number of rapes happen to girls aged between 18 to 30 years.
– Out of the 86 daily rape incidents, 52 involve victims aged between 18 to 30 years.
– Rape victims range from a 3-month-old baby to a 90-year-old woman.
Aren’t these facts worth considering? Doesn’t this make us worry about the safety of our own sisters and daughters? If there should be any major issue in Indian elections, it should be the issue of rape. But unfortunately, this serious issue never becomes an election agenda. This is a matter of shame for all Indians.
Who commits these rapes in India? Where do these rapists live? Are they hiding somewhere? In fact, they live among us — they are in our workplaces, among our colleagues, in our schools and colleges, among our teachers, in our friends, neighbors, and even within our own families. Yes! You read that right.
In 2022, around 32,000 rape cases were registered in India, out of which:
– In about 96% of cases, the rapist was someone known to the victim.
– In 13,548 cases, the rapist was a family friend, neighbor, relative, or acquaintance.
– In 14,582 cases, the rapist was a boyfriend, live-in partner, online friend, or someone who promised marriage.
– According to the NCRB report, in three years, 1,795 rape cases involved colleagues, bosses, owners, or employers. Most of these incidents occurred at workplaces or related locations.
These are the statistics that have been reported, but there are many rape cases where the victim’s FIR is still not registered. In some cases, the police themselves pressure the victim to not file an FIR, while in other cases, due to threats from goons, strongmen, or politicians, the victims refrain from filing FIRs. Even today, in many cases, the victim’s own parents and family remain silent out of fear of defamation and the news spreading. This is because, in our country, the rape victim is still considered guilty or responsible somewhere. It’s bitter, but this is the truth. This is the reality of our country.
”Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,” “Nari Shakti,” “Women Empowerment,” “Women Representation,” and “Women Reservation” are all hollow policies when the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country are not safe. Where in the country is there a place where rape doesn’t happen? In hospitals, offices, schools, colleges, malls, companies, homes, public places, or residential and work areas — rapes occur everywhere.
The courage of rapists increases because they can intimidate, threaten, and silence the victim, or even kill her. And how many cases result in punishment? If we look at the data, we find that only 27 out of 100 rape cases result in the rapist being punished. In the remaining cases, the rapist easily gets away or roams free on bail. In many cases, the rapist, released on bail, commits rape again. The judiciary and the government still need to take strict measures against rape.
It’s not just the administration and judiciary responsible for these rape incidents, but society and the public are equally responsible. We are part of a society where women are auctioned off through groups and apps like “Sulli Deals” and “Bulli Bai,” and we remain silent just because the women targeted belong to another religion? We live in a society where rapists and murderers convicted of life imprisonment by the judiciary are released, and women welcome them by performing Aarti and applying Tilak. We belong to a society where an eight-year-old girl is gang-raped and murdered, and rallies are taken out in support of the rapists and murderers. Isn’t this a sign of a rotten society?
There is no shortage of rotten people and vile mentalities in the country. Therefore, I want to tell all the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country that now, when governments, administration, judiciary, and society are failing to control rape, punish rapists, and provide justice to rape victims, you must take it upon yourselves to ensure your own safety.
You need to take the following precautions:
– You must be cautious in matters of your dignity and honor. Whether it’s a classmate, colleague, friend, neighbor, family friend, or relative, you need to be cautious with everyone. You should avoid going to places where it’s just you and that person — places that are deserted — because such places make it easier for rapists. They are always on the lookout for such places. And as you read above, in 96% of rape cases, the rapist is someone known to the victim.
– Similarly, you should avoid being alone while traveling, at schools, colleges, offices, workplaces, malls, hospitals, etc. Whether you are on a bus, train, taxi, or rickshaw, avoid being alone. You should always be accompanied by two or three female friends in such situations. This will ensure your safety and make you feel more comfortable. Now, if you are thinking, isn’t this a kind of restriction on women’s freedom? Isn’t it narrow-mindedness that a girl or a woman can’t travel, stay, or go anywhere alone? Surely, such questions may arise in your mind, especially in this era of feminism. But think for yourself — when 86 rapes are happening daily in the country, how much guarantee do you have of your own safety? When some lunatic rapes someone to satisfy his lust and then kills her, do you think this society, with its grand talk of women’s rights and freedom, will come forward to help you? Haven’t you seen that in a crowded place, on a public road, someone is stabbing a girl to death with knives, and no one stops him? There is a crowd of people there, but no one steps forward to save her. People prefer to make videos. Yes, we live among such dead people and in such a rotten society, where grand talk of women’s rights and freedom remains limited to social media and media only. Therefore, you must take measures to ensure your own safety.
– While in public places, workplaces, during travel, or while going to or coming from home, avoid wearing clothes that may attract the attention of lustful men or predators. Avoid wearing short, tight, and fitting clothes. Certainly, it’s the era of fashion, modernism is at its peak, and in this context, you may call me narrow-minded and say that I am blaming women for these incidents. But that’s not the case. You can still dress fashionably in loose, modest clothing. For fashion, your clothes don’t need to be short or tight. Some people, in the name of fashion and modernity, encourage you towards nudity and promote the use of tight and short clothes. But this is a business model — they have a trillion-dollar fashion, beauty, and showbiz industry built on this. They have their own interests and objectives behind this.
There are many more precautions that can be written, but for those who understand, this much is enough. For those who don’t, no amount will be sufficient. It’s not that women or girls must follow these exact precautions; you can also think, understand, and take your measures as per your situation. The purpose of this article is to inform all mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country about the situation of rape cases and to advise them to be cautious. Now, whatever method you find suitable, whatever precaution you want to take, you have full freedom to do so.
If you are reading this article and you are a Muslim, then you should follow Islamic principles like Hijab, distinguishing between lawful and unlawful relationships, and the concept of Mahram and non-Mahram. You must avoid the sinful actions and the paths that lead to them, as forbidden by Islam. This is essential for ensuring the protection of your life, dignity, honor, and status. If you are reading this article and you are a non-Muslim, I do not wish to impose my religious principles and guidelines, which are meant for the protection of women and girls, on you. You are free in this matter. You can adopt the above-mentioned precautions or come up with your own methods for your protection. However, you must be vigilant and take precautions accordingly.
In conclusion, I pray that Allah protects all our mothers, sisters, and daughters, regardless of their caste, community, or religion, and saves them from the evil eyes of rapists, murderers, lustful men, and predators.
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References :
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-lodged-average-86-rapes-daily-49-offences-against-women-per-hour-in-2021-government-data/article65833488.ece
- https://www.nagpurtoday.in/horror-picture-india-sees-86-rapes-every-day-maha-4th-in-top-list-96-rapists-known-to-victims/08241446
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57764271
- https://www.kashmiraction.org/the-story-of-asifa-bano-5th-anniversary-of-the-hindutva-brutality-that-shook-the-region/
- https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bilkis-bano-case-supreme-court-quashes-gujarats-premature-release-of-convicts/article67718561.ece
