The handicapped collective conscience of this country is the reason why the society wakes up to injustice only when convenient, and mostly when little is left to be done.
The Hathras case is no exception.
The 19-year-old Dalit woman was brutally gangraped, stangled to death in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district by four upper caste men (thakurs) some two weeks ago. She was tortured and had been in multiple hospitals in an extremely critical state with multiple fractures. The sheer pain brought upon her during the assault, led her to bite her own tongue, found slashed by the examiners. Her legs were reportedly paralysed, neck damaged and spinal cord broken. She died this morning at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital.
For many, this was also a grim reminder of the Nirbhaya gangrape case from 2012 in the national capital.
At this point, it is pertinent to ask that how many more girls need to die of horrific sexual and physical assault before the government swings into active, result-oriented action, society wakes up to its indifference, and establish justice? Over the past few months, several such cases have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, emerging as epicenter of rapes and murders of women, but could not manage to get the attention of the masses.
Recent spate of rape cases in Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Lakhimpur-Kheri and Gorakhpur are a proof that womenĄŻs safety is not a primary concern for the state government. These incidents highlight the reigning lawlessness and a lack of fear of law among criminals in the state.
What is happening in Uttar Pradesh is formidable. Between August and September,? the state has witnessed a spate of crimes against women and children. And adding to the existing misery is the absolute failure of humanity to be unable to make this world a better and a safer place for women.
Only the cases where the brutality of the violence was unimaginable could get people to notice.
We, as a society, have fallen into an abyss of indifference and apathy. Our anger surfaces usually when little is left to be done. We feel embarrassed and live in great shame for a few days and soon go back into deep slumber until another such case forces us to wake up and take notice.?
Soon, there will be protests, online and offline, people will discuss the case with friends and family, post on social media, call for castration and public hangings and it will only take a few days before it is forgotten soon. The discussion may end, but the crimes against women will not stop.?
The four perpetrators are behind the bars and Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir said they will be tried in fast track courts. They will face justice one day but the victim isnĄŻt there anymore to see the justice done.
WomenĄŻs safety is reduced to a mere illusion in this country where Ą°Beti Bachao, Beti PadhaoĄą is seen in advertisements and barely implemented in real life. Such is the plight of women in this country.?