.png)
"We want Justice! We want Justice!" echoed in the ears of the ‘Safest City in the Country’.
This outrage was against the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman junior doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in the early hours of 10 August 2024. She was strangled and gagged to death. Shattered glass from her spectacles had caused her eyes to bleed. There were bite marks, scratch marks and injuries on various parts of the body with vaginal bleeding.
Since then, several claims, allegations, counter-allegations, misinformation, and fact-checks have been spread regarding the case.
Someone claims that both of the victim’s legs were stretched out at a right angle, which wouldn’t be possible until the pelvic girdle was broken. However, the post-mortem report states there is no fracture or breakage of the pelvis. Additionally, claims were made that the post-mortem report found 151 gm of semen in the victim's vagina. However, autopsy experts clarify that the 151 gm in the report refers to the weight of the vagina, not just the semen found in it and explained that it is standard practice to include the weight of the various body parts in a post-mortem report.
A question should come to our mind after the outrage over this case: Is this a new thing or even a rarity? No. NCRB’s 2022 Crime in India report states that 31,516 Rape cases and 248 cases of Murder with Rape/Gang Rape against women were reported. And these are just the cases which were officially filed, many go unreported. The sheer frequency of these occurrences causes people to become desensitized, leading to an attitude of, "Oh, it's a very common thing".
This case garnered attention primarily because the victim was a doctor and the incident happened within hospital premises. Similarly, the 2012 Nirbhaya case shocked the nation due to its extreme brutality and its occurrence in the capital; the 2013 Shakti Mills gang rape case involved a photojournalist as the victim; the 2017 Unnao rape case became the talking point because a politician was the perpetrator involving attempts to silence the victim and her family; the 2018 Kathua gang rape case drew attention due to the victim being an eight-year-old girl and the communal tensions it incited; the 2020 Hathras gang rape case came into the spotlight because of the rushed cremation of the victim without her family's consent; the 2024 Sandeshkhali case also involved political goons being supported by the government. All these cases captured national attention because they involved either uncommon circumstances, extreme brutality, reputed professionals and politicians, or controversial actions by the authorities. However, in the present case, I see that only in Kolkata and West Bengal the civil society and general public have come out en mass seeking justice. In other parts of the country, it is primarily the medical fraternity raising their voice.
Thousands of other reported rapes receive little attention, barely making it to the side columns of newspapers, while many more go unreported—silenced by families in the name of honour, by the police to protect influential perpetrators, and by victims themselves to avoid victim-shaming. When the NCRB and NFHS data of 2015-16 were compared to calculate the trends in the under-reporting of cases by comparing the survey data on actual experiences of victims with that of cases recorded by the police, it was found that an estimated 99.1% sexual violence cases are not reported in this country, majority chunk of which are marital rapes.
Social media is flooded with the contesting arguments of "Trust No Man" and "Not All Men". Some demand stricter laws and death penalty for rape convicts, some even go to the extreme of demanding public execution or castration. These punishments would only bring emotional healing for us and would just be revenge for one person’s acts, what about the other? None of those punishments solves the core problem. The first question needs to be asked: Why do rapes happen?
A person who has experienced violence since childhood and has been raised in a community or culture where abuse is normalised in relationships believes such behaviour to be acceptable in his social circle. Then if he begins to commit crimes against women and repeatedly escapes consequences, he becomes emboldened, gaining confidence that he can get away with the next one as well.
In our country, we hold women as Goddesses, yet at the same time, they are often reduced to mere sex dolls. Statements like "Women are more precious than a gem or a diamond" reflect the view that women are idols of purity and that the entire family’s honour depends on their body so they must preserve their chastity. Society is quick to shame women as "whores" or "sluts," while men are praised for their sexual exploits and even forgiven for rape with excuses like, "Boys are boys, they make mistakes".
These mindsets are the root of the rape problem. This creates a societal boundary for women dictating that they must be confined to their homes, dress only in a certain manner, not engage in premarital activities, etc. If and when a woman crosses this boundary, she is “characterless” and must be taught a lesson which often translates as assault or rape. Such acts are not thought of as crimes but as a way to degrade and control women, reflecting a perverse expression of entitlement. Sadistic pleasures, sexual fantasies and many other reasons too contribute to the problem.
And how would you solve the problem by creating these boundaries when data shows that most rapes are perpetrated by family members or relatives or other known people, strangers come last in the list.
Killing the perpetrator would only remove one criminal, not the underlying crime. The goal of any legal justice system is not to simply eliminate individuals who commit crimes but to eradicate the crime itself. Addressing the mentality that fosters criminal behaviour is crucial in preventing the emergence of new offenders. Eliminating the criminals is just an easy and short-term relief option but reformation is what will bring real change.
Everybody is talking about the security measures, women's empowerment and others which provide safe space for women. But the mentality which harbours the tendencies to commit violence against women doesn’t get solved by these.
So how this mentality can be tackled? By way of Education. The mentality which drives sexual violence often develops in the teenage years and persists into adulthood. Thus addressing these issues early on is crucial. Measures need to be taken in primary and secondary schools to help young people understand and respect boundaries. Education programs should focus on teaching consent, respect, and other essential social values, moving beyond the namesake coverage in our Moral Science/Value Education classes. These programs should be designed to challenge harmful attitudes and behaviours while promoting positive interactions. Sex needs to be discussed openly, and the current reluctance in our education system to address topics related to human intercourse in biology classes must be overcomed. Comprehensive Sex Education is essential, as it provides students with accurate information about sexual health, consent, and the importance of mutual respect in relationships.
The presently trending attitude of being an alpha male, often described as toxic masculinity, contributes to a culture where violence is normalized and excused. To counter this, prevention efforts should focus on changing cultures and settings that strengthen these norms.
The educational measures at school might shape the younger generation in the desired manner but the adults too need to be educated. Awareness campaigns play that role in reinforcing those educational messages and reaching a broader audience. News media, entertainment media, and social media can effectively circulate information about the importance of consent, the legal consequences of rape, and the societal obligation to support survivors. These campaigns should aim to normalize conversations about sexual violence, thereby reducing the stigma faced by survivors and encouraging them to come forward. When these measures start a conversation, the political and social elite too involve themselves in these efforts. And when all of them collaborate, it gets much easier to challenge the prevalent cultural norms which stand in the way of gender equality.
Our laws regarding such cases are already as strict as they should be in a democratic country and include provisions like fast-track courts to expedite justice. However, the issue lies in implementation. The conviction rate for rape cases stands at just 27-28% according to NCRB data from 2018-2022. This reflects poor evidence collection, inconsistent application of the law and inadequate policing. The police often lack proper training to handle these cases with the necessary sensitivity. Moreover, there are two significant legal gaps: first, there is no law addressing marital rape, meaning that if a husband rapes his wife, it is not legally classified as rape despite it comprises a majority chunk of rape incidences in our country; second, there is no legislation covering cases where women commit rape against male victims, leading to a lack of legal consequences for such offences because current laws do not account for these scenarios.
I’m pretty sure you are well aware of all of this that I talked about, but discussing them openly is crucial. Just knowing about these topics isn’t enough; they need to be actively incorporated and transformed into reality, rather than remaining merely aspirational.
The protests that are going on, how long will this call for justice last? A few weeks, maybe a month or two, until the news cycle spices up a new story. Those who are now leading candlelight marches, protests, and social media campaigns with hashtags like #ReclaimingtheNight and #JusticeForRGKar will eventually shift their focus to the next trending issue to stay relevant. This has been the pattern for ages, and it’s bound to repeat.
This cycle of reactionary outrage will persist unless we challenge the status quo. When it's time to make crucial decisions, not just every five years, but almost every year because of the constant election cycle, the very people criticizing Mamata Banerjee today for the role of her police and hospital administration’s alleged suppression of the case will end up voting based on short-term benefits like 5 kilos of grain or a ₹1000 freebie. While these necessities are important, and I may not fully understand their value from a position of privilege, it’s crucial that we also consider the broader societal needs. The one real authority you have to dictate how decisions would be made should not be reduced solely to personal gain.
.png)
Thank you for your comment