“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
Welcome to India - the rape capital of the world” screamed a widely read German tabloid, last week. Another weekly news magazine features Indian men as “monsters in masquerade”. Once again, India was splashed across the local and national European media — all for the wrong reasons.
The more I tried to overlook these stories because of their extraordinarily repulsive nature, the more I felt morally compelled to write about them.
Because, there is an unflattering perception about Indian men across Europe — from budget tourists to business travellers; from professional repatriates to multi-billion dollar investors.
As I write this, I find it tough to answer some harsh questions from fellow citizens of Europe: what could drive Indian men to such moral debauchery and engage in the most grotesque behaviour? Are there monsters in men's clothing walking the streets of India?
So, what is our takeaway from this horrific rape case? Can Indians afford to live in the Stone Age when it comes to the rights and protection of its most vulnerable citizens, the women and children? We need to reflect.
In Europe, aggression against women, in particular sexual, is a serious violation, both of women’s physical and psychological integrity and also of the right to freedom, safety and dignity.
While women still have to fear rape in most of Europe, the Continent is at the forefront of the fight against violence against women, of which rape is one of the worst forms.
A system that works
In Europe, a comprehensive, ongoing approach is what tackles rape, including marital rape, effectively. This strategy comprises ways to prevent rape in the first place — imparting sex education in primary and secondary schools; by empowering girls and women — building up their self-esteem and their capacity for self-defence, thereby not to be victims; teaching boys and men to respect women, as well as to change attitudes to rape in society as a whole by national awareness campaigns.
This approach ensures protection of and assistance to rape victims. Worth mentioning is also the way the criminal justice system works in most of Europe.
Rape victims have the right to be taken seriously, and to be treated with dignity and respect at every step of the process — from filing a complaint (for which a female police officer is available), to forensic testing, up to the trial.
It is also not necessary to prove that the victim physically resisted the rapist in order to prove that there was no consent.
The history of the victim’s relationships plays no role at the trial. Neither her clothing, of course.
These and more measures ensure that more rapes are reported to the authorities, and more rapists convicted, quickly, severely, for their crimes.
Rape is a scar a victim bears for life. The pain and trauma of being violated cannot be imagined. It is worse when a little child is the victim because she has her whole life ahead of her and is too young to understand why she had to go through such pain in the first place.
Truly, the dangers of rape are endless, so the earlier we give rapists the stern punishment they deserve, the better for all concerned.
Onlooker Mentality
From the Indian societal perspective, the vast majority of the population has been looking the other way or simply minding its own business in the face of stark injustice or crime as long as it does not directly affect it.
Revival of our sense of social responsibility is going to take more than just expecting the government to take action. We must resolve that each one of us will not stand by or, look the other way in the face of injustice in our small spheres of life.
In spite of the assurances from the government, fellow Indians must remember that the fight against rape is a collective battle which should involve government, police, justice system and every member of the society.
Violent behaviour begins at childhood and must be nipped in the bud. A mother has the power to raise a loving, gentle man or a frightful “beast”. And, as the curtain goes up on activism against gender violence, it’s time mothers of India ask themselves what kind of men they are raising.
(The author is former Europe Director, CII, and lives in Cologne, Germany. >blfeedback@thehindu.co.in )