THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lack of Strong Law Encourages Rapists
When Jyothi Singh, a paramedical student from Delhi was raped by six men in December, 2012, people protested with candles and held demonstrations, day and night, on the streets of Delhi. But, has it brought an end to such incidents in the country? No! On the contrary, these incidents have taken on an air of something mundane!! A point highlighted by Jisha's murder a few days back. People are again back on the streets calling for firmer laws and fast tracking of such cases.
"Rapes happen because perpetrators gain courage from the cumulative ignorance of the members of the family, society and law enforcements. Parents should teach their sons to protect a girl rather than teach their daughters to stay home. Also, girls should be given compulsory self-defense training," says Mukund Venugopal, a journalism and psychology student. "Awareness should be given from middle school onwards. Proper basics should be given before the child steps into his or her teens."
Gayathri C K, an employee at Tata Consultancy Service, opines that such atrocities towards women are increasing due to the lack of immediate and effective punishments. "Govindachami who raped and murdered Soumya was sentenced to death. It has been five years since and he is still alive, healthier than he had ever been. Now, Jisha's murder has proved that women are not safe, even in their homes," she points out.
"Circumstances and attitude of people, when clubbed together, are the villains in such crimes. Just because men aren't supposed to rape you, you shouldn't go wherever you want. During unavoidable situations like late night work, the offices should provide pick up and drop facilities to ensure the safety of its employees," says Chinchu Theresa Jacob who works at South Indian Bank.
More Women Officers Needed at Police Stations
More than 12,000 cases of atrocities against women were reported in the state in 2015, a shocking 32 percent increase compared to 2007. Even as atrocities against women continue to spiral upward, a pertinent issue is the lack of adequate women police officers in the force.
Gayathri Ganesh, an MTech graduate whose father retired from the police force, feels that with the force being overburdened with cases, a dedicated team has to be constituted to address women's issues.
"More patrolling by the police can help ensure safety of women and including more women in the force can help instill a sense of security in them. The stares and comments that you have to suffer when you venture out in the dark tends to make you insecure. More police patrolling and presence of policewomen can help combat this," Gayathri says. C S Chandrika, writer and social scientist, feels that recruiting more women in the police force will help add a sense of security for the women. "State machinery can ensure safety of women by strengthening the police force and recruiting more women in it. Along with that, the civil society organisations too should be vigilant. Women need to react against the atrocities and a collective reaction by women can instil fear among miscreants," says the writer.
Devaki Rajendran, a PG student of music at Women's College, echoes the same sentiment. She says this will make the police more approachable and women will open up more in their presence.
"However the root cause of the problem is the patriarchal mind-set of the society and we have to respond collectively against atrocities against women," she says. She feels that we tend to forget our 'Nirbhayas' and 'Jishas' soon after the hype dies down and that the issue needs to be addressed at the grassroot level. "We should take forward the fight against such atrocities," she adds.
J Devika of the Centre for Development Studies, however, begs to differ. She feels that more women need to be represented in the force as it is their right. But that won't help in addressing the safety issues faced by women, she says. "Police should be willing to work with those who work in the grassroot level to address the issues of women. We should react against moralising and women need to respond strongly and raise their voice when they are violated. We have to address the patriarchal moralistic behaviour of the society," she adds.
‘Drugs, Alcohol, Porn Trigger Perverts’
According to District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB), 126 cases of molestation and 33 cases of rape were registered at the police stations in city, last year. During the first three months of this year, 39 cases of molestation and 17 cases of rape were reported from the city.
Dial These Numbers
Contact Number:
Vanitha Helpline Number of Kerala
Police-9995399953
Police Control Room (For All Districts) - 100
Alert Control - 1090
Helpline Numbers of Kerala Police
0471-3243000
0471-3244000
0471-3245000
Highway Helpline Numbers of Kerala Police
9846 100 100
Railway Helpline Numbers of Kerala Police
9846 200 100
For Those in Kochi
Ernakulam City
100/0484-2359200
Ernakulam Rural
100/0484-2621100
For Those in TVM
T’Puram City
100/0471-2331843
T’Puram Rural
100/0471-2316995
For Kozhikode
Kozhikode City:
9497987178,
9497980710
0495-2724070
Kozhikode rural:
0496-2517767