A slap on rapist's face
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 29, 2013 -

The late revolutionary American rapper and actor, Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971-September 13, 1996), who was better known as 2PAC and was very vocal on equal rights for man and woman in society through his songs, once said, "A woman brought you into this world, so you have no right to disrespect one."

This is a truth that should be hard enough to hit at the conscience of the people remaining silent over the issue of rising crime against women around the world.

Crime against women is a reality today and it is rising everywhere, even in this land of Meira Paibis.

Over the last couple of years, Manipur has witnessed some of cruelest forms of crime against women like rape and murder.

All these are happening despite emergence of various women groups and other civil society bodies fighting for the cause of women and justice relentlessly.

Numerous protest rallies and demonstrations have been seen. But instead of bringing down the crime graph, it has only spiraled up.

So, where does the fault lies?

One may cite more than a thousand reasons ranging from the existing patriarchal social set up to the lethargic judicial system for this sorry state of affair.

But we feel that lack of respect for women, who brought us into this world, is at the root cause of the problem and all other reasons stemmed from this deficiency.

Had there been respect for women in the heart and mind of every men in the society, how could any social setting or judicial system hamper in ensuring speedy trial and justice to victims of crimes against women?

In a reaffirmation that respect for women in Manipuri society is not totally lost, it is good to know that the trial proceedings on the cases of rape of a woman Umorok seller by four persons including two IRB personnel on March 22 last year and a student studying in class XII in TG Higher Secondary School by two persons including one Police Commandos and a Manipuri digital film actor on October 20 last year are all set to be completed within such a 'short time'.

While the TG girl may have to wait for three months' time at the maximum to get justice (if we have to go by the words of the Special Prosecutor of the case); June 12 next has been fixed for pronouncing the judgment on the gang-rape case of woman Umorok seller from Tamenglong district.

This may be the first time in the history of Manipur, or perhaps, in the whole country, that the judiciary has acted so promptly for ensuring justice to victims of crimes against women.

With delayed in delivering justice remaining as one of the defining characteristic features of Indian judiciary system for long, it has acted as an major contributing factor towards fueling crimes against women as well as for the case to fizzle out for the culprits to go scot-free.

So, such expeditious trials need to be upheld and appreciated not just to show our respect to women victims of crime knocking at the door of law court to seek justice but also to deter anyone from even thinking of committing crimes against women in their wildest dreams.

And most importantly, speedy trial on rape cases should act as a hard hitting slap on the faces of all those trying to quieten the voice of the victims with money and muscle power.