Reign of the Rapists
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 04 2013 -
At a time when the entire country is yet to come out of the shock over the inhumanely brutal incident of gang-rape of a 23-year old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus by six lecherous persons at the National capital on December 16, 2012 night and her subsequent death 13 days later in a hospital at Singapore, where she was shifted for specialized treatment, many cases of rape and molestation of women have been reported from different parts of the country.
All these cases are, no doubt, cruel reminder of the tragedy of sexual violence and objectification of women in India.
However, two incidents that have come about in quick succession have been rather more disturbing and hateful even to the extent of causing nausea among the people.
In the first incident, which has caused a major embarrassment to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Bannerjee, some of her party workers have been caught throwing money on hired women dancers during the foundation day function of the party organized by district level leaders in Bhangore near Kolkata on Tuesday, New Year's day.
In the second incident, a prominent Congress leader of lower Assam, who is also the chief coordinator of the party in Bodoland Territorial Council area has been accused by a woman of attempt to rape in her house at Salbari in Chirang district on Wednesday night and was beaten up by angry villagers before being handed him over to police.
What has caught the attention of the public in these two incidents is not just the timing but also the involvement of politicians, who are supposed to speak up for the rights and protection of women in the society.
The two incidents have come at a time when security of women is supposedly high on the agenda of the Government in the wake of public outcry over the Delhi gang-rape incident but the nature of the crime and the involvement of politician/workers of two prominent political parties, has only once again revealed the true colour and character of the political parties when it comes to the question of ensuring protection for women and how the political class looks upon the women in the society.
Of course, this is not the first time that politicians and political workers have been caught red-handed with their pants down, literally.
But the sad part of the story is that they could easily exercise their political clout to wriggle out of the legal labyrinth.
The involvement of politicians in rape cases is also another reason why every successive governments have always go easy on the subject despite the fact that incident of rape is becoming more frequent and it taking the form of an epidemic.
So, it is high time for the people to demand for setting up exclusive fast track courts as well for dealing with politicians and public representatives charged with heinous crimes like rape and molestation.
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