Rapes in the rise: How are the ‘good people’ to be blamed?
Just as the whole country is reeling under the shocking number of rapes that are being reported ever so frequently, a strange case of rape is reported from Pathan, Gujarat. A 22-year-old man has raped his own mother. Just as the cabinet approved the ordinance recommending death sentence to rapists of children below 12 years of age, a gory incident such as this one has occurred. There have been many horrible instances of a father has raping his own daughters. But this case of a boy raping his own mother is a rarest of rare case. The entire society has to hang its head in shame over this. Why did something like this happen? How did we as a society become responsible for this?
What enabled the young man to grow such a perversion? Can the government ever help curb such evils by commuting death or life sentence to the guilty?
Though each rape is horrible, the first mistake we make is that of putting all rape cases on the same scale. There is a difference between a debauchee raping a child, and the Kathua case where a 7-year-old girl was drugged, raped and killed. Kathua is not just about being a perverted act, it also has dirty politics involved in it. The girl became a victim because she belonged to a particular community. Hence, another particular community showed solidarity with the culprits.
We cannot place Kathua and Khairlanji rapes alongside other rapes and address all of them in a monolithic manner. Here, the motives are clear. They know the ways to fix this too. The culprits are not just looking for ways to satiate their sexual needs.
Today, a lot of sexual assaults on children are happening at home. The society has probably created a more than conducive atmosphere for such crimes to thrive. It is not too tough to analyse the reason behind the Gujarat rape. The boy was addicted to porn videos. He had spoken to his mother about his inclination of wanting to experiment with sex. She was well aware of his sexual drive being active. If the parents had paid closer attention, they could see their son going astray with this addiction to sex. They could have, probably, taken him for medical and psychological treatment. But they were not willing to comprehend with the factor that their son was disturbed. Hence, the whole thing ended in a tragedy.
Many years ago, if a paper published a vulgar picture, people hesitated to take the copy home. There were magazines that were dedicated to porn and they would never be sold in open. ‘Cabaret’ dancers as they were called, were exclusive dancers who wore skimpy clothes and pranced in a film irrespective of the script demanding it or not. They would appear in one small song, and disappear soon after. They wouldn’t be seen again in the film at all.
But they gradually disappeared. Leading ladies and even children began to wear clothes that were skimpier than that of the cabaret dancers. Leading ladies merged with cabaret dancers and would wear even more skimpy clothes. Today children form the major chunk of television viewers including women, children and all aged male and female members; and mind you, that television does not have the slightest of responsibility to change this situation. The leading dailies splash vulgar pictures on the very first page itself with no sense of what it would do to young minds. Internet takes people close to disaster very fast. People would read magazines with sexual content on the sly and hidden from the other members. Porn is watched irrespective of age now by both parents and children, on their own mobiles.
Internet is even more dangerous. Porn is freely and economically available now. If a young boy who has to decide on right and wrong thing, commits a crime owning to free porn, who should we complain to? Internet
When parents are busy with other joys of the internet, children watch the wrong stuff and turn into a menace for themselves and the parents too. Parents pay attention to this ugly habit by children only when they try to exhibit it openly.
Some time ago, the government had decided to clamp down on vulgar websites. Many people raised an objection to this. They said this interfered with the ‘freedom of expression’ and they continue with their works. An awareness has to be created opposing porn videos. It is right that the government should focus on bigger issues at hand. To close down these porn websites is the need of the hour for the sake of our children, grandchildren . Children should not be given mobile or any kids of luxury till they are old enough to handle it responsibly. Instead of suffering after losing him, parents should pay attention to their son’s whereabouts everyday.
Children from poor background and into begging or the ones that live in slum areas, should be guarded. Parents have to spend time with their children and shape their personality by way of sharing and caring. Only then, the rapes can be brought under the control of the government. The government needs to reprimand earlier, now I think they have made peace. Parents have to work with children to showcase the richness of this diversity. Only then, we can claim the nation has progressed.
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Waqf bill attack on Constitution's basic structure, INDIA bloc opposes it: Gogoi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc will oppose the proposed changes to the Waqf law and called the bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society.
Hitting back, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said when large number of Waqf properties are lying vacant and being looted, the government has all powers to bring a law to regulate it.
He told Gogoi that while he cited Constitution, he did not present a complete picture on its various provisions authorising government to bring laws on various issues, including Waqf properties.
Initiating the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Gogoi accused the government of misleading Parliament, referencing past discussions on the matter.
"This bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities," he alleged.
"The claim that the 2013 UPA government did not act on this issue is false. Repeated allegations have been made," Gogoi said, questioning the necessity of the amendments.
He further argued that the bill had not been adequately discussed with minority representatives.
"In 2023, four meetings of the Minority Commission were held, and yet, there was no mention of the need for a Waqf amendment bill. I ask the government - was this bill drafted by the Minority Affairs Ministry or some other department?"
The opposition MP also raised concerns over Clause 3, which defines individuals practising Islam.
"Minorities are now being forced to prove their religious identity with certificates. Tomorrow, will people from other faiths also have to do this? This is against Article 26 of the Constitution," he said.
"Which community do you want to mislead? The same community that fought for India's independence? The community that sacrificed alongside Mangal Pandey in 1857? You want to tarnish the reputation of a community in which 2 lakh ulema were martyred? You seek to defame the community that supported us during the Quit India Movement? You want to stain the name of the community that supported the Dandi March on April 6, 1930?" Gogoi said.
"You wish to malign the community that opposed the British policy of divide and rule in 1926? You aim to taint the community whose leader, Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani, demanded complete independence?" he added.
Gogoi also accused the government of spreading misinformation about the bill's impact on women's rights.
"There is an attempt to create the illusion that the existing law discriminates against women. In reality, the law already has provisions for the protection and empowerment of women, including widows," he said.
He also claimed that the Joint Parliament Committee did not take any suggestions of the Opposition into consideration.
Gogoi noted the reduction in revenue allocation from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, arguing that instead of reducing it, the government should consider increasing it to 11 per cent to strengthen the Waqf Board. He also claimed that provisions on imprisonment had been diluted.
"There is a clear attempt to take control of Waqf properties. Today, their eyes are on one minority group; tomorrow, they will target another. We support necessary reforms, but this bill will only lead to increased litigation and more problems," he said.
Countering the Opposition attack, Prasad said the church community is also in favour of Waqf amendment bill as churches too are facing the problem of encroachment by Waqf bodies.
He said the government cannot watch silently as corruption on Waqf properties continue unabated.
"Waqf is not a religious body; it is a statutory body. There are over 8 lakh Waqf properties, including schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Shouldn't there be a mechanism to ensure proper governance? The opposition is politically bound to oppose reforms, but they must look within themselves," he added.
Prasad said that the amendments were necessary to ensure transparency and fairness in Waqf administration.
"The Waqf Bill is about regulating properties, not about targeting any community. If the bill provides more representation to backward Muslims in Waqf affairs, why is the opposition objecting? If Waqf properties are being misused or illegally occupied, the Constitution allows for corrective legislation," he said.
Prasad said the Congress has over the years only paid lip service to the cause of minorities but did nothing to empower them.
He also referenced the Shah Bano case, accusing the Congress of undermining legal reforms for political gains.
"When the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano, the Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the decision for vote bank politics. Congress had 400 seats then but never got a majority after that. Today, they continue to oppose necessary reforms for political reasons," he said.
According to the bill, trusts created by Muslims under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, ensuring full control over them.
Only practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to Waqf, restoring the pre-2013 rules. Also, women must receive their inheritance before Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans, the bill proposes.
