Hello, readers. So, today, I'm taking a break from posting about traveling in India and writing about something different. I want to talk about the latest big news gang rape case that happened in Mumbai only a day ago. If you haven't read the news, let me give you a quick summary.
The victim was a photojournalist and was out with a male co worker to take shots of a local mill. She and her co-worker stopped to ask for directions from two of the accused. The men directed them to the mill, disappeared and reappeared with a third men. They then tied the male co worker up, separated the female photojournalist, called two other men over and raped her. Before allowing her to black out, the men threatened her if she told anyone. When she came to the mean were gone. As of right now three of the five men have been found. The other two are believed to be on the run. The victim is stable and recovering. Her co-worker is fine as well.
Now, this case may not be as brutal or violent as the Delhi case, but doesn't it ring a few bells? A young woman traveling with a male companion, both attacked and abused by strangers pretending to offer assistance. Yes, it is very familiar. However, if you ask me, the sad part is that after seeing the results of the Delhi rape case, men still dare to sexually assault a female. Oh, wait...maybe that's the issue. There really were no results of the case. What I mean is that the men were not punished by the India judicial system. Right now all the accused in the case who remain living are stuck in what I like to call bull shit law limbo. When this case first came to the public eye, it was basically agreed by global citizens as a whole (if not demanded) that these men get the death penalty. Yet four out of the five still live (one committed suicide). I understand that one is minor and that complicates things, but ultimately he was the worst of them all and all the men deserve to be punished. If they somehow walk free from this then the Indian judicial system and government will need to be called out on its crap.
There is my mini rant about the Delhi rape case, but my main point in reopening this topic is that history has once again repeated itself. This time it just happened to be in Mumbai. When will the violence against women stop? Honestly, it is a world issue but particularly in India because men feel like they can get away with it which in many cases they have. They need to learn that they can't and that justice will be served to anyone who thinks they have the rights over another person's body (they don't). As horrible as these two cases are and as badly as I wish these two girls were unscathed, they have presented an opportunity for India to really make a change. Now under the international spotlight, the world wants to see how India will respond. Do they really care about their women or will they let the guilty and corrupt run the streets? The businesses? The police? Perhaps, even the government itself? Will they allow the belief that India is no country for women to stand? I pray that the answer is no.
I wonder if the government realizes what they are doing to their women. When my room mate and I heard about this new rape case she (born and bred in India) was momentarily silent. She then turned away and said, "I hate to be an Indian. Why should I be proud?" Granted no country is perfect including the US, but I am proud to be an America. My Indian friends here, on the other hand, are not proud to be Indian. Not proud to have the label of a country that allows women to be mistreated in this way. India is losing its people because of its injustice. I suggest they make a turn around before the people chose complete anarchy. Until that times comes, I hope we all will pray for the victim and for all the victims of the world.
I also would like to hear from you all. What do you think about this case? Do you think it will force India to make a change in terms of crimes against women? Or do you think this case is fleeting? Is India doing its women justice? Has justice been served in Delhi rape case? I'd love to hear from you.
P.S. The photo used was taken by Bob Benson and offered through Flickr Creative Commons. You can find his profile here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbenson/
The victim was a photojournalist and was out with a male co worker to take shots of a local mill. She and her co-worker stopped to ask for directions from two of the accused. The men directed them to the mill, disappeared and reappeared with a third men. They then tied the male co worker up, separated the female photojournalist, called two other men over and raped her. Before allowing her to black out, the men threatened her if she told anyone. When she came to the mean were gone. As of right now three of the five men have been found. The other two are believed to be on the run. The victim is stable and recovering. Her co-worker is fine as well.Now, this case may not be as brutal or violent as the Delhi case, but doesn't it ring a few bells? A young woman traveling with a male companion, both attacked and abused by strangers pretending to offer assistance. Yes, it is very familiar. However, if you ask me, the sad part is that after seeing the results of the Delhi rape case, men still dare to sexually assault a female. Oh, wait...maybe that's the issue. There really were no results of the case. What I mean is that the men were not punished by the India judicial system. Right now all the accused in the case who remain living are stuck in what I like to call bull shit law limbo. When this case first came to the public eye, it was basically agreed by global citizens as a whole (if not demanded) that these men get the death penalty. Yet four out of the five still live (one committed suicide). I understand that one is minor and that complicates things, but ultimately he was the worst of them all and all the men deserve to be punished. If they somehow walk free from this then the Indian judicial system and government will need to be called out on its crap.
There is my mini rant about the Delhi rape case, but my main point in reopening this topic is that history has once again repeated itself. This time it just happened to be in Mumbai. When will the violence against women stop? Honestly, it is a world issue but particularly in India because men feel like they can get away with it which in many cases they have. They need to learn that they can't and that justice will be served to anyone who thinks they have the rights over another person's body (they don't). As horrible as these two cases are and as badly as I wish these two girls were unscathed, they have presented an opportunity for India to really make a change. Now under the international spotlight, the world wants to see how India will respond. Do they really care about their women or will they let the guilty and corrupt run the streets? The businesses? The police? Perhaps, even the government itself? Will they allow the belief that India is no country for women to stand? I pray that the answer is no.
I wonder if the government realizes what they are doing to their women. When my room mate and I heard about this new rape case she (born and bred in India) was momentarily silent. She then turned away and said, "I hate to be an Indian. Why should I be proud?" Granted no country is perfect including the US, but I am proud to be an America. My Indian friends here, on the other hand, are not proud to be Indian. Not proud to have the label of a country that allows women to be mistreated in this way. India is losing its people because of its injustice. I suggest they make a turn around before the people chose complete anarchy. Until that times comes, I hope we all will pray for the victim and for all the victims of the world.
I also would like to hear from you all. What do you think about this case? Do you think it will force India to make a change in terms of crimes against women? Or do you think this case is fleeting? Is India doing its women justice? Has justice been served in Delhi rape case? I'd love to hear from you.
P.S. The photo used was taken by Bob Benson and offered through Flickr Creative Commons. You can find his profile here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobbenson/
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