Dudurudh

16 year old raped, filmed and blackmailed for a year , India Times, August 2016. The article hyperlinked above starts with the sentence “despite the enactment of the stringent anti-rape law”. There seems to be a notion that harsher punishments will be an effective deterrent to crime despite innumerable instances where that notion fails. Harsh punishments are absolutely necessary steps to, well, punish the convicts. But what do we really want? Harsher jails or safer streets? (The former doesn’t necessarily lead to the latter). The problem with candle light vigils and week-long street protests is this: they’re consoled by paper legislation. Tell me, after Nirbhaya did anyone see increased night time patrolling? Did you see more street lights in your gully? Did you stop seeing auto drivers driving autos in which the license on display is not theirs but someone else’s? Did you hear of psychological evaluation and treatment for rowdy sheeters and eve teasers? In short, did you hear of A...

16 year old raped, filmed and blackmailed for a year , India Times, August 2016. The article hyperlinked above starts with the sentence “despite the enactment of the stringent anti-rape law”. There seems to be a notion that harsher punishments will be an effective deterrent to crime despite innumerable instances where that notion fails. Harsh punishments are absolutely necessary steps to, well, punish the convicts. But what do we really want? Harsher jails or safer streets? (The former doesn’t necessarily lead to the latter). The problem with candle light vigils and week-long street protests is this: they’re consoled by paper legislation. Tell me, after Nirbhaya did anyone see increased night time patrolling? Did you see more street lights in your gully? Did you stop seeing auto drivers driving autos in which the license on display is not theirs but someone else’s? Did you hear of psychological evaluation and treatment for rowdy sheeters and eve teasers? In short, did you he...

All countries are defined by their cultures, their heritages and their values.  India is no different. We're defined not just by our culture, heritage, and values but also by the diversity therein.  We're taught to respect elders, women in particular. We're even taught to respect cows. And trees.  How is it then, that crimes against women are on the rise in a country like ours?  We respect our women so much, that a majority of them in previous generations, spent most of their lives serving their husbands and raising kids. They did a magnificent job of it too. Without complaining. We, men, did precious little to change that. ( We made a quota to reserve 33% seats in parliament for women. Bravo! ) Many women, in any chance they got to step out and do something different, have done wonders. Yet, that's a trend that's picking up agonisingly slowly.  It's our fault as a people that we refused to treat women as equals. If we did, there would be more women in parliamen...

All countries are defined by their cultures, their heritages and their values.  India is no different. We're defined not just by our culture, heritage, and values but also by the diversity therein.  We're taught to respect elders, women in particular. We're even taught to respect cows. And trees.  How is it then, that crimes against women are on the rise in a country like ours?  We respect our women so much, that a majority of them in previous generations, spent most of their lives serving their husbands and raising kids. They did a magnificent job of it too. Without complaining. We, men, did precious little to change that. ( We made a quota to reserve 33% seats in parliament for women. Bravo! ) Many women, in any chance they got to step out and do something different, have done wonders. Yet, that's a trend that's picking up agonisingly slowly.  It's our fault as a people that we refused to treat women as equals. If we did, there would be more wom...