Patriarchy: Harshika Singh, 15 October, 2020
The disgrace brought to the status of women dwells among as one of the most inevitable of persecutions in the myriad of errors that exist in the Indian Society at an indefinite ease and comfort. It is instilled and entrenched in the deepest forms of inhumanity which has inflicted chaos and indelible pain on women and their families in too many ways.
The indefinite, invincible beliefs resulting in such drastic horrors are instilled in our society like polluted air, emerging with monstrous cases, which has often left the idea of humanity and its existence in a dilemma.
The foundation of these hollow stereotypical beliefs, which results in the heinous acts of violence and harassment against women which come forth every now and then, is the general treatment of women in the society since centuries and their status and role in their general life. The existence of these failed beliefs and insecurities about women and their limited existence and their clustered identity in the patriarchal world has encouraged many to take control of women and treat them inferior in every complex of its meaning.
The idea of every women’s dignity and respect lies in their grace, beauty, in covering their body and maintaining their virginity until married. Such ideas have manifested cultures and societies with rigid norms and principles which have not only worsened the position of women but their share if justice in a state of jeopardy.
Throughout history, there have been many cases of violence against women which have shaken and crumbled their world apart. Though, the entire world’s women population have faced these oppression and brutality, however, India has witnessed the most rigid and unforeseen cases of the treatment of women. From domestic violence to child abuse, body shaming , honor killing, female infanticide and rape, these acts of brutality have been inflicted on women in the patriarchal world.
However, a tradition and blind belief driven diverse country, India has been a host of such incidents which have left many speechless and hopeless in every aspect. Therefore, the justice system has been able to do little to serve the victims of such heinous crime due to the loopholes and the use of power over the legal system. And such incidents are not only neglected by justice but some are not even reported at all to come into the notice.
The Nirbhaya Case which took place in 2012 is a big illustrator of the capability of crime and violence against women and has depicted the mad persona of human capacity to inflict pain for no reason at all. The incident took place in Delhi, the country capital on the 16th of December, 2012.
The twenty-three year old physiotherapy student intern was brutally raped and murdered in a bus by six people (including the driver and a minor aged seventeen years old) when she boarded a bus with a male friend. She was dragged and raped to death with her intestines pulled out with sheer cruelty and inhumanity. She was later thrown out of the moving bus after being brutally raped, with her friend on the road, left to succumb to death.
She died because of the internal bleeding and organ failure later in the hospital, while the sole witness to the horrific incident (her male friend) who has beaten up and thrown out of the bus, survived to describe the crime act as an evidence in seeking justice for ‘Nirbhaya’ which was the pseudonym used for ‘Jyoti Singh’ the victim of the gang rape in Delhi. Justice was finally served to ‘Nirbhaya’ after seven years of fighting for her by her family who struggled year after years without giving up or losing hope.
One of the accused committed suicide and was found dead in Tihar Jail. The four main culprits of the Nirbhaya gang rape case were ordered to be hanged till death by the top court on the 20th of March’ 2020 at 5:30 am. There were celebrations and chants of praise for the judiciary system outside the jail they were hanged in.
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But the real question lies in the change this verdict brought about in our country. Did killing the culprits really change anything for women in India? Did these incidents really make a difference in the mentality of the potential rapists to change themselves and abstain themselves to commit such crimes and realize where they go wrong in treating women as an object and using rape or assault as a weapon to assert pain or power on them? Alas! the answer is no. Not much has changed after this incident or its verdict except the victims family served with justice.
There are still cases of violence and rape against women which stay undeterred and unaffected by these consequences of the verdict. Have any of the verdicts brought about a change in the safety status of women in India in all these decades of witnessing sexual thrusts. The Nirbhaya case in itself can be referred to as an anatomy of ruthlessness and violence in order to measure the extremes of cruelty. This case was a further wake up call for the men and women in our country to ensure their safety and protect themselves against such tragic infliction.
The status of women and the ideas that stipulated their role in the society might have elevated but the state of safety for women in India and their insecurities have not changed.
Henceforth, it is fair to note that the majority of women in India are living their lives in insecurities and our country might have gained freedom in 1947, there are still many amidst this picture of freedom who remain fettered with these societal issues of this diverse nation. And however, there is a rising bar in the engagement of women in significant roles and leadership in the society, the awareness of women’s treatment is however still clear and present till date.
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