Influenced by the ideas of Gandhi and other stalwarts of the Indian freedom struggle, India’s Constitution has incorporated several provisions to ensure the equality of status to women in our society and foster their multi-faceted development. The state governments are obliged to protect women’s (every body’s) fundamental rights. However, the pattern has been one of utter failure on the part of almost all of them even in defending women’s honor in the land. Shockingly, such crimes have allegedly been committed not only by local goons, but also by influential politicians and police officials in the country.
This scenario demands all conscientious Indians, irrespective of their gender, caste, creed, region or religion, to stand united and prevail over the Modi government at the Centre to intervene and take effective measures to protect women’s honor and rights in the country.
No dispensation in New Delhi can escape its responsibility by arguing that such crimes are a law-and-order subject (the State List) to be taken care by the state governments only. It is very much a moral and a legal obligation to find ways and means to make the state governments function in a way that women citizens’ rights are not violated in any case.
The Central leadership in India must ensure that its legal and security mechanisms are effective to prevent such crimes against women and punish their perpetrators without delay.
Some recent statements of certain influential politicians of ruling parties in India suggests that they still retain an unjust and feudalistic view of women.
Prime Minister Modi could probably be tough with such elements in Indian politics today. One wishes he were inspired here by the legendary Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.
A story goes that when Meir was asked to place a curfew on women to help end a series of rapes, Meir retorted: “It is the men who are attacking the women. If there is to be a curfew, let the men stay at home.”