Verdict in December 16 case not an end, cities must be made safer

Finally, the verdict has come. Seven years after the December 16 gang rape and subsequent death of the woman, death warrants were issued against the four perpetrators

Finally, the verdict has come. Seven years after the December 16 gang rape and subsequent death of the woman, death warrants were issued against the four perpetrators recently. The verdict is not just a vindication of a long legal battle fought by her parents, but also a strong signal that such heinous crimes will be treated with zero tolerance. In many ways, the case was a turning point in bringing women’s safety centre stage in India; the huge public outcry compelled the government to re-look at laws to protect women. But, have we really learnt our lessons? It does not seem so.

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Rapes, physical assaults, molestations continue to be reported from all parts of the country. One can argue that these incidents may be increasing as more cases are now being reported because of heightened public awareness. While an increase in numbers is good from this perspective, what is worrisome is that neither are we working to bring deep-rooted attitudinal shifts in our society nor improving our infrastructure improvements to help women feel safer. Let us revisit some of issues.

EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM

The fact that the Nibhaya incident took place in a private bus underscores the need for safe and reliable public transport system. Private transport is invariably non-regulated and may employ unregistered, ad hoc drivers and conductors. The drivers are not well-trained and often fail to produce driving licence, when checked. On the other hand, public transport buses have registered drivers and conductors with permanent jobs, which may act as an incentive against misconduct towards women. Private means of transport proliferate when the public transport system is inadequate. It is high time that cities boost their public transport system, and make them accessible and reliable.

MAKE PUBLIC SPACES SAFER

Women need to move out of their homes/safe spaces at odd hours for a variety of reasons. They may need to travel for work late at night or early in the morning, to catch a flight, to buy emergency medicines/groceries or just for entertainment. On December 16, 2012, the woman, too, was returning late in the evening after watching a movie with a friend. One cannot restrict women from stepping out at night. Cities need to make public places safer by ensuring there are proper pavements and lighting. The more we use public spaces, the more vibrant and safer they become. Cases of misdemeanour can be checked before they spiral; police intervention or medical aid can be sought faster; there is a greater probability of eye-witnesses all of which help build a strong case.

GENDER CONVERSATIONS MUST BEGIN AT HOME

Prevention needs to start from an early age. Very few schools have adequate age-appropriate gender sensitisation programmes on an ongoing basis, starting from an early age right up to late teens. Therefore, gender conversations must begin at home and reinforced within informal communities. Fathers, mothers, sisters must talk to their sons and brothers about gender equality and respecting women. Children must be encouraged to talk about their feelings within the family. A vigilant family will catch the early signs of unwarranted behaviours and attitudes and nip it at the bud.

UNDERLYING SOCIETAL VALUES NEED TO BE CHALLENGED

Clearly, just education and pro-women laws are not enough to prevent such crimes. We need to identify the underlying basis of patriarchy, masculinity and gender stereotypes in our society and address them appropriately. A study conducted a few years ago by the International Centre for Research on Women and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, revealed that the average Indian man is “convinced that masculinity is about acting tough, freely exercising his privilege to lay down the rules in personal relationships and, above all, controlling women”. Such a warped sense of gender identity often becomes the basis for violent crimes. Besides, negative influence of movies and easy access to questionable content on the internet makes things worse. The Indian film industry is notorious for propagating certain inappropriate behaviours as “cool”. The popular song line: “Khali pilli khali pilli rokne ka nahi, tera picha karoon to tokne ka nahi”, virtually legitimises stalking.

RAPE CASES MUST BE DEALT WITH EXPEDITIOUSLY

Despite the December 16 case trial being handled by a fast-track court and while it being a seemingly open-and-shut case, it took seven years to deliver the verdict. The government has set up over 1,000 fast-track courts in the country for disposal of rape and child sexual offence cases. Hopefully, this should help in quick clearance of cases. Due to delays, the perpetrators may feel that they have a good chance of evading persecution. Take for instance, the recent Hyderabad case, where four accused of gang raping and murdering a veterinarian were killed in a police encounter when they allegedly tried to run away, was hailed by many as “immediate justice”. This sets in a wrong precedence and makes people lose faith in the judicial process. To sum up, the December 16 gang rape verdict is not an end in itself. It should continue to inspire us to keep working towards building a safe and just society that respects women and treats citizens as equals. That will be the greatest tribute to the woman’s dream cut short.

@ShubhraGF

Author is founder of Gurgaon First, a citizen initiative to promote sustainability through workshops and research books.