India, the most populous democracy in the world, prides itself on the strong cultural and moral values instilled into them by its predecessors. The Cultural History of India is approximately 4500+ years old whose foundations are laid upon the Philosophy, Theology, Mythology, and Literature written by the Rishimunis. The most notable feature which puts India way ahead of other countries is the religious freedom and diversity India propagates.
But, as the proverb “All that glitters is not gold” goes India has its fair share of imperfections and immoral events to put the county to shame & one of them is, RAPE.
Rape, the fourth most common crime against women in India has seen growth under marital rape in recent years. Even though after various penal codes (375, 376B) and Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 rape cases have not seen a decent decrease in the past decade.
Why does Rape Occur?
Rapists have all sorts of twisted and vague justifications for their atrocious acts. Rapes are committed by religious leaders, teachers, brothers, friends, neighbors, family, etc. and our society has progressed in such a way that women are accused to be at fault. Why you ask; it’s because the rapists blame the women, quoting “They purposely bring out the beast inside us” because women are “IMPURITIES” who turn the “HOLY” men into rapists.
One of the most preached about reasons by the rapists and people with twisted mindsets is related to the size, look of their attire, the makeup they put on. Aren’t women clad in Saree and Burkha raped? Why are infants, minors, old aged women, differently-abled, women with ailments getting raped? They have no such “luring tactics” in motion, then how do these men explain these cases.
The western concept of “Sugar Daddy”, “Wife Swapping” is gaining popularity in the subcontinent at an exponential rate which is fueling the depravity of males and poisoning their mindset converting their obsession for sex into a severe mental condition.
Another cause is a desire for power since rape is a crime of power. Self-obsessed characteristics are omnipresent in celebrities, particularly actors and athletes. Because of their fame among the females, they mistake themselves for superior beings for whom women will do anything to please them in bed. Men enjoy bragging about their sexual exploits, comparing them to conquests. Sex necessitates a man’s aggressiveness; he must feel superior and in command.
It all boils down to the need to exert control and assert authority. During wartime, rapes are performed with impunity. Husbands rape their wives in an attempt to rationalize it as a form of punishment, to put her in her place, or simply to release their emotions. Spurned suitors, betrayed lovers, and anybody who believes the woman is theirs cannot accept no for an answer and must resort to sex to punish or avenge.
The male impulse to dominate is fueled by patriarchy. Men are afraid of a woman’s sexuality; thus, it must be subdued. She arouses need in them, so they despise the passive yet undeniable influence she exerts over them.
Lack of Sex education is another reason for rapes. Adolescent boys, teenagers have that urge to explore. The imbalanced sex ratio, little interaction with the opposite sex, and lack of accessibility havocs the feeble minds, and the ease of access to porn acts as a catalyst. The popularity of vulgar language in addition to the projection of women as an object of desire in modern songs.
Maybe, they don’t have any direct effect but indirectly it influences the brain and implants the thinking of viewing women as an object to be consumed and violated. These rapists view females as an object to satisfy their sexual hunger, violating their purity.
Measures to curb Rape
First and foremost, the need of the hour is to educate the masses and make them comfortable talking and discussing sex education. Sex education is as important as the prevailing general education, and it should coexist as a part of moral science. The focus should be to channel the urge towards the right mindset and understand that women have their consent and their boundaries should be respected.
Introduction to yoga and sadhana would help in cultivating peace in their mental state, building an understanding of life in general. The core problem of these perpetrators of sexual violence lies in their obsession with sex, display of superiority, and their low willpower to subdue those urges and stop themselves from sinning.
Secondly, on the infrastructure and polity side, we need more street lights set up in underlit areas, surveillance cameras installed and monitored 24/7 around areas with a high probability of such gruesome incidents. Stationing a police squadron on round-the-clock patrolling at shady areas and tight security at night time when animalistic rapists are most active. The police should be given the right to use whatever means necessary to subdue the person caught in the act and the person caught raping should be non-bailable.
We should consider the option of legalizing prostitution as the study shows that Countries (Netherlands, Austria, Brazil, etc.) that made prostitution legal saw a remarkable downfall in the number of rape cases. This could benefit the people as they would no longer have to suppress the sexual desire which is basic human nature, providing them the perspective of the women agency and the importance of consent.
Lastly, all forms of pornography should be banned as it negatively influences people and forms a world of fantasy cut off from reality. The expected scenario about sexual activities which porn creates when not fulfilled leaves people unsatisfied. To fulfill those implanted fantasies, they force themselves onto women as porn shows that women are objects of use, they want sexual pleasures from anyone and everyone, anywhere and everywhere and males have an upper hand, dominance over them.
Censoring and stopping songs, media, and advertisement which objectify women, as it has a deep psychological effect on our thinking. The cosmetic, media, advertisement industry to name a few thrive by objectifying women and creating a falsified image of their life. The caste system which is also a leading cause of rape should be abolished urgently.
