Backing battered girls

Not discounting the heinous nature of the recent gangrape of a class IX girl at a village in Mewat and the utmost need to give deterrent punishment to the rapists as also the enabling of a safe environment for girls in homes and outside, the sequence of events around this episode portend an emerging mindset that is socially progressive. They are in stark contrast to the general brushing-under-the-carpet attitude adopted in such cases, stemming from the false belief of protecting the girl from being stigmatised. That the victim’s father has stood like a rock by his brutalised daughter speaks volumes of his paternal sensitivity that gave the girl the confidence to confide in him about her violation. Rightly enraged, not only did he confront the suspects, but also despite threats to his life, went ahead with reporting the crime to the authorities in a bid to get justice for the girl.

The development is especially heartwarming as it comes as a green shoot in a district that is known for being among the most backward in the country. It gives hope that on the anvil is a society blooming with girls who fearlessly call out their perpetrators; who don’t have to hang their heads in shame or hang themselves to death for a gruesome act committed on them by criminal male chauvinists. It gives hope that we may have accelerated the trend of ending such cases as that of the 17-year-old girl who committed suicide after being allegedly abducted and gangraped by eight men in Khor Basai village of Mewat in May 2018.

The march to a safer and more secure scenario is definitely on. Battered girls and their families are increasingly finding the courage to take on the abusers head on and the tag of disgrace is shifting to the rapist. The rising number of cases of rape being registered over the past few years reflects this change. The National Crime Records Bureau report for 2018, released in January this year, shows that with three rape cases per day, Haryana has registered a jump of 17.9 per cent from the previous year.