Karnataka horror

ARE we going back to the 17th century?’ This anguished query of the Karnataka High Court, while taking suo motu cognisance of the shocking incident in which a woman was disrobed, paraded naked through the village (in Belagavi district) and tied to an electricity pole, sums up the shameful state of affairs in our country. Her fault? Her son had eloped with a betrothed girl, whose enraged family decided to take the law into its own hands and mete out this barbaric form of ‘instant justice’.

Sadly, even the authorities have been slack in providing justice to the poor woman subjected to public humiliation. This was underscored by the strictures passed by the court, which termed it an ‘extraordinary case’ requiring ‘extraordinary treatment’ and ‘harsh words’. The court pulled up the police for the unsatisfactory and weak action taken in the matter and directed that the culprits be arrested immediately. It also ordered that monetary compensation be given to the woman, while simultaneously pointing out that the women’s commission had not yet stepped in to help her.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Women were stripped, raped and paraded naked during the ethnic clashes in Manipur earlier this year; a woman was assaulted, tonsured and paraded in Delhi; and a married tribal woman of Dewas (Madhya Pradesh) was tortured and paraded over a suspected extramarital affair by a mob, including her husband and in-laws. Swift and guaranteed delivery of justice can go a long way in instilling fear in potential criminals and deter them from committing inhuman acts against women. Otherwise, as the Karnataka HC said, ‘No fear of the law is very, very disturbing.’