Sadly, political bias hasn’t failed to touch something which can only be described as a dark spot on this country’s image, which is extremely condemnable, horrific and utterly deplorable. However strongly the words are used, they’d still fall short of describing the crime that raises numerous questions from several angles. Recent past has witnessed “news” about rapes from different parts of country, which have briefly touched headlines and then been swiftly replaced by other subjects. Not one but several cases have been reported from Odisha. If Soumyashree Bisi had not chosen to drench herself in petrol to commit suicide outside the principal’s office of her college in Balasore (July 12), even the abuses she had suffered would have received barely any attention. She suffered 95 percent burns and died two days later. Soon after her case hits headlines, certainly activists from different fields paid extra attention to similar cases, particularly from the same area. Within a few days, headlines screamed of few more rapes reported in the state. Soon, “news” about rapes in other states also started streaming in. These included Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other areas.
Undeniably, media and various other tools of communication have played their part in drawing attention to these cases and also raising questions. However, something still seems to be missing. This refers is lack of sufficient political as well as social attention from those who should be concerned, particularly those holding power. This point may not have not been raised if party members of those in mentioned states had not strongly protested and raised slogans demanding chief minister’s resignation when a women trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College was raped and murdered on August 9, 2024. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominates the opposition in West Bengal Assembly. Of course, they had the right to protest as they did. How could a serious crime not be condemned, questioning the role of power holders, concerned authorities and so forth? Their protests as well as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s response and criticism of the case did receive attention. The accused is behind bars. By demanding capital punishment for the criminal, Banerjee played her political cards shrewdly.
Accepting that the “rape-murder” case provoked BJP members to protest strongly in West Bengal, it is but natural to deliberate on why members from the same party, have almost refrained from displaying the same strategy in Odisha and other states which have also witnessed tragic and extremely deplorable rape-crimes? Why? Of course, the answer is not difficult or incomprehensible. In case, West Bengal government was headed by same party as are Odisha and other states, perhaps the same protestors would have refrained from demanding chief minister’s resignation as they have there. In addition, state assembly elections are scheduled in West Bengal in around a year’s time from now. The key motive of this state’s opposition party is to push Banerjee out from power, that is lead to defeat of Trinamool Congress Party (TCP). In this context, it is certainly debatable whether the noise made about RG Kar rape-murder case was genuinely out of concern against such crimes or was it primarily motivated by political concerns.
There is probably little doubt that political moves prompted certain party members to voice protest against the rape-murder case in West Bengal. If the same party members were genuinely concerned about raising their voice against rape-cases elsewhere, wouldn’t they have adopted the same strategy where their party heads state governments? But, how can they even deliberate on angry protests and demand chief ministers’ resignation belonging to their own party? Politically, that would be equivalent to giving opposition parties in these states more ground to raise voice against the ruling governments. Equally relevant is the temporal duration of media coverage given to these cases. None appears to have lasted as long as did that of RG Kar-case. This is sad, but politically there is nothing surprising about this.
Pathetically, little concern appears to have been displayed for the key issue. It is the hard reality that women, even minor girls, continue to be sexually targeted and then left aside, either alive or murdered, probably with criminals having little remorse for what they had indulged in. It is unthinkable, but it has happened, that a sick girl being taken to hospital in an ambulance in Gaya District, Bihar, was allegedly raped by the driver and technician (July 24). She had fainted during the Home Recruitment Drive.
There is little doubt, a “disease” present in minds of sections of educated, semi-educated as well as uneducated, rich and poor persons cannot be taken care of by degrees, money and/or even political power. The disease here refers to their attitude against women. Political noise is least to likely to play the needed role in eradicating this disease. But here, there is definitely a strong need for greater noise which can act to prevent girls from being easily subject to any kind of abuse. Overall, the fault lies in thinking of the society to change which stronger steps are needed and louder voices from more powerful politicians condemning them whenever in whichever state, rape-incidents take place. If greater importance is given to political identity of power holders, prior to condemning the same and taking needed actions, women are likely to remain sufferers as they are at present. Socio-political power should and can check these but not if it chooses not to do so because of certain electoral compulsions. Silence maintained by power-holders reflecting political bias against when and where should they protest against rape-cases also smashes electoral rhetoric voiced when displaying concern for progress of women!
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