Rarest of rare
Bilkis Bano is the mirror of Nirbhaya. The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences given to the `Nirbhaya' gangrape of 2012. It was indeed a “rarest of the rare” case, in how it made sexual assault a burning public issue. The case was fast-tracked and followed by many emotionally involved citizens. But there have been cases of brutal sexual violence after the Nirbhaya rape and murder, and before it. What is it that draws this rare, random public attention? Are we truly angry about the extent and impunity of sexual violence in India? Just a day before the Nirbhaya judgment, the Bombay high court turned down the death penalty for those accused of gangraping 19-year-old pregnant Bilkis Bano and murdering her family, including her threeyear-old daughter, during the Gujarat riots of 2002.It did, however, uphold life sentences and reverse the acquittal of five Gujarat police officers who fudged documents and compromised the investigation. Justice has been done, to the extent possible. But the point is larger ¬ should the outcome of a rape case depend on the vagaries of public attention? All victims of sexual violence have equal claims to justice.The hurdles they face ¬ from the perception of stigma that encourages silence, to an investigative and judicial system that mirrors the misogyny of our culture, to the general indifference of the process ¬ must be proactively removed. This is easier said than done, but it must be done. And meanwhile, as we see the end of the road for Nirbhaya's rapists, the rest of us must think about widening our own sympathies.
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Aug 13, 2017
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Aug 13, 2017
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Aug 09, 2017
False choice
Aug 03, 2017
Judicial overreach
Jul 27, 2017
Is the hindu a victim
Jul 20, 2017
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