The recent speech in the Rajya Sabha by a Congress party member of parliament from Goa, Shantaram Naik, on the rape and murder of a British teenager and the more recent rape of a Russian woman has indeed thrown up a few questions on the intention of the Congress government when it comes to the rights of women. The promise of the president of India on the commitment of the UPA government to bring in reservation for women in parliament within 100 days of the government is lying undisturbed in some remote cupboard in some god forsaken place. But the great explanation by the Congress MP from Goa on the nuances of rape has rubbed salt on the wounds which have been unattended to all this while.
What the honourable member has conveniently forgotten is the many hidden manifestations of rape which never come to light. In his ignorance he has sought to lead this country and its people through the path of retarded growth. All he could bring up in the valuable time allotted in parliament was what could be classified as rape and what could be classified as bringing upon rape due to the behaviour of a woman.
What then would be the undressing of a woman by a man in his mind and having thoughts of committing an act of violence against her? The bible says that if one does this, one has already committed what can be termed a sin. Yet the minister brings the flimsiest of arguments to suggest that women should be careful and not do things that will make men rape them! It is confusing that such leaders choose to disappear when acts of rape and violence are committed by men against women during riots, communal violence and war. In what way did the women lead the men into raping them at these times?
It is time for the Congress to get its act together. This incident has shown that nothing much changes even if a country has a woman president, a woman speaker in parliament and a woman party leader. A member of the same party chooses none less than the parliament to voice views which betray his own take on the subject. The pain is not because of what he said but because the Congress party refuses to take responsibility or action against the concerned person.
The Congress MP has given an image of how women are seen in India.
1. They are commodities owned by men. 2. They do not have a say in their own affairs. 3. Women can be classified as Goddesses on the one hand and sluts on the other. Sluts deserve the treatment they receive from the men of this country. 4. Women from other countries are treated even worse. They are seen as free minds who want to have sex with any man they see on the road. If they protest, they are labeled as drug addicts, loose characters, and maniacs. 5. Women are sluts and men who have a go at any woman are machos and what they do is essentially good. 6. Women have to safeguard the name of the family while men can go out and have a good time.
The troubles and challenges we face are not in Pakistan or China or in Europe. The challenges lie right here, in our minds!
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