Waking up to Rape

Some thoughts on the outcry against Rape. 

If you want to reinforce your thoughts for public capital punishment, please don't read any further. Fast track courts and strict punishment are fine but there is more to it than these simplistic issues. Imo media gets distracted to these issues because they build up ratings and any human with half a brain can associate with these.  

Crimes generally are not premeditated and happen in haste - punishment as a proactive action is like the fallacy of how morality can't be achieved without religion. So what are the deeper issues we have to address - first we have to recognize who we are and where are we? I will start with broad demarcation of people in India into 3 segments. This is especially relevant to subtle cultural, ethical and moral issues. 

1. The Learned - People who are aware of morality of different issues not because they are punishable or are assumed to be bad or are preached to be so but because they internalize them. They prefer introspection before judgement.
2. The Educated - Oh! i know it is bad or good because god/mama/teacher/law says so! In most cases they have a high intersection with hypocrites and display dubious behavior when it comes to morality concerning them. The bunch doesn't invest much time in understanding the deeper issues but are rather happy in their cocoon of notions - find them sharing shallow issues on Facebook or the Quora pseudo-intellectuals who just upvote rhetoric because it is kill-bill ballsy, angry rant without addressing any real issue.
3. Who don't know any better - who are shaped by the environment which didn't actively discouraged people from engaging in a particular immoral behavior. Genetically as such, we have been programmed to differentiate right from wrong - it has been proven. It is the environment which shapes us and sways us one way or the other on different issues.

The steps to shape a better society for each segment are different. In short the learned have to lead, the educated have to introspect and the Don't knows have to be lead. 
The learned have to lead - so much more tougher than writing a Quora post.
Where to start for the learned? 

• Looking at a bigger picture helps, taking some time out of the rat race. Lead with social causes and things which are bigger than a pay-cheque or iphone. No time, no nearby available place to contribute - well i have the same excuse but we got to start someplace!

• I am mad and i won't take it anymore! Shake up the system and the educated hypocrites: Be vocal, be mad and do something. Tired of people going on with their BS, well stop sugar coating and give it back to the hypocrites. I am improving at this and so this rant!

• Rise from what will look good towards what is right. Recognize issues beyond state/culture boundaries and accept weakness in particular areas and try to address those issues. for ex: I am a Punjabi who recognizes the cultural deprivation of youth in this generation - be it drugs, blatant eve teasing as a right, obnoxious entertainment industry, irresponsibility when it comes to social, financial issues and don't represent Punjab only as the land of large hearted people and a supposedly prosperous state.

Now coming to the second segment -
The Educated have to brought out of their cocoon. India as it is might make a stake to have the highest population-percentage of self-righteous hypocrites and self-indulgent parasites in the world - be it religion, culture, morality, politics, policy and human behavior. Now i know it is a problem of a third-world country but something in our culture makes us more predisposed to these issues. IMO, this has gotten only rampant with the advent of commercialism and sensationalism oriented media. Sreshti Verma has made some very relevant points for bringing cultural and moral change in society, especially relevant to these educated people - who are either hang the bastards or this is the way it is! To them eve teasing and maladjusted attitude towards sex, freedom is not as heinous as rape and not an issue at all! Oh i am just bullshitting, it is fun, not raping anybody! Human dignity is trivial when it comes to subtle issues.
So where can we start for the educated? 

• Education reform in schools and in private - focus on how we ought to live more than how to making a living. Actively engaging in taboo topics - they become taboo for a reason - socially relevant but considered bad dinner conversations.

• Clear policy making and advocacy for freedom as fundamental rights so that people can come and speak without fear and act without fear. What the Khaps or MNS does may not be equally depraving but is relevant to start and develop discussions, and without these reforms we can't be open and socially responsible society.

Coming to the third segment -
Environment for those who don't know any better has to be changed - Now for people who are easily termed as backward and are immigrants to the great city - the culprits in this case. In most cases they form the lowest strata in hierarchy of power both politically and within their communities and that is why they look for opportunities in bigger cities. For one reporting data of crime towards women in these communities is difficult and can only be assumed to be high, but only high profile cases like these get the attention and somehow all hell has broken loose. It is not as if rape became a relevant issue overnight. It is the brutality and nonchalant nature of crime that has finally shaken up people - was it fine when it was just rape? The problem with such outcry is the sad extrapolation to ping-pong effect - one moment it is we want change and the other business as usual. Without trying to address the deeper issues it will be the same for women who can't reach for help.
And now people are expected to publicly acknowledge this as a shithole Bollywood and TV media, which reaches the Indian masses better than any medium, may take cue and lead on with some culturally important issues rather than the crap they pull. I am not into saas-bahu and all the super-hit macho movies which Salmaan and Akshay launch every 6 months but my impression is they do help a lot in objectifying women and perpetrating the age old men-women inequality, especially for the people who don't know any better. Now that this issue has become a national subject, we might see improvements in these areas and have entertainment which is more socially relevant. That was the optimist in me, by the way - no way are these suckers going to change course from what makes them "heroes" and fill the theatres.
The example of Bollywood and the hypocrisy that runs so blatantly has been eloquently put by Makarand Sahasrabuddhe in Bollywood stars protest against Delhi rape by Makarand Sahasrabuddhe on Women in India

PS: What can the government do?
There are some who are just as dumb as the people they are leading - so don't expect much. Then the other bunch can't take radical steps because it affects their vote banks - clearly there is something very wrong with the culture of most North Indian states when it comes to woman rights (I am a north Indian and speaking out of experience.) but none shall speak! That leaves a large portion of responsibility to social activists, media, entertainment-cum-education as change agents.

• But what the government can do is enforce laws swiftly, increase rate of patrolling, civil-cloth service to make examples out of even eve-teasers, walk and shame eve teasers. The situation of Delhi is especially bad because of nepotism and the kind of freedom one may derive because they know someone - so may be a separate body which actively monitors and reviews the trials and reporting of FIRs.

What can the ladies do? Not much i guess apart from the usual steps of trying to be safe. May be carry pepper spray and those electric shock gadgets.
What can men do? Seriously look within and grow some balls! But of course it is rather easy and in-style to share BS on Facebook.