SEXiST MINDSET OF MEN IN AUTHORITY IS AN INCENTIVE TO RAPISTS

Abhijit Mukherjee symbolises the perverted,chauvinistic mindset of the male authority with outdated stereotypes of women. In an unguarded moment his real misogynist self was exposed by him. Many politicians, bureaucrats, police officials, public figures, and even some judges have strong sexist bias. They are thus complicit in the increasing number of crimes against women as there is a widespread belief among men that they can get away with sexual harassment or rape of girls and women. FIRs are either not registered or registered reluctantly,investigation is shoddy and unscientific,rape victims and families are often pressurised to withdraw charges,trial is endless,and the quantum of punishment,in many instances, is far from adequate. Otherwise,what is the excuse for a low conviction rate of around 22% during 2009--2011 (source:NCRB ).

The report of the National Commission for Women recommending financial assistance and rehabilitation services to rape victims is gathering dust. The spontaneous protests by the students and the youth of the country after the shocking Delhi gang-rape is an apolitical movement for gender justice and fairness in the social system of India. Instead of seizing the opportunity, the government mishandled it,and is now trying to discredit and defame the movement. History will never forgive the ruling class. Abhijit Mukherjee, MP and son of the Indian President, compared in his ignorance or arrogance with the Arab Spring referring to the movement as PINK REVOLUTION by " dented and painted pretty women". Is he prophetic? What happened in Egypt and to President Mubarack could happen to the short-sighted Delhi rulers in 2014.

IS OUR COUNTRY SAFE FOR OUR GIRLS AND WOMEN ?

One of the most heinous gang-rapes and savage assaults in India took place in the nation's capital on Sunday. The mass protests across the country against the inhuman brutality and violence against a hapless 23-year old woman by six men in a moving bus shook the generally callous political class and the apathetic police. The outpouring of  public anger has been unprecedented and the people, particularly the young women and men, having felt that " enough is enough " , demanded bobbitization, castration, stoning to death, and hanging in public of the rapists. That is the mood of the angry nation.

One rape takes place every twenty-two minutes in India according the NCRB. These are only registered cases and the actual number of rapes would be  very high because many rape victims and their families do not report to the police for fear of social stigma as well as fear of police. Police stations generally are not safe places for women. A rape victim's father took his daughter to a hotel room on the advice of a police officer to record her statement in privacy in order to protect her identity; but at the hotel room the father had to witness the police officer raping his daughter.Most policemen lack gender sensitivity and have sexist bias. Many of our political leaders are no better. Recently one leader said that "most of the rapes are consensual acts". The CM of  West Bengal had no hesitation to brush aside a horrendous rape in Park Street as a political conspiracy to malign her reputation. Those in power, who have the duty to protect our girls and women, often blame them for "inviting rapes " on them. Instead of protecting the women they protect their predators.

Rape is an intentional act of crime for sexual gratification without concern for social norms and the laws of the land.Rape cannot be treated as a psychiatric aberration because a psychiatric patient will not commit a rape. Rape is also not an animal behaviour as animals do not rape the female species. It is only the human male who commits such a horrific criminal violation of the female body and mind. For instance, is the man in Paravoor ( Kerala ), who raped his fourteen-year old daughter and forced her into flesh trade , psychiatrically ill ? NOT AT ALL. He is a hardened criminal . But he was convicted only for seven years imprisonment. There is an increasing chorus from the people for death penalty for rapists. Convicts are awarded death sentence only by applying the  " rarest of rare " principle of criminal justice. But death sentences are kept in abeyance for many years awaiting clemency . Former President Pratibha Patil's action of commuting death sentence to life imprisonment of some convicts received adverse reaction. Men who raped and killed a five-year old and a six-year old respectively were allowed to escape the noose through the Presidential pardon. The death sentences often become " state protection ".

Rapists, child abusers ,and habitual eve teasers should be given exemplary punishment such as chemical castration , long term rigorous imprisonment , jail sentence till the end of the life , and death penalty depending on the gravity of the crime. Recruitment of a large number of women in the police force, protective policing , scientific and speedy investigation ,and early sentence to be enforced within a brief time - frame . Otherwise , as the Delhi High Court cautioned ,PEOPLE WILL LOSE FAITH IN THE POLCE AND THE JUDICIARY .

ABUSIVE PARENTS DESERVE PUNISHMENT

There are no bad children ,but only bad parents and bad teachers : that is a well-known dictum. Children in all cultures are dependent on their parents and other adults. They need a caring family and supportive environment to grow as independent adults. Children err , and err often. Traditional
wisdom suggests advice, reward, admonishment and punishment in that order to correct children. But the rationale of the punishment should be explained to them. It should never be disproportionate to the mistake. When the punishment becomes excessive, it damages the child's psyche. Some children become aggressive, while some others become timid. Failure in studies and unsuccessful career are often associated with harsh parenting during early childhood. Many children run away from their homes because of parental torture and end up as " street children" in the cities. Some children even commit suicide.

Systems Analyst Chandrasekhar and wife Anupama would never have dreamt that they would be in a Norwegian prison for  disciplining(?) their seven-year old son Sai Sriram,a student of  Oslo International School. It  started  early this year when the child complained to his teachers that his parents had threatened to send him back to India for wetting his pants. He was reported to be under treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The school reported the matter to the Child Welfare Service of  Norway. The parents were arrested and the investigation by the Oslo Police revealed that the child was subjected to brutal abuse for the past five years: severe scolding, repeatedly beating by a belt causing scars, pressing hot spoon leading to burns on the lower leg, etc. An  Oslo court sentenced the father and mother to jail terms for 18 and 15 months respectively.

Chandrasekhar's brother-in-law reacted with a sense of shock: " I have never heard anything like this. Is disciplining a child by his  parents a crime?" Most Indian parents will  share these sentiments as beating children is the norm in our society as parents justify beating for the good future of the children , which depends on the way the child internalizes the punishment. The punishment awarded to the Indian couple is not because of cultural misunderstanding as is made out to be because even Norwegian parents are punished for similar parenting. Parental cruelty to children are not uncommon.An Indian-origin mother in UK killed her young son by severely "beating like a dog" for not reciting passages from the Holy Book and her conviction is in the news.

In India there are no laws that specifically deal with child abuse and neglect, physical or psychological ,by parents. European laws prescribe fine to imprisonment for abusive parenting. Scandinavian countries, United States, Australia, etc. have strict child protection laws against parental abuse. Indian family, no doubt, has many strengths. But over-glorification of the Indian family values when rapid social change has been taking place will be at the cost of the well-being of  our children.

KERALA MODEL OF HEALTH CARE

Malda Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal earned the sobriquet Horror Hospital for record-shattering crib deaths: around100 in January 2012 and now 25 in four days during November end.

United Nations MillenniumDevelopment Goal ( MDG) aims to reduce under five mortality rate(U5MR) by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015 as agreed upon by 191 member-countries when they signed the UN Millennium Declaration in September 2000. But the findings of a recent study by the  Indian Council of Medical Research, the National Institute of Medical Sciences , and the UNICEF indicate that only six states are likely to realise the MDG and India as a whole may fall short of achieving this goal.of 39 deaths per 1,000  live births from 109 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990. The six states are Kerala(12 in2012 to  11 in 2015), Tamilnadu  (22 to 19), Maharashtra(28 to 26), Punjab (33 to  30), Himachal Pradesh (38 to 35), and Karnataka (37 to 34 ).  But the government of India is confident that the country would  achieve the MDG as the U5MR now is around 46 per 1,000 live births.

In India,2.1 million children die before their fifth birthday and half of these children die even before they are 28 days old. UNICEF estimated that India accounted for about 21 percent of under- five children 's deaths worldwide in 2009. Survival of children depends on good quality care during pregnancy of mothers, efficient per-natal care,education of girls at least up to tenth standard,delay in the age of marriage, adequate spacing between births,empowerment of women, and good Public Health Service. Union Minister Jairam Ramesh admitted recently that the public health system in India had collapsed.In many parts of India Public Health Service does not  even exist.

Health indices of Kerala are comparable to those of many developed  countries. It is an exception among the Indian states. An effective village administration,an efficient public health system, an uncompromising insistence of accountability from the service providers by the people , and an alert  media are additional strengths of the state. Let the other Indian states emulate Kerala.