WOMEN'S SAFTY
Less than a year since Delhi's young paramedic's rape case shook the nation, the capital of West Bengal was besieged by another horrific gang rape case of a 16-year-old girl, her death, and police cover-up all suggesting that women safety is still a mirage in India.
In fact, the numerous incidents of rape have put a big question mark on the effectiveness of the new Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill put in place after the after the Delhi gang rape incident of December 16, 2012.
That horrifying incident left an indelible mark in the minds of the people and sparked a debate about the safety of women in the country. A year after that there is no let up in rape cases in the country and such incident is being regularly reported in the media.
All this has raised the question whether there any meaningful changes in the attitude of society towards women in the country? Is women's safety, really a priority with those who govern India?
The answer is as depressing as before. While various State Governments had announced a slew of measures, such as setting up of help lines and women help desks at police stations, these appear to have had little impact. If we look at the statistics provided by the Delhi Police and National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), we find that all talks of women safety and meaningful change in the society's attitude towards them remain a mirage and the hope of women being safe still a pipe dream.
There has been a 125% jump in the number of rape cases in Delhi since December 16, 2012. Molestation cases are up a massive 417%. The Delhi Police till November 2013 has registered 1,493 cases of rape against 661 in the corresponding period last year, 3,237 cases of molestation against 625, 852 cases of harassment against 165.
As per the data of National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), a total of 706 rape cases were registered in 2012, while the numbers of registered rape cases were 572 in 2011 as against 507 rape cases reported in 2010. The figure stood
In fact, the numerous incidents of rape have put a big question mark on the effectiveness of the new Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill put in place after the after the Delhi gang rape incident of December 16, 2012.
That horrifying incident left an indelible mark in the minds of the people and sparked a debate about the safety of women in the country. A year after that there is no let up in rape cases in the country and such incident is being regularly reported in the media.
All this has raised the question whether there any meaningful changes in the attitude of society towards women in the country? Is women's safety, really a priority with those who govern India?
The answer is as depressing as before. While various State Governments had announced a slew of measures, such as setting up of help lines and women help desks at police stations, these appear to have had little impact. If we look at the statistics provided by the Delhi Police and National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), we find that all talks of women safety and meaningful change in the society's attitude towards them remain a mirage and the hope of women being safe still a pipe dream.
There has been a 125% jump in the number of rape cases in Delhi since December 16, 2012. Molestation cases are up a massive 417%. The Delhi Police till November 2013 has registered 1,493 cases of rape against 661 in the corresponding period last year, 3,237 cases of molestation against 625, 852 cases of harassment against 165.
As per the data of National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), a total of 706 rape cases were registered in 2012, while the numbers of registered rape cases were 572 in 2011 as against 507 rape cases reported in 2010. The figure stood