Prof N.Natarajan
I feel that whatever happened to that Angel called the Brave Heart or Damini or Nirbhaya was nothing but a mirror reflection of what has happened to the Indian Executive and the Judicial and Legislative system, not necessarily in the same order. The patient suffered multiple rapes, was tortured, developed gangarine and septicemia, suffered more than one cardiac arrest, started bleeding throughout the body and was officially declared brain dead.
This is the state of the Indian Executive and the Judicial and Legislative system.
Only the final act of Nirbhaya being whisked away to another country to be declared dead is not possible in the case of the system and its individual players!
I quote the following instances to prove my point:
1. Neither the Executive, nor the Legislatures, nor the Judiciary, nor the citizens and nor women themselves till now questioned the ineffectiveness of the Indian investigation and justice delivery system against thousands of the registered rape cases and millions of unreported and unregistered cases in the entire length and breadth of the country.
2. Do you remember an IG named Rathore who after molesting a minor girl and driving her to death, continued to receive 3 promotions and the President of India’s medal for his exemplary services?
3. Do you remember the Union Carbide case which in many ways was the first bold attempt through the rape of our integrated system to render grave injustice to thousands of poor Bhopal gas victims? It was not one bad man who did it.
4. Do you remember that a retired Chief Justice of India was appointed Chairman of National Human Rights Commission despite being investigated for corruption?
5. Do you remember that under his job as CJ of the Apex Court, a Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court was merely transferred to another High Court after the allegations of corruption against him were nearly proved?
6. Do you remember the Bofors case, where despite clear proof of bribe being paid to one Mr. Q, no one was punished or held accountable?
7. Do you remember 2G Spectrum scam in which a crucial note was given way back in 2007 by the Cabinet Secretary to the PM? It gave advance warning of the impending astronomical loss of Rs. 30000 crores and this note was hidden away from the CAG, CBI and the Apex Court. It came to light only during recent PAC hearings. This was criminal obstruction of justice at the country’s highest level and yet no one lost sleep over such a monumental cover up. No case has been registered till now. Remember! This case is being monitored by the Apex Court. Moreover it is already on record that the warning given by a highly regarded Finance Secretary was overlooked by the Finance Minister who agreed with Raja rather than bothering about his finance secretary’s advice.
8. Do you remember how the country’s natural resources of mining were looted in the last decade by crony capitalists in league with the highest executive and political establishments?
Truth indeed hurts but sad to say that we the people were mute witnesses to all the above happenings which were only the tip of the iceberg.
Each of these cases amounted to rape of the system. By our tolerance we aided and abetted the dastardly acts and are equally guilty. Now we are beating our breasts and trying to put Humpty Dumpty together.
This case is about giving equal rights to 50% of the nation’s population.
It is about allowing a woman to express herself in any way that she wants to without having to kowtow to patriarchal dictates and views.
Nirbhaya has made a supreme sacrifice with her life. Her promising life was extinguished by the cruel rapists. The best tribute to her would be for the country to rise as one nation to bury the brain dead system.
Let us not be hoodwinked again by future promises.
