Socio Research & Reform Foundation

Analysis and suggestions for reducing sexual crimes in the country

While giving a snapshot data provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) states that from 1971 (2487) till 2011 (24206), there has been an increase of 873% in registered rapes, the highest increase in cognizable crimes. It is alleged that a large number of rapes go unreported, however the increase tells its own story.

The data is further analysed for four intervening decades.

The above analysis is important in understanding that this heinous crime has been going up regularly, but has now acquired alarming proportions in terms of absolute numbers. Since MP and UP have the highest population / area in the country they have had highest proportion of rapes in the country. However what is also important is while their absolute number is still going up, rape has become more widespread in the country.

Of course, as one can see while Delhi & Mumbai at one time were almost at same level in % terms, this crime has increased in Delhi. Thus the phrase of ‘Rape Capital’ is not unjustifiably attached to Delhi.

One of the most cited reason given for increase in this crime is that delay in prosecution, however if that is the sole reason, than it would be applicable to almost all types of crimes because same judicial system is applicable to all crimes.  It is felt certain other important factors which directly contributed to this crime are discussed below.

• Degradation of female body in print and visual media and on internet.
• Easy access to youth to porn on internet (almost freely available at your fingertips all the time through internet mobiles)
• Bollywood songs which have always been popular among youth becoming more and more vulgar (some even almost inviting listeners to commit a sexual act)
• Easy access and widespread usage of alcohol
• In current environment of focus on material wealth, there is no environment for youth to emulate heroes with ideals of high thinking, whose focus remains on sense-satisfaction (masti).
• Several of the youth who migrate from rural / semi-urban areas have been in an environment where mixing of sexes is limited.  Such persons when exposed to naked / semi-naked female images whether in print or internet, start considering women only as a sex-object and loose sense of right / wrong.  Alcohol and lewd bollywood song, further contribute in titillating such persons.

Thus the current environment has become a precipe for widespread violence and sexual crimes against women.

Suggestions 

1. Censor Board should look at vulgarity of songs coming out of Bollywood
2. Find ways to minimise access to nude / pornographic images on internet.
3. Govts. should work to support environment which enhance value education in schools.
4. Law has to be strictly enforced.
5. Minimise time for prosecution both at trial stage as well as appeal.
6. Persons once convicted of certain heineous crimes should not be allowed to be released on bail during appeals (Reference: Sushil Sharma of infamous Tandoor Murder case).
7. Society to be encouraged to intervene whenever they see anything wrong. (At one time passers by hesitated to take accident victims to hospitals for the fear of getting involved in legal cases, however after courts intervened, the Govt made fresh guidelines making it much easier for passers by to take persons to hospital – this has improved the situation)

As per a govt publication, representation of SCs/STs has gone up remarkably in various levels of civil service measured over a period of 43 years.

As can be seen there appears to be a significant increment of representation of SCs as well as STs compared to 1964 levels. The increase is most significant in the higher level of civil service, but even in there has been increase, though in percentage terms it understandably it is lower. In case of STs the reservation has also made significant progress. Thus the Govt can claim that reservation policy is having impact of making the bureaucracy more representative.

The publication does not measure impact of OBCs, for whom reservation were introduced in 1993.

–          Based on a report in Indian Express