To Curb RAPE?

I happened to come across an old acquaintance in a party recently. We chatted for some time until I casually remarked about my future plans of studying in the Indian capital. She stopped short, her expressions turning somber, “Delhi is not a safe place for girls you know”, was her concerned remark. I wasn’t surprised at all, I’m used to such reactions from people. But hello! For all those who think our city (that is Indore) is a safe place….well wake up! Are you even glimpsing at the local news? MP is nonchalantly becoming a rape bomb. The past two weeks have witnessed local newspapers flashing news of repeated gang-rapes and abduction in Madhya Pradesh. Nothing new, and yet, a deeply troubling issue. Within one short week three such cases were reported; the Betma rape case of minors, the repeated gang-rape of a mute and deaf lady, abuse of a 30-year-old woman by eight rogues and today I read about two rape cases in Bhopal. Such incidents inevitably ransack a woman’s life. Phir kya Delhi aur kya MP, security of women has become a prodigious question-mark everywhere.  

A survey stated that Madhya Pradesh has 7,000 pending rape cases in court. With the lack of quick deliverance of justice, tedious court proceedings and corruption to spice it all up, we get a nice full platter of injustice to taste. And hold on, the official figure says 7,000. What the actual count is, including the unreported cases, is something our ‘culturally sound’ brains are tuned to ignore. 
Despite there being strict laws against rapists, Section 375, Section 376, etc zeroed in for sexual abuse and immediate punishment being sentenced to criminals, why are men still goaded into committing such ruthless felony? The answer may again vary from ‘lack of police security’ to ‘slow judicial proceedings’ or for that matter insensitive careless women being the ones who invite rape. But thinking of it in a broader sense, I feel there’s just one reason… the Indian law does not offer a punishment appropriate enough for such hideous crimes. The accused is sentenced to life imprisonment or in extreme cases sentenced to death, provided if, the case is speedily wrapped up. And this lackadaisical attitude has invariably led to an increase in sexual assaults.

 What India needs at this moment is a drastic decision, that of legalizing chemical castration.

Castration in simple words means sterilization. It can be treated ‘surgically’ by actually removing testes or ovaries, or can be practiced ‘chemically’ where in certain hormonal changes reduce sex-drive. Many countries have already adopted this law, specially the US states. California became the first to legalize chemical castration in 1996, followed by Florida, Poland, Georgia, Montana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Iowa, Louisiana and Texas. Agreed that there are certain legal and ethical implications of castration in India, but by far it is the most apt tool to curb rape, molestation and other related crimes. Fear of becoming impotent is a sure-shot recipe of scaring away sexual offenders. Child molesters and rapists are perceived as amongst the most vile members of society. And they deserve a rightful punishment after outraging a woman’s esteem. Castration is the answer. Plus it will drastically reduce the rate of rape cases in our country. Indian mentality is like that, a cat will hunt down rats but will instantly get scared of a lion, castration is the lion here. Molesters will definitely get afraid of losing their sexuality.

The revival of castration legislation to diminish sexually deviant behavior is likely to face several challenges. Our society took time to accept Article 377, the world took longer to believe that Earth is round, and it will surely take good long time for Indians to accept this law. But once legalized, castration will save those hundreds of thousands of women suffering from molestation every single day.