The rape of a medical student in December 2012 and her subsequent death
brought the entire country to the boiling point. We vehemently demanded action
against the offenders. The impact of the incident was such that the changes
were made to the existing laws and the sacrosanct matter of juvenile offenders and their punishment was
also brought to the discussion table.
This, of course, proves that we
want the justice to prevail at all costs.
A nurse called Aruna Shanbhag was
unnaturally raped by a ward boy at KEM hospital in Mumbai in November 1973.
After satiating his erotic hunger, he stifled her with a dog chain. Assuming
her dead, he left her body on the spot of the crime he had just committed.
Others discovered Aruna 11 hours
later. Till then, she had lost a lot of blood and had become paralyzed. After a
few years of futile medical endeavors, she was pronounced brain-dead; she
remained alive like a dead body, like a zombie.
She remained comatose for 42
years and breathed her last on 18 May, 2015. Aruna was just 26 when she faced
this horrific brutality. Her perpetrator was never prosecuted with rape
charges. Only charges that were slapped at him were of robbery and attempted
murder.
Aruna did not get justice; even
her family did not accept her. However, her fellow nurses at the KEM hospital
gave her a helping hand. They not just worked hard to put her in the hospital,
but they took all types of responsibilities pertaining the care that she
needed.
People demonstrated their anger,
they registered their protest at the calamity that befell her. In spite of all
this, can it be said that she got justice? The one word answer is - no.
The approach towards the crime
against women is still very loose. There are a number of people who are of the
opinion that 'four decades ago women had to go through a lot'.
In the December 2012 case, all
the offenders were caught and brought to justice, tried and sentenced to their
respective jail terms. While all that Aruna's attacker, who unnaturally raped
her and stifled her to the deathbed for 42 long years, received was a seven
years of imprisonment. After serving his term, he was free to lead a peaceful
life.
Actually, he was never punished
for his real crime. It is a very horrific feeling for any woman that his rapistis roaming free and might attack another helpless woman any time of his choice
and convenience.
However, the plea for Aruna's
euthanasia created quite a buzz. Although, the demand was raised in good faith,
it obliterated the matter of her rape and subsequent brain death. No one seemed
to pay attention to the fact that any kind of physical or sexual abuse to
either male of female is a seroius crime and should be dealt with stern
judicial measures.
The 2012 incident changed our
perspective towards rape. We were forced to acknowledge that mental approach
towards such incidents is not in tune with the changing time, it is simply
regressive.
We witnessed many political and
social leaders holding the victim responsible for the unfortunate incident that
befell her. They blamed her for getting out late in the night. They
unsuccessfully tried to justify the male ego that she paid the price for
crossing the limit.
Over the years, we have heard
people saying that eating chawing, wearing jeans, or use of mobile phones have
increased sexual harassment. Many people have tried to justify these arguments. However, it is nothing less
than a relief that the majority of the Indian society has refuted these kinds
of fringe statements.
Aruna's prolonged illness and
subsequent death will always remind us that how biased and parochial our
thinking is towards sexual crimes.
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