THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A STATEMENT , THESE ARE SOME QUESTIONS .
my blood boiled when i read about the molestation of innocent girls by some depraved scum in bengaluru . such incidents seem to growing in our country and no one seems to have an idea about how to prevent such incidents . more policing is not a solution because no state has a large enough police force to patrol every street and every bylane .
that brings me to three questions .
1 - years ago , on a national television debate , i had recommended strictest punishment to those who rape and molest . catching them , putting them behind bars for a while and then adding more cases for the already overburdened judiciary , is not the solution , i had said . we need to flog such scum in public , tie them to a pole in a prominent town square and let people spit on them , beat them with chappals , photograph them, chemically castrate them , brand their foreheads and let them go . or better still cut off their arms or legs , to start with, i had said .
and the other panelists recoiled in horror . thats so barbaric they said , its so islamic sharia - type regressive they said . i said , in my mind , god forgive them , they don't know their history well . its not just barbaric sharia law . during shivaji's rule , if any rapist was caught , his arms and legs used to be chopped off . for bigger crimes , their heads would be crushed under an elephants foot , or they would be flung off a cliff from takmak tekdi . that was a just punishment . it put fear in the hearts of others and they dared not look at a woman in a lecherous way . and thats what we need today . horrible fear of such severe punishment . and if its barabaric , so be it .
2- i saw the television interview of abu asim azmi . i have no love lost for him , but when i read his quotes the next day in the media , i was appalled . they were carefully selected sensational sentences . not one of the reports mentioned that he had begun his interview by saying these rowdies should be severely punished , hang them , he had said . not one paper quoted that . of course he had added that even girls should take precautions . precautions of who they are out with , how they are dressed etc . ( i personally believe that women can dress as they want , go out with who they want , at a time of their choice , they can smoke , drink , do drugs . and its fine with me . whats good for the guys is good for the girls . thats my sincere personal view ) but i agree with mr azmi , that they should take precautions . please remember that when such incidents happen , all kinds of people make all kinds of statements offering solutions to prevent them . they may be regressive , archaic , stupid , insane but they are sincere in their intent . these are solutions being offered from their points of view . the solutions may be regressive , the intentions are not bad. they are yet another thought in a scenario where nobody has a solution to offer .
and the only argument i have heard time and again , against these ' regressive ' thought processes , is don't ask the girls to change their clothes , let the guys change their' mindset ' .
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO MY MOST BAFFLING QUESTION .
3- how do you go about changing the mindset of these demented scum ? nobody till date has given me a logical answer . " hum kapde nahi badlenge , unko apne vichar badalneko bolo" sounds very nice , woman -empowering statement on tv . but how do you do that . by educating them to respect women , they say . does that mean that till now their parents , their school teachers , their college professors ( if they are that educated ) have taught them to disrespect women ? and now some new kind of education system is going to change that overnight , or even in the long run ? how many families have been truly able to change the mindset of their own sons or daughters ? honestly ? i have spent over twenty five years in the communications business . and i know how difficult it is to , forget changing mindset of an identified consumer segment , its near impossible to shift their brand preferences. even after spending millions of rupees . ( amul chocolates , inspite of being superior , could not get people to stop saying ' doh cadbury lana " when they wanted chocolates . inspite of years of efforts , aimed at an identified consumer segment .
so how do you change the mindset of an unknown mob , in an unknown geographical location ?
when a mr azmi , with all his idiosyncrasies , says take precautions ,whats wrong . don't we lock our valuables or cars as precautions ? we don't say let the thieves change their mindset . why is that always seen as demeaning to women ? and not treating them on par with men ? here's a man expressing concern. you may not agree with the sentiment , but do you you have an alternative logical solution ?
i have not yet met anyone who has . my solution is barbaric punishment . but i am honestly looking for an alternative solution .
AND THATSWHY ITS A QUESTION , NOT A STATEMENT .
