Swarajya Logo
Swarajya Logo
Politics States Economy Society Business Culture Infra Defence World Books Ideas Science Technology Heritage Archives Legal Movies Sports
  • Our Views
    Politics States Economy Society Business Culture Infra Defence World Books Ideas Science Technology Heritage Archives Legal Movies Sports
  • Magazine
  • Store

About Swarajya

Swarajya is a publication by Kovai Media Private Limited.

Swarajya - a big tent for liberal right of centre discourse that reaches out, engages and caters to the new India.

editor@swarajyamag.com

Useful Links

  • About Us
  • Subscriptions Support
  • Editorial Philosophy
  • Press Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism Policy
  • Refund & Cancellation Policy

Useful Links

  • About Us
  • Subscriptions Support
  • Editorial Philosophy
  • Press Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism Policy
  • Refund & Cancellation Policy

Participate

  • Contact Us
  • Write for us
  • Style Guide
  • Jobs

Stay Connected

  • Artboard 2 Copy 6Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 10Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 7Created with Sketch.
    Artboard 2 Copy 9Created with Sketch.
  • Andriod Logo
  • IOS Logo

Ideas

#DeathForChildRapists: There Is No Place In A Civilised Society For People Who Commit Such Heinous Crimes

Shivraj Singh ChouhanSunday, April 22, 2018 1:00 pm IST
Children took to the streets in Kolkata to protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. (Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via GettyImages) 
Children took to the streets in Kolkata to protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. (Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via GettyImages) 
Children took to the streets in Kolkata to protest against the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua. (Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via GettyImages) 
  • Stringent measures to check crimes against women and rape in the country are overriding. Establishing some sort of deterrence was the need of the hour.
  • In the wake of increasing brutal incidents on minors across the country, the Union Cabinet, in a landmark move, has cleared an ordinance which provides for handing down capital punishment to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. I have been championing for death for child rapists for a long time. Madhya Pradesh was the first state in the country to recommend such a provision in the law. On 4 December 2017, a bill on capital punishment for such criminals was unanimously passed in the winter session of Madhya Pradesh assembly with the support of the opposition parties and sent to the President for his assent. Today, my heart is filled with a sense of achievement.

    Many people then criticised my decision of introducing such a bill on the pretext that it is a violation of the right to life. I firmly believe that people who commit such heinous crimes should not escape in the name of human rights. Human rights should be only for humans and not beasts, who commit a crime like rape. I have rooted for capital punishment to rapists only to ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere for women in Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere in the country. I feel rape is the worst crime that can be inflicted on a woman. It not only damages her physically but also mars her soul and psyche beyond repair.

    The state of affairs in the country is such that a rape victim is often looked down upon and many a time even ostracised by the society and sometimes by her own family. The fear of social banishment either compels the victim to commit suicide or refrain from filing a police complaint. The number of victims who have the mettle to fight the accused and the society is very low. The social stigma attached to the crime and absence of strict measures against rapists has stopped women in India from being vocal about it. Of the total number of rapes reported, hardly few women manage to fight the battle until the end, and most often the accused is allowed to go scot free. This dampens the spirit and in most cases stops a victim from filing a formal complaint.

    The rate of crime against women has been alarmingly high in our country and the recent incidents have shaken the conscience of all of us. In 2007, crime against women in India was recorded at 185,312. This has almost doubled to 338,954 in 2016. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) as many as 39 crimes against women were reported every hour in India in 2016, up from 21 in 2007. In the face of such a situation, I believe taking stringent measures to check crimes against women and rape in the country is overriding. Establishing some sort of deterrence was the need of the hour.

    I am of the firm belief that one of the key reasons a person dares to commit such an abominable crime is due to the lack of strict punishment. To create fear and terror among rapists and to deter people from committing such a crime, amendment of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) to include capital punishment became indispensable. Not one rapist should be allowed to roam freely in Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country. Although the arrest of the accused gives women the confidence to report the crime, awarding death sentence to rapists will help reinforce the faith of the victims and their parents in the judicial system. I have observed that many other countries have the provision of capital punishment for rapists, with around a year-and-a-half ago Indonesia passing a new law that includes death as a maximum sentence and chemical castration.

    In recent times, in some cases in Madhya Pradesh, courts have awarded death penalty to rapists. In May 2013, the district and sessions court in Bhopal awarded capital punishment to a person accused of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. In 2015, two people, one in Satna district and the other in Sehore district were awarded capital punishment for raping a five-year-old and an eight-year-old girl respectively. In February 2017, the Sidhi district court awarded capital punishment to a man for raping a woman and murdering her. I firmly believe that such cases set an example for rapists and create a fear among them about the dire consequences of their action in future.

    NCRB data shows that in 92 per cent of all rape cases, the rapist could be someone you know and trust. This is shocking. We need to deeply introspect where we are heading to as a society. A social movement needs to be initiated wherein we educate children about good touch and bad touch, identify such perpetrators and hand them over to the law enforcing agencies.

    Safety of children is a foremost concern for all of us. I am confident that the amendments to the POCSO Act will go a long way in reducing the rate of crime and provide justice to the victims and their family members, while at the same time safeguarding their human rights.

    Tags
    Madhya Pradesh
    capital punishment
    Union Cabinet
    NCRB
    POCSO
    Rapists

    Comments ↓

    An Appeal...


     

    Dear Reader,

     

    As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.

     

    Our business model is you and your subscription.  And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.

     

    We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.

     

    Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.

    Get Swarajya in your inbox.


    Magazine


    Swarajya Magazine Cover Image
    Merchandise

    Merchandise


      Politics

      Hadiya, Woman At Centre Of Kerala Conversion Controversy, Says She Has Remarried

      Hadiya, Woman At Centre Of Kerala Conversion Controversy, Says She Has Remarried

      Swarajya Staff
      2m

      Telangana: BJP Boycotts MLAs Oath-Taking Ceremony In Assembly After Akbaruddin Owaisi's Appointment As Pro-Tem Speaker

      Swarajya Staff
      54m

      Suspense Over Rajasthan CM Continues As Yogi Balaknath Dismisses Social Media Speculations

      Swarajya Staff
      2h

      Economy

      Enough Of Big Bang Reforms? No Major Announcements In Next Budget, "Wait Till July 2024", Says Nirmala Sitharaman

      Enough Of Big Bang Reforms? No Major Announcements In Next Budget, "Wait Till July 2024", Says Nirmala Sitharaman

      Nishtha Anushree
      2d

      ₹58,378 Crores! Govt Set To Open Taps On Additional Welfare Spending With 2024 In Mind

      Swarajya News Staff
      2d

      India Anticipated To Be Fastest Growing In Next Three Years, Set to Become Third Largest Economy By 2030: S&P

      Nishtha Anushree
      4d

      Defence

      On This Day, In 1971, Indian Military Keeps Up Pressure: With Intense Armour Clashes In Western Pakistan, While Second Naval Raid On Karachi Looms

      On This Day, In 1971, Indian Military Keeps Up Pressure: With Intense Armour Clashes In Western Pakistan, While Second Naval Raid On Karachi Looms

      Ujjwal Shrotryia
      21h

      Indian Army Sets Sight On Future: Developing AI And Cybersecurity Tech; Can Now Interpret Enemy's Electronic Order Of Battle

      Swarajya Staff
      1d

      Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster-III Transport Aircraft Successfully Drops DRDO-Developed Heavy Airdrop Platform

      Swarajya Staff
      1d

      World

      After Becoming Longest-Serving President, Putin Announces Running For Election In Russia Again

      After Becoming Longest-Serving President, Putin Announces Running For Election In Russia Again

      Nishtha Anushree
      19h

      Maldives Skips Key Indian Ocean Security Meet With India And Other Neighbours, Opts For Chinese Forum Amidst Growing Tilt

      Swarajya Staff
      1d

      Azerbaijan President Accuses India And France Of Fuelling Armenia's Fire Of 'Revenge' For Loss In Nagorno-Karabakh War

      Swarajya Staff
      1d

      Culture

      From Jodhpur To Ayodhya On Bulls, Preserved Through Herbs: The Story Of Ghee To Be Used For Ram Lalla's First Aarti

      From Jodhpur To Ayodhya On Bulls, Preserved Through Herbs: The Story Of Ghee To Be Used For Ram Lalla's First Aarti

      Nishtha Anushree
      5h

      ‘Garba Of Gujarat’ Declared As Intangible Heritage By UNESCO

      Arun Kumar Das
      2d

      Gujarat's Garba Is Now In List Of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

      Swarajya News Staff
      2d
      States

      infrastructure


      Arun Kumar Das
      1

      Indian Railways To Run 4,500 Vande Bharat Trains By 2047, Says Union Minister Scindia

      2 Mins Read
      Arun Kumar Das
      2

      Path To Prosperity: National Tourism Policy Paves The Way For Economic Boost

      1 Mins Read
      Amit Mishra
      3

      Gurugram: Haryana Government To Incorporate 'New Company' For Millennium City Metro Corridor

      2 Mins Read
      Amit Mishra
      4

      Ayodhya Airport To Be Ready By December End, Says Jyotiraditya Scindia

      2 Mins Read