hii guys i want all of u here to read this article.......
“The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time”, William Butler Yeats, the Nobel Laureate had once said.
And with time humanity seems to be disappearing from this earth. Many innocent children are falling prey to the ghastly yearning of sex hungry men in Delhi also known as the crime capital of the country.
Little Muskan (name changed), a four year old, must have had no idea about this ruthless world till she was raped brutally. Today she manages to survive without her uterus, vagina and has two external pipes inserted to support her kidney.
Muskan is still innocent, as she does not know what exactly has happened to her… For her, it is a demon who had tried to capture her, hurt her… but she managed to escape.
But for the family, she is a burden now, she needs to be hidden from the hypocrisy of this society, which turns a blind eye to the accused and treats the victim with disrespect.
A father of three, Siraj (name changed) who had changed three houses, ultimately had no other option but to leave his eldest daughter with an NGO, Childline, which works for the rehabilitation of such children.
“I have two more children to look after, we are poor and I am a rickshaw puller. The doctors said she needs further surgeries. How do I manage,” said Siraj who lives from hand to mouth and had migrated to Delhi from a small hamlet in West Bengal in search of a livelihood.
A number of NGOs working for the rehabilitation of such children are finding it difficult to handle increasing cases of child abuse due to shortage of fund and obstacles from various quarters.
“It depends from case to case and in this particular case they cannot afford to bear her responsibility as the parents will not be able to marry her off, nor they will be able to keep her due to the social stigma attached with such victims. So we are now collecting funds for her sponsorship. We will provide her with education and some vocational training course so that she can earn something for her livelihood for herself,” said Tammana Khan, city Co-ordinator, Childline, Gurgaon.
Muskan’s is not a single instance, Last year in Delhi, a father had raped his 10-year-old daughter for more than a month. Eventually the girl told her neighbour who reported the matter to the police. The man was later arrested and awarded a life sentence.
One of the most heart-breaking instances was the rape of an 18-month-old child, by a pavement dweller in December 2005. The child, whose parents are daily labourers, continues to suffer from pain and occasional bleeding.
Statistics from Delhi, our proud capital city, recently showed that 75 per cent of all rape cases were that of minors and 25 per cent were of girls under the age of twelve. According to the National Crime Record Bureau, 3542 cases of child rape were reported in the country in 2004 out of which 295 cases happened every month. The figure went up to 335 in 2005.
According to Malini Bhattacharya, member, National Council for Women who work towards bringing justice to such cases, feels it is of utmost necessity to amend the existing law, which is totally inadequate.
“The laws that are there at present are very inadequate. Particularly in cases of child rape there is no provision for proper rehabilitation and proper trauma treatment. In section 375 and 376 of Indian Penal Code, the very definition of rape itself is unsatisfactory and very inadequate. It says that if there is no penile penetration then it is not considered a rape and the penalty itself is very less. And in cases of child rape, if there is no penetration but other kinds of assault which are equally damaging, the law does not recognise it and considers it as nothing but outraging modesty,” said Bhattacharya.
Bhattacharya laments that though the National Council of women has worked out various ways in collaboration with All India Democratic Women’s Association, the government pays little heed to such projects.
“The National Women’s Commission has recommended changes in the present provision and passing of a comprehensive law, which addresses all these problems. AIDWA (All India Democratic Women’s Association) has drafted a bill, which recommends a full trauma treatment to such victims of rape. The bill is still lying with the central government for approval and thereby to be placed in the parliament,” she added.
A minor undergoes irreparable damage both physically and mentally when raped. And providing psychological counseling to such victims is a challenge on its own as the child goes through the trauma throughout her growing up years and thereafter.
Psychiatrists believe that it is the parents more than the child who needs counseling. And in a closed society like India, it is an uphill task.
“It is very tragic and the sole initial responsibility lies with the family of the victim. It is how they react to the whole situation and let the victim understand that she is at no fault… else it is the guilt conscience that affects the personality of the child especially during her growing up years. The parents should be alert and seek professional counseling if necessary,” said Dr Pattanayak, a Psychiatrist, VIMHANS, Delhi.
Statistics meanwhile show that rapes committed by strangers have come down from 19 per cent in 1998 to only 1.84 per cent in 2006. This means that the safety vis-à-vis strangers has shown a relative improvement.
The other 98.16 per cent of the rapes that are committed and reported were either by the relations of acquaintances or friends or where the accused had a previous altercation with the victim.
It may be mentioned that the “Crime in India manual for 2005” compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has reinforced Delhi’s image as a metro unsafe for women.
The Capital has the highest rate of crime against women, 27.6 per lakh population, which is twice the national average of 14.2.
i think government is takin a right step.......an unwanted child.....will probably not be loved n taken care of.....n her life can be as miserable......pplus parents who r poor n cannot afford more childrens....keep on givin birth to girls for a wish to get 1 boy....they give birth to 5-6 girls....n all r unwanted.....thr shd be some place for them....if this happens girls will be independent....
