CONTINUING violence against infants, girls and women are being reported on a daily basis makes me feel that India is suffering from female-hatred mania. In the last couple of months cases of rapes and assault have made it to the headlines with alarming frequency. In another shameful incidence, on March 18, under Meera Road police station in Mumbai, a father was arrested for allegedly raping his two daughters on the advice of a ‘tantrik’ in an attempt to become rich for ten years. Shocking enough is the fact that mother was also a part of the crime. He first raped his elder daughter, now 23-year when she was just ten years old and continued for ten years. According to the sources, father was advised to get sexually involved with his daughter for 133 times to become rich. The hunger for money led the couple assault their kid. They continued the crime with the younger daughter till she complaint of it to her maternal uncle. According to the police sources, the couple was arrested on the complaint of the relative.

Rape is the fastest growing crime in India today; as many as 18 women are assaulted in some form or the other every hour across India. Analytically, the chronology compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that crimes against women seems to be more deadly than terror attacks in India. According to the report of the NCRB 2007, a total of 185,312 incidents of crime against women were reported in the country during 2007 as compared to 164,765 during 2006, an increase of 12.5 percent. Of this, 85,312 incidents of crime against women and 20,771 cases of rape, 38,734 molestation and 1095 sexual harassment were reported in the country in 2007.

In more than 90 percent of the cases, the victims knew the offenders. The highest number of rape cases was reported from Madhya Pradesh, 75,930 women became victims of torture and cruelty by their husbands and in-laws. Every three minutes a woman becomes victim of a crime somewhere in India. The highest number become targets of their husbands and in-laws, says the report. Further, the number of crimes committed against women has increased continuously during the last five years.

Cases of Crimes have upsurged in thousands, a decade back in 1999, a total of 1, 35,771 cases were reported. Over 32000 murders, 19,000 rapes, 7500 dowry deaths and 36500 molestation cases are the violent crimes reported in India in 2006 against women. While Madhya Pradesh is worst off among the states, the national capital New Delhi continues to hold on to its reputation of being the most unsafe city in India. Delhi takes the top slot for crimes ranging from murders and rapes to dowry deaths and abductions. For instance while the national crime rate declined negligibly by .02 % in 2006; Delhi’s rate grew to 357.2more than double the national average of 167.7.

It reflects country’s law and order situation is plunging deep into chaos. While its capital, New Delhi remains a cauldron of crime, instead of leading the way in tackling crime, Delhi seems to be doing worse year after year. The skyrocketing rise of crimes against women and children makes me wonder why the country India cannot tackle effectively. Is there any solution? Everyone is against it, but nobody knows how to answer to it. Of there is no magical solution to it, but definitely there is a need for fundamental changes to be made in our society. The authority whether it’s state or central government or the politic administration, it must be sensitive to this social menace. India cannot be graveyard of policy failures. Make violence against women no-no in our society.