Analysis
No 'Tamasha' Please...
A debate has been initiated on whether a Special Session Of Parliament should be called to discuss the emergent issue of the Delhi gang rape, and the subsequent death of the victim. By the time the debate peters out, like all debates do in our country, we will still be wondering as to what we should do, how should we act in such cases of sheer animality and regression.
Having an emergency Parliament session is a good idea, but the fall outs must be tangible, and not bickering among politicians, with each party blaming another. There is no doubt that the Government acted in an irresolute manner, but politicians as a genre did little, or tried precious little to alleviate the fears of college and university students. Greeting them with tear gas, water cannons and lathis did very little to assuage their wounded feelings. In fact they were more hurt than angry. The very fact that the protests continued even after the victim's death and funeral, is a clear cut indication as to how the country was shaken.
Now, some political leaders have asked for a special summons of the Parliament. If this is held, acrimony is not going to save the situation, but we need to deep delve into clear cut solutions. Anyalyzing such behavourial patterns, also will confound matters, let that be left to academics. But the punishment to be meted out in such cases of culpability must be sought out in a way, that people and young adults do not think that they can get away with such acts. Moreover this should also act as a deterrent to such cognizable offences against women, from eve teasing, and rape to dowry deaths and child foeticide.
This will clean society of this mess that we are in, possessing attitudinal sexist biases. There is no use of talking about freedom and democracy, in such biased and rabid situations. So, if Parliament is called, we do not want tamasha, inside the precincts of a hallowed office, which we are used to witnessing time and again, clownish and totally infructuous. Otherwise it is better it be not called.
We have to take measures of protection, protection of the ' weaker ' sections of the society, protection of laws which are never applied but remain in the confines of the rule book, limited, circumbscribed. If these are debated upon, and there is a pragmatic output having transference into the laws of the country, then the effort will be worth it and sustainable.
Otherwise we can dismiss it as one more quirkish suggestion by politicians, who want dissension, discord and nothing else. We want solutions, we want wrongs to be righted, not dilatory tactics any more.
02-Jan-2013
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Ananya S Guha
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