Done Reasoning With Monsters, Rape Is the Murder of a Future

The rape of a young child is not an incident. It alters a life. The agony is unbearable. The pain hasn’t even begun.

Delhi tells us who we are today as a people. (Photo: iStockphoto)

When you get raped in Delhi, this is what happens, even if you are a toddler: Someone who cares for you has to file an FIR. And you have to reveal your identity to the police. Chances are by then, everyone in your community knows you’ve been raped, and will definitely tell.

Then, if your loved ones are serious about getting the rapist charged, you are frog-marched to a medical examination room that is ‘recognised’ as official. The one I am describing is in AIIMS – the largest medical facility in the capital. The one with the ‘best’ doctors. But the one without privacy. Or hygiene. Or perhaps even a soul.

Representational photo. (Photo: iStockphoto)

When you are raped in Delhi, you could be taken straight to the AIIMS mortuary. Not because you are dead, but because you might as well be.

The room where rape victims are medically examined lies behind the doors where the corpses lie.

A team of doctors jump over scurrying rats, behind those who’ve been pronounced ‘legally’ dead, to examine a little child who is severely damaged from the sexual assault.

If the child is still alive, chances are she, or he for that matter, is unable to sit or perhaps even lie down without mortifying screams. The agony is unbearable. The pain hasn’t even begun.

The toddler we are calling Little Nirbhaya will never be a mother. We took her choices away from her the day we allowed her rape.

Delhi tells us who we are today as a people. It explains why the system of parenting and family has failed us at every level. And why staying blind to the reality that people fornicate outside of marriage in an India of acche din is leading to a very sick mindset.

Girl studying under the light of a lamp. (Photo: iStockphoto)

The National Capital Region is a growing scum pit of crime of every known description. The poor are feeling more hopeless. There are no homes to live in. Very little privacy. Not enough money to live on, let alone eat on. Frustration. Disparity. No guidance from mentors about what it takes to be a good human being in a big bad city. Government education lacks understanding of the essence of life today. The Economically Weaker Sections system under the Right to Education creates more confusion and comparison in a child’s mind than if he was with kids more like him. The drop outs from the free schools are worse off. They must literally jump through sewers and look for a quick buck, smoke, drink or sex. We refer to them as poor juveniles.

The new rape law has to be made understandable to people of all ages. But it is already out of date. How about this: If you are old enough to rape, you are old enough to be punished. If you rape an innocent child, woman or even man, you are likely to have your private parts damaged in the same fashion without prejudice. Oh, I can hear the esteemed Gandhians and the activists now. My bad! But you know what? I’m done with trying to reason with monsters. I really don’t give a damn how old you are.

Boys and girls are all possible prey. (Photo: iStockphoto)

There can be no junior or senior citizen quota for a rapist and most certainly not a raping age limit.

Twenty-five may be the legal age for drinking (what a joke). But there’s no legal age for wanting sex. A kid with sexual curiosity, no sex education and no opportunity will probably turn into a monster who can’t control his need for sexual release. Because rape fulfils what masturbation cannot: The feeling of being in control. And pathetically, sometimes just feeling equal.

On October 9, 2015, Choti Nirbhaya, a four-year-old child was raped by a man who was known to her family. Her family now needs financial support to take care of her education and ensure that her future is stable. The Quint in association with BitGiving has started a campaign to generate funds for Choti Nirbhaya. To help her, click here.