Uber Rape Case: A shame on India

Long before Indian minds could recover fully from the horrors of the 2012 brutal gangrape case yet another one has send shockwaves throughout the nation. This time the crime is alleged to have been committed by a radio taxi driver on a young girl who fell asleep in the cab. Once again, the incident has sparked off the debate on the safety of public transport. The case brings to the fore tardy progress in the implementation of women’s public safety measures, as pointed out by the mother of the 2012 deceased gangrape victim.

The government has stepped up its public safety reform in the aftermath of the incident banning the radio taxis and making registration mandatory for them. But a question arises: how far the measure would be effective? Even drivers of registered taxis have been found guilty of sexual assault in the past. The government and radio taxi companies need to undertake a rigorous verification process of drivers. Uber, as alleged by transport department does not have the required taxi-operating permits for Delhi then how was it allowed to ply thus far? Also, the fact that the Uber cab driver had criminal charges pending against him and had the audacity to commit the crime again shows the laxity of Indian criminal justice system. Also, despite setting up the fast track courts, Indian courts are still very slow in deciding the cases and bringing the culprits to book.

Banning radio taxis is not a viable solution for they offer a good alternative for means of transport. Making mandatory installing of state of the art security features like CCTV and GPS tracking system and women cab drivers are a solution to the problem.

The national database on criminals which is on agenda of the government needs to be sped up and be made comprehensive. Another problem that needs to be addressed is under policing. A Hindi newspaper reported that no policewoman was deployed in my city on the night of 16 December, two years after the gangrape case. This clearly shows the indifference on the part of authorities in curbing the rape epidemic.

Also, the need of the hour is a proactive and sensitive approach in handling such crimes. The fact that most of crimes of sexual assault are committed by people known to the victims and people thrusting blame on victims highlights the failing values of moral education. Time and again, I have written in my articles that we have toiled to instill etiquettes among women, have we bothered to teach men to respect their counterparts? No and the results are before us. Revamping education system incorporating sex education and gender issues is a much needed remedy. We have to act fast lest this “rape epidemic” wipes out the entire female population and India earns the notorious tag of “the country of rapists.”