I Think: Castration would be more effective than the death penalty
Sudha Chandrasekar, homemaker, Chennai
I read the newspaper, see a little TV, and once in a while resort to social media for news — all in English. I was not aware the Nirbhaya convicts had appealed for a review of their death penalty but obviously, I think they need to be hanged.
When Nirbhaya happened in 2012, the ordeal that the victim went through was reported very well and correctly. Definitely we all think that what she went through should happen to no girl.
A Times of India video recently showed a woman being dragged into a forest and being molested. The faces of the survivor and the accused were blurred. I wondered why the videographer was recording the incident instead of rescuing the victim. I realised then how physically incapable women are compared to men. I feel sorry that God has not given us enough strength physically.
I’m happy that things are moving forward in our country and that the death penalty for the Nirbhaya convicts was finalised. Castration would be more effective than the death penalty, though — so that the perpetrators go through life with the same pain their victim suffered.
Sometimes I feel that journalists overdo brutality in their descriptions. It leaves a question in my mind as to how accurate they are, but then journalists have to write and keep us informed of the new realities, I guess.
More cases are being reported because of the media. Earlier such stories stayed within families and friends. Media has created awareness and encouraged better reporting by victims. Whether high or low class, a survivor is affected psychologically by sexual violence. More consciousness is being created by media, and parents have thus found better resources to deal with rape culture and its ramifications.
I think changes are already being seen. It is only through media reports that people know enough to take protests to the streets. Journalists are already on the right path. Small changes can be made — like creating safety awareness among children.
When you use the euphemism ‘Nirbhaya’, it makes a severe crime very vague and impersonal. Family or relatives may not want the identity revealed but readers can get a one-on-one feel if they saw her real name “Jyoti Singh Pandey.”
There have been many brutal cases since Nirbhaya, but none have created a bigger public outcry. The fires burn, but go out after a few months.
