I Think: It’s good that Nirbhaya got media coverage, but other cases deserve attention too
Nainika Dinesh, student, Bahrain
Reading about rape horrifies me. It’s in the news almost every day, and the stories are getting more gruesome. When I read about the Nirbhaya case, what I first felt was disbelief that people could be capable of doing something like that. But when more cases started getting reported, I got angry and then helpless.
After Nirbhaya, I think more cases are being reported in the media, which is a positive step, but I know that a lot more can be done.
Honestly, I don’t know why the media focused so much on this story. Was it because it was in a fairly nice part of the city? Maybe because it was a gang-rape? There are way too many cases that are similar to this one… so though I’m glad Nirbhaya got media coverage, the others are important and deserve attention too.
I don’t know if the media did justice to this case, but I was glad to see a response from the public. And I think the case is alive and because it reminds us of the horrific mindset of some people — men and women — in our country.
I think the media has a responsibility to report cases from rural areas that are generally ignored. They should also think about the language used in reports and focus on putting the responsibility on the rapist for his actions.
If I was a journalist, my focus would be on the kind of mindset that encourages the idea that women can be raped, what structures and circumstances have led to that belief. It’s a huge problem because every female friend of mine has gone through some kind of verbal or physical assault. They still don’t feel safe in India.
Whether for rape or other crimes, I don’t believe in capital punishment because I think imprisonment offers a lifetime of punishment to the guilty.
I think everyone has a stake in this rape culture — the government, NGOs, and everyone need to play a role in mitigating it. If our ministers in the Ministry of Women and Child Development can’t even pass a law to criminalise marital rape, then I fear that the situation for women isn’t going to better itself.
