I Think: The media can’t be trusted. Everyone has become corrupt
Pooja Singh, homemaker, Sonepat
I don’t read the newspaper, though I do watch Aaj Tak sometimes. I get my news mainly from talking to the people around me who keep up with this stuff. I don’t really have time because I manage the house.
I think that there is only one solution to rape: shoot the rapists, or hang them. But instead, the rapists sit in jail for 10 years and then they’re just let out. Once they’re out of jail, they commit similar crimes again. Even when they’re in jail, at least they get fed. The girl who they’ve raped, her life is ruined. But the rapist is always given a chance at life again.
People, the media, they just keep talking about rape but no one does anything. I don’t even know if one can believe that rapists are put in jail. I don’t trust the media. Everyone has become corrupt — even the police. The media should do something, but they don’t. Everything is being swept under the carpet because everyone is being bought off and we ordinary people don’t know anything.
When I hear about rape I don’t feel scared, I just feel angry. I never tell my daughters to stay at home etc. I always tell them, “If someone is misbehaving with you, fight back.” There’s no need to be afraid. If my daughters stop retaliating, it will just allow people to exploit them more. But there’s a flip-side to this. What if the man they retaliate against follows them to school or something and attacks them there? So I do feel scared.
Forget girls, even boys are not spared. The message I get from hearing about things like this is: take care of your children and don’t let them leave the house — otherwise this will happen.
Yet, the government is silent. They are only interested in getting votes by making false promises. They don’t do anything. We still have to vote, but I don’t have faith in anyone.
