Civil society blames decreasing moral values among citizens for the increasing incidents of rape in the society.
Besides the existing law becoming ineffective, loneliness of families in the urban cities and declining belief in god are equally responsible for the sudden decline in the human state of mind.
“As the latest laws meant to check such incidents of rape and assault seems to have failed to stop the incidents of rape in the society, we need to think about it
seriously. In my view, sensitivity of the family needs to be awakened and awareness must be spread among the children that whom should they trust or not,” said State Co-ordinator of ATSEC Sanjay Mishra. According to him, monitoring of children in the family is also necessary and an eye must be kept on them, that whom they are socialising with.
Sometimes, such type of rapes in the society is the result of irresponsible parenting as they are busy in making money and pay less attention to their children.
It has become a challenge for the society, an awareness level among the parents is must to check such incidents of rape in future which is a responsibility of every individual of the society. The society itself has to take positive steps in this direction, added Mishra. Decreasing belief in god is also a factor in the sudden decline in the diminishing human, social and moral values of an individual of the society. They have started thinking of now, they hardly think of tomorrow. They keep on doing what they want to do what they deem to be right as they cannot differentiate between right or wrong.
The rights of children under child protection must also be broadened, as the existing law has totally failed to check such heinous acts of crime in the society.
“There are laws to check such acts of crime, but they are not able to make an impact on the society. We need to induct moral values in the curriculum of the school books which needs to give a start right from the family,” said State Program Manger of ‘Save the Children’ Mahadeo Hansda.
Though the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) was enacted last year, little effort has been made to increase awareness of the Act and its provisions among law enforcement agencies as well as the average citizen, he added.
According to Hansda, the government should intensify and expedite efforts to increase awareness and enforcement of the Act, especially with regard to the setting up of Children’s Courts which has been integrated into POSCO, and ensure that legal procedures are child-friendly and do not target the victim further. “We should also look at the factors which turns regular humans into savages and rapists. There is a culture that objectifies women, which in turn condones savage behaviour towards them -- as well as others such as children who have little power to speak or protect themselves. This seems to be even more vicious in large cities where there is a larger level of anonymity, loneliness and aggression,” said Hansda.
RanchiSSP Saket Kumar Singh also believes that strict vigil is on the activities of children in the family will be able to prevent such incidents in the society. They should be taught about rights and wrong of the societyIJ
“Stringent laws alone will not be able to check such incidents and parents need to keep an eye on their children and discuss the pros and cons of each and every aspect of the life,” said SSP Saket Kumar Singh. “Impact of law could be seen after some time, as only deterrence could not stop crime, people need to be made aware of its consequences first,” he added. Besides, educating children about moral values is also a must for the society, said the SSP.