Last year, a bunch of
drunks raped a girl brutally in a moving bus. This incident attracted
tremendous media attention and sections of the Indian public made herculean
efforts to pressurize the government to bring the culprits to justice
immediately. So widespread was coverage that it would have reached almost every
person in the country.
The widespread
criticism would also serve as a warning for 'potential rapists'. After all, who
would dare to commit another rape?? The people of the nation and the media
would send them to the gallows. Rape had just quit the country; a crime tagged
with zero tolerance.
It did not take long
for this argument to be proved wrong. Over the next few weeks, there were other
instances of rape, the most well know being the one at Shakti mills. How did
this happen? Were the rapists unaware of public intolerance?? Had they not
watched television?? Was the intensity of a penalty, that could include capital
punishment, not strong enough??
Why do people behave
this way? Is it so difficult to achieve a civilized society? To answer
questions of this kind, there have been innumerable articles on what drives
people towards criminal behavior. Thinking along those lines has not helped.
Instead, the answer lies outside this story. The answer is with us and not the
criminals.
Ask yourself how many
times have you participated in communal riots? How many rapes against your
name? How many murders and other crime? If you are reading this blog, the
answer is probably none. Yeah true!! But how could I be so sure with even
knowing who the reader is?
The answer is that
the reader is educated. It is for this reason that you have never been involved
in rapes, murders and other crime. Does this mean that all educated individuals
are the best behaved? Probably not. There have been many educated people who
have indulged is rape, money laundering and even acts of terrorism. However,
they are outliers.
The fact remains that
educated people are likely to behave in a civilized way. Not because of the
books that they read, but because of the conditioning their mind is subjected
to. The educational institution, the teachers, the peers and the overall
environment is conducive for creating members of a harmonious society.
Can this be proved in
practice for all sections of the society? Yes, it can be. Something happened a
year or two ago that can prove this on a large scale, but not immediately. It
will take years. What happened is called as RTE.
The government made
it mandatory for schools to admit some kids from nearby slums. When these slum
dwelling children, on the path to becoming low wage laborers, are instead
subjected to quality education and a healthy atmosphere, they will carry some
of this influence home. Over a period of
time their likelihood of going down the wrong path in life reduces. They become
better individuals and spread their new found values in their community.
A pair of twins that
grow up in different families will likely exhibit different behavior as they
grow up. Their environment almost redefines their DNA. A couple of decades down
the line, the RTE should stand as the biggest contributor that has uplifted the
poverty ridden masses, to some extent at least. This is one “reservation”
category that should not be fought against. Many others, definitely.
No initiative comes
unaccompanied by problems. Lack of awareness, getting the required certificates
and other issues may hamper the smooth functioning of this pro-societal act. If
the new government is able to ensure that things work out as desired, be ready
to embrace a new age India.
For the grown up
criminals out there, RTE would be ineffective. You can bend a plant but you
cannot bend a tree that easily. Changing mindsets is one of the most difficult
tasks. For those that cannot change their way of thinking: the only answer to
crime is punishment. The only answer to rape is capital punishment.
