It really sounds good when the helmsmen sitting at various capacities claim from podiums about India ensuring women empowerment, Nari Shakti, safety of women, end of gender bias and lots of other things, and trumpeting of bolstering position of the fair sex community. However, the reality on the ground starkly contradicts these claims, as evidenced by the data recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This data unveils numerous shocking truths about the harrowing experiences endured by women, painting a grim picture of the challenges they continue to face despite the rhetoric of progress.
Isn't it unbelievable that a country in which the people sitting at helm of affairs never get tired of boasting about their achievement in making it safe enough for women to even go in the mid of night without accompanying anyone, but the reality is exactly opposite as 275 cases of rape in custody have been registered in the very same country between the year 2017 and 2022, telling about the stark reality and the hollowness of projection being made day and night.
With NCRB data going public, the truth of women safety has come to fore leaving all the stakeholders red-faced as irrespective of the political parties, the feat which in actual is nowhere is being celebrated by one and all sitting at helm of affairs whether the political class is running the affairs of country or a state or UT.
The worst part of this worrying truth is that the states which are being governed by the so-called double-engine regimes are leading the country with appalling figures as Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number of aforesaid cases at 92, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 43 cases out of the total of 275, the data which speaks all about the ground reality of where India stands as far as safety of women is concerned.
When women in custody are not safe, it provides a stark indication of the broader safety challenges faced by women in society. The current situation signifies significant systemic failures, highlighting the urgent need for governments at both the central and state levels to prioritize action over mere rhetoric. Rather than boasting about empowering women, it is crucial that immediate steps are taken to ensure the safety of women both in custody and across the vast expanses of the country, which are currently in a state of turmoil. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to address the widespread wrongful practices that have been revealed by the recent release of NCRB data, wherein those entrusted with protection are instead perpetuating harm.
Until the things on ground will not be changed in real terms, all the attempts by the political class leading the country to create hype or spread bogus narratives on women safety will remain futile as reality being confronted by the society is totally contrary.
