12th Standard Topper Gang Raped In Haryana, Why Is The State So Anti-Women?

How hideous of Haryana men to gang rape innocent young girls and blame them for ‘inviting’ it! The root cause is the prevailing conditions in the state, feels the author.   

In a disturbing incident, a young girl was gang raped in the Rewari district of Haryana last week. The survivor is a 12th standard topper and had been felicitated by the President for her academic excellence. This case once again highlights how unsafe the state of Haryana is for women.

The state is known for female infanticide, honour killings and gang rapes. What is alarming is that there are hardly any convictions and most of the times the perpetrators of such heinous crimes go scot free.

The first and foremost reason is the patriarchal and chauvinistic mindset of the society in the state which treats women as a second class citizen. Girls do not have a chance as so many of them are killed in their mother’s wombs. The high numbers of female infanticide has led to a skewed gender ratio. Though the ruling government has launched the ‘Beti bachao, beti padaho’ aandolan, it is too little, too less.

The state is also grappling with a high rate of unemployment, leading to desperation in the male population. Access to alcohol and drugs make them susceptible to violent behaviour. There is a deep rooted misogyny in them and women end up becoming their victims.

The khap panchayats which rule most of the villages of this state act like the law enforcers. Stuck in a time warp, their main agenda is to subjugate women and restrict their freedom as much as possible. According to them the increasing rate of sexual violence can be attributed to women. It’s their dressing sense or ‘friendliness’ with the opposite sex which leads to these crimes.

The women of Haryana have made our country proud by shining in the global sports arena, yet in their own backyard, they are in a vulnerable situation. A state which is rich in natural resources and has the potential to grow strong state is held back because of its sexist attitude.

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Haryana needs tough laws to deal with the burgeoning cases of sexual crimes against women and focused governance to ensure that it is able to move past this block and become a flourishing state that it deserves to be.

Image Source – NDTV Video

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