Abhishek Banerjee pitches for strong anti-rape law
“We need strong laws that mandate TRIALS & CONVICTIONS WITHIN 50 days, followed by the severest punishments, not just empty promises.”
All India Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee put up a post from his X handle today, pitching for a strong anti-ape law that will ensure “swift and strict justice”, emphasising that “anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective”.
He padded up his argument with data pointing to the abhorrent situation in the country regarding crime against women.
Extrapolating from the fact of an average of nearly 90 rapes a day reported in India in 2022, which is the latest data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Banerjee stated: “Over the past 10 days, while the nation has been protesting against the #RGKarMedicalcollege incident and demanding justice, 900 RAPES have occurred across different parts of India.”
He went on: “With 90 RAPES REPORTED DAILY, 4 EVERY HOUR AND 1 EVERY 15 MINUTES – the urgency for a decisive action is clear. We need strong laws that mandate TRIALS & CONVICTIONS WITHIN 50 days, followed by the severest punishments, not just empty promises.”
Abhishek Banerjee ended his statement with exhorting all state governments and the Union government to “push” for a “comprehensive anti-rape law that ensures swift and strict justice”: “State governments must act and urgently push the Union for a comprehensive anti-rape law that ensures swift and strict justice. Anything less is merely symbolic and tragically ineffective.”
Stronger awareness along with punishment the need of the hour
It must also be mentioned here that though stronger laws for faster trials and convictions, and stricter punishments are the need of the hour, harsher anti-rape laws alone cannot deter crimes against women, as the Supreme Court (SC) had warned the government in its verdict in the Nirbhaya case in 2017.
As proof from recent data, the ‘Crime in India’ report published by the National Crime Records Bureau in 2023 (published annually) showed that in 2022, a total of 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were registered across India, which breaks down to an average of almost 51 FIRs every hour, up from 4,28,278 cases registered in 2021 and 3,71,503 in 2020.
In her separate opinion in the 2017 Nirbhaya judgment, Justice R Banumathi (now retired) from the SC panel said governments, employers and institutions “must take steps” to create awareness with regard to gender sensitisation and to respect women.
“On the practical side, few of the suggestions are worthwhile to be considered. Banners and placards in the public transport vehicles like autos, taxis and buses etc. must be ensured. Use of streetlights, illuminated bus stops and extra police patrol during odd hours must be ensured. Police/security guards must be posted at dark and lonely places like parks, streets etc. Mobile apps for immediate assistance of women should be introduced and effectively maintained,” Justice Banumathi wrote.
It is time that stronger implementation of these and similar suggestions, along with stricter punishments, are considered.
