What do India’s young people think? Modi’s third victory is a record, but recent voting trends suggest that a fourth victory may be impossible if the government refuses to take remedial action.
Modi is back, and as a young woman citizen of this country, I’d like to ask the current administration how they plan to further women’s rights in this country.
I primarily pose this question because according to the latest Association of Democratic Reforms report 28 of the 71 ministers in PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet are facing criminal accusations, including serious offenses such as murder and crimes against women. That makes up 39% of the ministers. Looking at the appalling data on what the government has done (or not) for women’s rights over the last five years exacerbates the distress. I’d like to take the opportunity to state that since Modi came to power, all forms of crime have only increased.
Let’s look at some of the important aspects that the Modi government’s data has reflected over the last five years. The statistics show that crimes against women have only escalated.
On numerous occasions, the severity of crime in this country has terrified the world. In 2022, the National Crime Bureau Report recorded 4,45,256 incidents of crime against women, of which approximately 31,516 involved rape, representing nearly three to four rapes per hour. 4% rise from 2021. Notably, the government registered 13,479 cases under the Dowry Prohibition Act,, with more than 1,40,000 cases classified as ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (Sec. 498 A IPC). In India, the conviction rate for crimes against women was a mere 26.5 percent in 2021. The case-pending rate was shockingly high at 95%. This means that courts can resolve only 5% of cases. The escalating violence against women represents the complete collapse of established institutions.
These are the cases that raise national alarms but receive less attention than some of the more well-known ones. For instance, one can never forget the case of former Wrestling Federation of India’s chief Brij Bhusan Singh, facing severe sexual harassment cases by some of India’s top women athletes and the government’s buttoned-up reaction on the matter plus the treatment towards the athletes spoke volumes. The Manipur violence is still fresh in our thoughts. The alleged assault against the Former Chairperson of the Delhi Commission and Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (AAP) Swati Maliwal, raises serious concerns about our country’s future. If a woman wielding such power cannot be safe, what about the rest of us?
Furthermore, time and again the BJP government has either shown apathy or made loose comments about women’s clothing where safety was concerned reinforcing patriarchy or demonstrating a clear abuse of power. The best example, in my opinion, was the bizarre celebration that occurred following the early release of 11 accused in Bilkis Bano’s case by order of the Gujarat government under the remission policy, where they were greeted with garlands no less (the Supreme Court has quashed the remission policy order and has released a cancel order on their release).
One final point I would want to make in my article, and one I’m looking forward to, is the outcome of the hearing on marital rape becoming a criminal offense, which has the potential to influence a lot of conversations on women’s safety. In, 2015 Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary, then a minister in India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, issued a written statement to India’s upper house of Parliament, stating, “It is considered that the concept of marital rape, as understood internationally, cannot be suitably applied in the Indian context.” The Supreme Court has asked the Centre’s answer to a petition contesting the marital rape exception under new criminal rules, with a hearing scheduled for July 2024.
The road ahead is long and challenging, but as a society, we must ask ourselves: Are we willing to endure more years at these crossroads, or is it finally time for a definitive, unwavering stand for justice and the safety of our women? Modi may continue governing India, but he must carefully consider what voters have to say to him about how they want him to govern this time around.