New Delhi: Marking a departure from his past Independence Day addresses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for capital punishment against perpetrators of heinous crimes against women and advocated for striking “fear” among such criminals.
This comes in the backdrop of the gruesome rape and murder of a young medical intern at the R.G. Kar Medical College in Kolkata that has sparked a national outrage.
The tone and tenor of Modi’s first Independence Day address in his third term was a complete contrast from the homilies of women empowerment and ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) that he used in his past Independence Day addresses.
For instance, after taking charge as PM for the first time in 2014, Modi had talked about parental responsibility, when he said, “I want to ask every mother and father, you ask your daughters ‘where are you going, who are you going with’. But do you ever ask your sons these questions? After all, those who rape are also someone’s son. Everyone is busy giving their psychological opinions on rape.”
He also appealed to the doctors and parents not to kill the girl-child in the mother’s womb while announcing the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
In his Independence Day speech in 2022, Modi called for a “change in the mentality” towards women in everyday life. He said that respect for women is an important pillar of India’s growth and stressed the need to extend support to ‘Nari Shakti‘.
He had lauded the women of the country for coming at the forefront, be it sports or battlefield. “In the coming 25 years, I see a large contribution of the women of the country. I urge everyone to ensure the further empowerment of women. Be it education or science, women of the country are at top…Be it sports or battlefield, India’s women are stepping forward with a new capability and confidence. I see immense contribution by women in 25 years to come, much more than that in the 75-year journey,” Modi said.
But Thursday address saw him take a strong stand as his speech came close on the heels of the Kolkata incident.
“… Those committing such demonic acts must be booked prima facie to reinstate the trust on the government, judiciary and civil society. I also want to mention that the rape victims – our mothers and daughters are highlighted all over the media and discussed in society, however the rapist does not make the news,” Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
“Now the need of the hour is that there should be a wide discussion about the criminals who get punished so that even those who commit such sins fear the consequences including hanging to death. I feel that it is very important to create this fear.”
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‘Tone suits govt’s brand of politics’
According to gender experts, sociologists and political commentators, Modi’s new tone suits the current government’s brand of politics. But, they say it is an instant crowd pleaser for a public baying for blood in the aftermath of the Kolkata hospital rape and murder that has raised a national fury.
Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan mentions how in the early stages after he took over as the PM, Modi talked about ‘Nari Shakti’ but it today disappeared in the background as the crowd took over.
“Because when you try to suppress criminality and create fear, the cop and the crowd takes over. This is what pleases the mob. Where there is democracy, citizenship in the picture,” Visvanathan says.
Political commentator and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay says that Modi is being very cynical while making statement calling for capital punishment of perpetrators of heinous crimes against women.
“… he finds voice when he knows something happening in a state, which is not ruled by the BJP. But when things happen within his own party or in states, which are governed by the BJP, he does not feel the need to break the silence,” Mukhopadhyay, who wrote ‘Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times’, told ThePrint.
He recalls that in 2017, there was this horrific incident in Chandigarh where a daughter of a bureaucrat was trailed by the son of a BJP leader and that nothing came out of it. “… no penalisation, no action was taken. On social media, BJP leaders were full of comments about what the girl was doing so late outside home… that she was kind of inviting trouble. There are these double standards,” he said.
Mukhopadhyay says that the Modi government can’t be selective. “The BJP releases Ram Rahim repeatedly in Haryana despite he being a rape convict… you have the horrific incident of Bilkis Bano. This kind of selective outrage often reduces the office of the PM to that of a petty politician,” he adds.
Visvanathan asserts that Modi does not speak of institutions. “He does not speak of justice as something thought through. Law is a process. It can’t be created instantaneously… It needs rules, procedures, precedents. It can’t cater to crowds but citizens. Instant gratification does not work,” he says.
According to Jayna Kothari, senior advocate of Supreme Court, it’s not just about rape and sexual assault, about mothers, daughters and sisters but the basic rights of women at the workplace to be treated with equality and dignity.
“It’s a larger issue of women not being seen as equal citizens,” she says.
According to her, the call to make the rapist identity be made public is a knee jerk reaction.
“We have strong laws but violence against women is never taken seriously unless it is this heinous and gruesome. Women are not believed or taken seriously. Women who seek to even file complaints of domestic violence or sexual harassment are not taken seriously,” Kothari says, adding that often the police don’t even register their FIRs.
“It’s about taking women and gender based violence seriously at a systemic level so that laws against violence are implemented,” she says.
(Edited by Tony Rai)