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Suddenly, the smell of blood is spreading in the air. The familiar stink of blood is rising from the dimly-lit narrow streets and is spreading even among the tall buildings of mega cities. This blood that has been shed is that of one’s own loved one. ‘All the perfumes of Arabia’ cannot wipe off this stubborn, salty smell. One major scripture tells that the first two children of Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. It is said that since then it was divinely announced that whenever someone is killed, he will actually be killed by his own brother. He will kill only his own people. He will kill his wife, his lover and his beloved. Ever since man set foot on the earth, he seems to have an uncanny fascination for blood and gore.
Women and children are not safe at all:
Women and children are highly vulnerable and are often the softest target for every predator. A reputed anchor of a leading news channel recently told in her interview how women are victims of strange things and behaviour. This describes the condition of a reputed journalist who can air her views all over the world. We all know about the gold medallist wrestlers who have been struggling to make their voices heard in every possible way. They have a long tale of sexual harassment to tell, but who is listening. If we can ignore our warriors in different spheres, who will listen to the meek, the unprivileged, the faceless millions!
The way Sahil killed Sakshi in the streets of Delhi, only a bloodthirsty, frenzied demon could have done such a thing. It would be difficult to write about the way in which a 56-year-old middle-aged Mumbai man killed his live-in partner. It seems unnecessary to go into the details of how many gruesome incidents took place in different parts of the country before and after the much-talked-about Shraddha Walker murder case. Going into all the gory details does not reduce the pain. People chop off those they love and keep their body parts in the fridge, cook them in pressure cookers and then scatter them in the deserted areas of the city. How terrible and gruesome!
In most of the cases, the husband or lover is the killer:
It is surprising that 40% of the women who are murdered around the world are killed by their former lovers or husbands. Their own house becomes a dangerous battleground for women, where the possibility of bloodshed becomes surprisingly high. Other than going into various material aspects of such violent incidents, their psychological foundations should always be explored. Most of the male murderers say that they killed because they loved their girlfriend; the murder was the result of extreme love. This new model of love has emerged in which more love results in murder and bloodshed!
It is generally believed that this is the result of man’s possessive tendencies. Jealousy and anger play a major role in this. Secondly, there is a history of violence in such relationships which eventually culminates in murder. Such incidents also raise questions on the basic nature of love, and at the same time prompt one to think about different aspects of masculine, male-dominated ways of thinking.
Murders are premeditated:
Most of such killings are well-planned. They cannot be separated from the general violence that already occurs in relationships. It is not that suddenly someone loses control over his emotions and resorts to violence. It is also the outcome of lack or absence of dialogue that has been brewing for a long time. This results in extreme frustration. It can also be the result of a sense of guilt about which there is no communication between husband and wife or lovers. It could be related to an extramarital affair. Suddenly, this lack of communication takes the form of violence and murder and everyone by surprise. To avoid this situation, it is imperative that there should be dialogue among those having intimate relationships. There is a deep connection between frustration, anger, violence, etc. It is unfortunate that genuine transparency, intimacy and honesty don’t exist even in very close relationships.
Criminals think carefully before killing:
The whole plan to kill is made meticulously at the mental level long before actually committing the gruesome crime. If the lover, live-in partner or husband suddenly goes into a tense silence, and there is already an atmosphere of suspicion, anger and violence in the house, whether expressed or implied, then there is an urgent need to be alert. If a member is addicted to drugs, regularly consumes alcohol, cannabis, marijuana or any other drug, then the need for vigilance will be greater. Pinpointing any single factor is a difficult task. There are many circumstances which combine to constitute the ‘circumstances of murder’. Men are more prone to jealousy, possessiveness and anger and hence women are generally their victims. But this is not the only reason.
Emotional weakness, lack of self-confidence:
Men often consider the woman, his wife or girlfriend to be the pivot of his life. They feel weak and suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Without her, the fear of a painful void in his life constantly haunts him. He associates the identity of his existence with her. The greater his attachment, the more his fear, doubt and controlling tendencies increase. Suspicion increases to an extent that he can’t think of any way other than killing his wife or girlfriend. It doesn’t just happen in the heat of the moment. It takes a long mental journey to reach this moment. The journey is neither visible to outsiders nor the person passing through it is able to see and understand it. When the horrific, gory consequences come to the fore, then people feel shocked as if everything happened suddenly. But the reality is entirely different. Such events carry with them the momentum of a long emotional history.
To understand the mind that executes such incidents, the mental state of the murderer is more important than the external manifestations of events. Without this understanding, there cannot be a complete solution to such problems. It is very important to understand the social perspective and its economic, political, religious, ideological aspects.
Media needs to be more sensitive:
Media needs to be very sensitive while reporting such incidents. While reporting them, it would be better not to go into their bloody detailed description again and again, but talk only about the facts. There is something strange in the human psyche that takes interest in these gory things. People start discussing these events in homes. It is not easy to gauge the detrimental effect they have on the mind of children. Describing such incidents day and night indiscriminately can even incite some to follow them. It is expected that the media would not forget its social responsibility in their greed for higher viewership and ratings.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.