What World Are We Living In?

What world are we living in today, where we are surrounded by terrorists, mass murderers, trigger happy maniacs, rapists, pedophiles, drug smugglers, money launderers, human traffickers, the list goes on. Wherever we look, we see heinous crimes being perpetuated – 9/11, 26/11, the Connecticut mass shooting and the Delhi gang rape case, are just a few startling examples.

While we continue to rally round all those affected by these atrocious misdemeanors and show our support in whatever way we can, we are merely paying lip service to the affected and aggrieved. While we must continue to react in stern condemnation of all such crimes so that we as a populace show that we are deeply enraged, we must also ACT – i.e. get to the very core of the abominable incidences of crime and take all perpetrators to task, as well as scrutinize all possible mechanisms that deal with such crimes with a view to strengthen them wherever necessary.

Just like the 26/11 terrorist attack exposed India as a soft target, ill-equipped to adequately protect its people from terrorists in 2008, the recent Delhi gang rape case has also exposed our systems of startling irregularities: i.e. inadequate and corrupt policing, illegal buses running without proper permits, unauthorized tinted glasses on vehicle windows, archaic laws and inadequate sentences to uphold those laws, shortage of fast track courts and inordinate delays in justice, lack of proper street lighting, poor public transport systems, improper treatment of complaints and lack of functional helplines to deal with crime survivors, shortage of women constables, lack of proper CCTVs on our streets, scarcity of police to protect our citizens due to the inordinate amount of police personnel manning our VIPs, MPs and MLAs…..the list is enormous. Nevertheless, all the above issues and more must be dealt with and remedied, in order for us to learn from our shortcomings and progress as a nation. While we continue to seek capital punishment for all the accused in the deplorable Delhi gang-rape case and rightfully so, that is simply not enough. We must also demand and revolt for Systemic Change where we focus more on prevention of crimes rather than simply punishment for them.

A shocking case in Gujarat transpired recently, where a 32 year old man who had been imprisoned for rape and murder of a minor, was let out recently for “good behavior” and was arrested yet again for raping and killing another minor girl. This just goes to show that the 10 year jail sentence that he endured was not a strict deterrent for this felon and validates a strong case for more stringent laws to ensure the harshest punishment possible so that it does become a strong deterrent for the crime. In the case of the Delhi gang rape, the death penalty must be awarded to all 6 accused, despite the fact that one of the accused is just under 18, because not only was there a heinous rape which subsequently led to the victim’s death, but it has shaken the moral fabric of our society and a strong message must be sent out to all sex offenders and murderers that it is either DON’T OR DEATH.

The timeline for judgments of all crimes in our country is currently very lax and should be a lot more prompt so that justice delayed is not justice denied. There are currently more than 72 lakh crime cases pending in different courts across India pertaining to murder, rape and riots which is simply shocking. This appalling delay in resolution of cases provides an easy loophole to all crime perpetrators who feel that they can get away with just about anything, since the law will not catch up with them for a long time. We need to remedy this at once and ensure that there are processes and systems in place to carry out all pending criminal cases to a logical conclusion and mete out judgements in a speedy manner. We do not need politics, bureaucracy and red tape to come in the way of justice. 

We must learn from countries like Singapore, who set the bar high when it comes to eradicating crime in their country which combines deterrence, enforcement and rehabilitation under a very effective criminal justice system. They also have a highly professional and incorruptible police force that advocates community policing to ward off crime. This explains how nearly 40% of all major crimes in Singapore are solved with the help of the public. They also have various round the clock crime awareness and crime prevention programs for senior citizens, women, school children and job employees as well as Neighborhood Watch Zones, Crime Watch TV Programs, Annual Crime Prevention Campaigns, etc. This is certainly a model that we can emulate in some way, rather than providing knee jerk reactions which merely work as a band-aid on a wound not intending to heal anytime soon.

It is the Government, the Justice System, the policy makers and all those in positions of authority who must be more accountable when it comes to framing, amending and carrying out these laws, devoid of corruption, so that they do right by the citizens of our country by actually protecting the nation’s best interests, rather than simply fostering their own selfish motives. A complete shake up of our archaic laws and mechanisms is certainly the order of the day and not just cosmetic changes made to sway vote banks.

We live in a world where pizza gets to our homes faster than the Police; where we simply turn the other way when we see a person bleed to death on the street rather than offer a helping hand; where innocent minors are gunned down in schools; where minors indulge in heinous rape and brutal assaults on women; where people who are guilty of crimes still continue to be government ministers; where in the name of property, people throw their relatives out on the streets and oftentimes murder them as well;

Honestly. What world are we living in? How much longer are we going to read about violence, crimes, disasters and war? Not a day goes by without a report of something terrible happening around the world. While we cannot control what happens elsewhere, we can certainly make a difference in our own communities and play a part in cleansing our environments, i.e. where we live, work, shop, eat and visit as part of our regular day to day routine. All I am saying is that we need to be more P.E.A.C.E.F.U.L.

Proactive               when it comes to alerting authorities on any crime, as it happens.

Educated               about our rights, duties and responsibilities as citizens.

Attentive               about all that is happening around us.

Compassionate      towards all we know and meet, in our day-to-day lives. 

Empathetic             to all, offering to help, whenever we see someone in distress.

Friendly                  to create a more congenial environment and a sense of belonging.

United                    in our resolve for a crime-free, safe and peaceful environment.

Law-abiding            so that we can set an example for others to emulate.

Let us be P.E.A.C.E.F.U.L in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our towns and in our cities, so that we can all make a difference and contribute towards making the world a better place.