A 'V' of collective spirit
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 13, 2013 -
"Rape'' they say, "is a more heinous crime than murder since the rape victim dies throughout the period she lives."
Truly, the act of murder destroys the physical body of the victim only but rape destroys the victim emotionally and psychologically for the rest of her life.
In another word, this heinous crime reduces the victim to a living death.
So, considering this fact, no quantum of any harsher punishment given to the culprits by a law court or the amount of fine imposed for giving to the victim would ever be able to fully compensate the victim for the violation of her most basic right, that of the right over her body.
Even death penalty would be a lesser punishment.
But then, considering the fact that the rate of conviction in rape cases has been extremely low in India and it is almost negligence in Manipur in spite of the ever rising cases of rape and other forms of violence against women, we can't help but welcome the verdict passed by the court of Sessions judge, Manipur East on December 11 sentencing two convicted rapists, a police constable identified as Yumnam William and his friend, a Manipuri digital film actor cum singer Thongam Tarun, to 15 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with imposing a fine of Rs 35,000 each to be given to the victim, a student of TG Higher Secondary School who was studying in class XII when the heinous crime took place, and changed the course of her life on that fateful day of October 20, 2012.
In fact, the conviction in the case now infamous as the TG Rape Case, is the second such instance when the judiciary in Manipur woke up to show its existence to the people who have almost lost their faith in the justice delivery system, the first case being an equally infamous gang-rape incident of a woman U-morok seller from Tamenglong district by four persons including two IRB personnel, who too are now serving their term in the jail not just to cool their heels but also their lust.
Apart from involvement of security personnel who are supposed to protect the people, particularly the weak and marginalised sections of the society, in both the cases, one common thread that runs through the two cases is the same mindset of the culprits and their connections to, first, try to buy peace for settlement of the matter outside the law court quietly by making monetary offer and when this fails, then, to intimidate the victims, their family members or even their lawyers.
Luckily, both the tactics did not work this time and they fall flat on the faces of the same intimidators.
It is to the credit of the resolute stand taken by the victims, their family members as well as other support groups that the two cases have seen the light of the day and the culprits given their due punishment for the first time in the history of Manipur.
So, the latest conviction in the rape case is a no mean achievement in the fight for justice in a society where money and muscle power have ruled for long, and we salute to the collective spirit of the people for making it possible.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.