I am a Singaporean lawyer, writer and author .I also hold the status of a Person of Indian Origin and express my views as a PIO of India. The recent painful news that gripped Mother India and the International Community of the brave Delhi gang rape victim who fought courageously for her life is an incident that broke the hearts and spirit of humanity. Nationals of India vented their fury and frustrations with an uproar of demonstrations all over Delhi demanding for justice and for protection for women of India.
It is hoped that her death in not in vain and will serve to make revolutionary changes to this nation made up predominantly of Hindus. However this article is written for all women of India regardless of their religious background. Why I highlight Hindus is because it is a Goddess worshipping nation where the Mother Goddess or the Goddess of the Universe in the form of Durga Lakshmi and Sarawathy are venerated. It is basic Vedic knowledge i.e. the ancient Hindu Scripture that a woman is to be given the highest respect as she is gifted with childbearing by divinity. The first contact of warmth and love that any human being experiences is with his or her mother and the female form is designed by the creator to bring forth innocent babies into this world. The female anatomy is created with a view to keep the fetus secure after fertilization which comes from a spiritual union of man and woman in wedlock through the nine month gestation period before a new born baby comes into this world. This is the sanctity of a woman’s body which is also locked by mother nature with a hymen only to be unlocked by the sacred key given to her husband in Holy Matrimony. This body was violated abused and raped- it is indeed devastating to the individual that has been raped and to the nation who now mourns “the brave heart “We applaud her fight for life justice and dignity. The Indian Government and the Judiciary have a monumental task to change its laws on Rape Penalties in India to deter this sort of unacceptable behavior that is rampant in the nation of India .Since this painful story has emerged, more and more rapes have been reported in India as if a diabolical plague has seized the nation. In this painful period of adversity for her family, the leaders and legislators of India and for the women of India who have no peace of mind and are in constant fear for their life and dignity, we should also look at the positive side. The Indian government airlifted and sent the “brave heart’ Delhi Gang rape Victim along with her family to give her the best medical treatment in Singapore’s renowned Mount Elizabeth Hospital. It is fine to blame the leaders of the nation but in the wake of this tragedy they did their very best which was a source of comfort to the her grieving parents and family. We give thanks to the doctors of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi., doctors of Mount Elizabeth Hospital Singapore, the Indian High Commissioner of India in Singapore Dr TCA Raghavan for their indomitable spirit to fight for the victim . her family and the broken spirit of humanity of the International community that closely followed the news and helplessly prayed for her.
Now, this is where we need to see revolutionary changes in rape penalties in India. The victim has left this world but her cause must go on for the women of India in particular and women all over the world. May Mother India make a turn around and impose the stiffest penalties to those who violate, abuse and rape women in India so that the victim who lost her life will not loose her battle in the fight for the dignity of women in India. Legal rights of women have been recognized in the legislations but there needs to be a cultural metamorphosis where it is incumbent on the male gender to know that women are to be treated with the utmost respect not only their bodies, but also their minds. This is the root of the problem in India. An uphill task but the caste system is now almost extinct so why not a complete turn around in the treatment of women in India?. Shine the torch women of India .Let there be light , let there be a new dawn and may a new era come forth as regards the rights of Indian women. Set your standards high the battle must go on until the goal is reached .There needs to be reform in laws and its enforcement and India should show zero tolerance for abuse of women in any form for that matter. Only then will a revolution take place in the status of women in Indian society, in the workplace and in the home too.
There is promise in the words of the condolence message of Dr Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India.
“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday condoled the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim and expressed the hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agenda to make India a demonstrably safer place to live in… “I hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agenda to help us all reach the end that we all desire making India a demonstrably better and safe place for women to live in,”
We join hands in prayer for the departed soul and for strength of her family to bear the loss .If you believe in the Law of Karma which is a basic Hindu and Buddhist principle this soul has had the prayers of million of Indians and those outside India and those prayers will not go in vain as the Almighty is kind gracious and compassionate. There is life after death so may her “ NEXT LIFE” be a glorious one. She died in dignity as a brave young woman and may she be the instrument that will change lives for the betterment of women in India and be a source of encouragement to reform RAPE LAWS AND ITS PENALTIES IN MOTHER INDIA. May the ancient wisdom of the Vedic Hindu Scriptures and the Scriptures of all other religions of the world that co exist in India be inscribed in our hearts bringing positive changes to the Indian society at large as a tribute to the passing of the Brave Delhi Gang rape Victim.