The Sorry State of Women's Safety in India with Rajan Nazran

What is the value of life in India?

Yet again, India has failed another daughter in life and death.

It has been 12 years since the brutal gangrape incident in the national capital, Delhi, but its wounds are still fresh. We had yet to fully comprehend the depths of human depravity, as exemplified by one of the most heinous crimes the world has witnessed in recent times.

Yet, the news of another shocking incident is enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most cold-hearted.

Just a few days back, India, one of the largest democracies in the world and a thriving economy, where religion reigns supreme, and women are revered as goddesses, or so we thought, catapulted into headlines for all the wrong reasons. We will spare you the details; chances are you are already familiar with them. But let us dig deeper into the aspects that are often overlooked. 

In this episode of “Topical”, Rajan Nazran covers this incident and asks some necessary questions that we all seek answers to.

Why do such horrendous crimes take place? Is the administration doing enough to curb such crimes and prioritize women’s safety and protection? Or is power, money, and political influence above everything else? Is deeply ingrained patriarchy and regressive mentality to blame?

The brutal assault and murder of a female doctor on duty has laid bare fissures and the deep-sown corruption in the system, the authorities, and the failure of the government we brought to power. The idiosyncracy and the attitude of the authorities are appalling, raising serious concerns. The rogue mentality, unruly mob attack, rush to shrug off accountability, and attempts to hush down voices hint at something sinister.

The city of Kolkata in India, also called “The City of Joy”, has been tainted by the innocent blood of its daughter, something that it will never be able to wash its hands away from. Dangers lurk in the dimly lit street corners and even hospital corridors, where predators roam scot-free, and justice is a long road or dies a slow and painful death.

Has India failed as a country? Are the women safe? Where are we heading toward as a society? The failure of the West Bengal government is being widely criticized, but is that enough for justice to be served? What needs to change? Who is to blame?

We must always remember that we can move forward on the road to progress and prosperity only when all the wheels are equal and functional. 

Tune into this episode, and let us all become voices of change and demand accountability from the people in whose hands we have placed the reigns of our society, our today, and our tomorrow.

Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.

Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran

Introduction music: (https://freesound.org/people/Timbre)