I personally do not endorse the
idea of ‘killing the killer ‘ and considering it to be a deterrent measure
against rarest of the rare cases. Because living in a civilized world and
considering myself to be representing the civilized community, I cannot bring
myself to justify that merely by aping the killer and making him pay back in
the same coin would serve to be lessons for aspiring killers.
I really see no logic to it. Neither do I find any logic in the sane world
marching on streets demanding ‘Killers to be hanged until death’ for rape
crimes. What a brutality of humankind from people who are examples of sanity
and civilization. People keep on protesting, shouting giving examples of the
kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shariah Law where rape and murder convicts are killed
in broad daylight so that it serves “a lesson for those daring to ever commit
the crime”.
I know just imagining the thought
of forgiving someone who could be as brutal as the Delhi rape case perpetrators
is also beyond imagination. ‘We are not saints’ one of the girls protesting on
the streets against cases of rape was heard shouting. ‘Unless criminals pay for
their crimes they will not learn’.
Rape is indeed an act of severe
violence that even if the victims survive they would be almost dead for their
entire life. I can say this with conviction because I am a woman, with a very
small daughter living in constant fear of not going out alone to certain places,
living alone or even thinking of going out alone at night for the most of my
life. I know and have been brought up to believe that I am a vulnerable section
of the society and need to be only in safe places under constant care and
support of male members of the family.
But here I am talking of
something else. I am talking about criminals whether they should be paid back
in the same coin or not. So first this story of a criminal I almost saw being
killed.
On 14th August 2004,
teen rape convict Dhananjay Chatterjee was hanged early morning at 4:00a.m at
Alipur jail amidst outcry from human rights activists against hanging the guy
who had served fourteen years in jail for the crime he had committed. I as a
young journalist had waited for his death along with fellow reporters outside
the Alipore jail that night in August. In between cups of tea the whole media
contingent waited and waited until morning to have a glimpse of the man who had
pulled the noose and take shots of the man who had just been to the gallows and
was gone.
I had really then wanted him to
die and be punished as harshly as possible for the crime he had committed to a
fourteen year old way back fourteen year ago. The victim a little younger to me
would have been almost grown up to be like me had she lived.
But then I felt the eerie
surrounding the death of the criminal. I was also imagining that the
perpetrator would have also not been the same man after all these years. Who
knows he was already a changed man? He had spent his fourteen years in a
correctional home (jail). Was it anyway civilized
to do the same to him (kill him) now after he has been through this major
correction process of his life.
It is true…his action deserved
severest punishments and his action could not be undone. But this was also true
how come we remain civilized by answering him in the same coin.
I have sincerely no sympathies
for Dhanajay. He took away a precious life…just as I have one. And I strongly
relate to Hetal the victim who lost her precious life only because she was a
woman…weak and fragile to be killed so easily. Dhanajay remained weak, aged,
fragile in the same way after so many years and the stronger civilized world of
us was taking away his life.
That moment I felt it was simply
the different viewpoints that altered the scene of crime. We were on the other
side doing the same as what Dhanajay the powerful criminal that fatal night
felt while killing Hetal.
This is not again about equating
both the actions. One was the action and the other reaction. Killing a person
who is in custody or already convicted of his crime is no big deal. He is weak,
dependent and prisoner…what more can be taken out of him.
But now the question also arises
as to how his execution can prove deterrent…Rather what appeared to me was the
fact that merely Dhanajay’s prosecution led him to the gallows. Now if that be
the case then criminals of his stature would now not just commit the crime but
also try to evade the law. Here then there will be more chances of committing
double crimes of not just the action as such but also the cover up.
Yes, rape as a crime has to be
deterrent. But how is it possible in a country where one citizen (women) has
restricted permits to visit places at restricted timing. I believe rape as a
crime is against a sexual community with the idea to suppress, overpower and
eradicate the very existence of womanhood.
This definitely cannot be stopped
by punishing people who have committed violent sex crime by giving violence in
return. The need is to stop the crime
first and then hunt for criminals.
We have to stop the crime and
rectify the criminal and not do the opposite of rectifying the crime scene and
stopping the criminal. The latter will definitely not serve to be a great
lesson to be taught.
