This is simply shocking. The number of crimes reported in percentage terms, they're quite lower than some of the western countries. What does this tell us? Well, that the media is pushing an agenda when they highlight crimes. Nothing wrong with media pushing for justice, but media has presented skewed statistics, to sensationalise, and for what it is worth, to sell news. Yes, news is sold. Don't be surprised. A lot of media houses are directly working against the interests of the nation, but that is a topic for some other day. On a micro level, media is certainly working against the interests of the people, the ones who it suggests is catering to. I could go on and on and on, but one of the sites, which captures the corrupt nature of the media and personalities involved, is mediacrooks.com. I have found that website to fairly neutral when it comes to busting chops, and perhaps, it will behoove us to pay more heed to what is going on in the media. That is however, going away from the content of the video.
What is to be said? Who knew that laws which were slanted as they were, will be abused? Well, I for one was shocked that such laws were passed in the first place, but more than my surprise, it is the observations of the courts on the abuse of the laws, which is shocking. When more than 50% of the cases are provably false across the country, yes you read that right, false, the question becomes what is being done to prevent misuse of provisions? Don't get me wrong, rape is a serious crime, and I for one support rigorous imprisonment, or death sentence that is given in rarest of the rare situations, which involves repeat offenders and murderers and so on. The same with the cases of dowry abuse, and there is no excusing that. Comically though, there are parts of India, where women may collect dowry, but the law is actually written such that it is a crime when the groom or his family does it. I would suggest that preventative provisions should be made to stop abuse of laws that were originally meant to help prosecute guilty ones, and to protect the innocent.
What about innocent till guilty? What provisions are there in the law for the restitution to the wrongly prosecuted? These are the questions that no one usually asks, despite the fact that some laws are clearly claiming several thousands of lives. It will bode us well to remember, that these are but people whose criminality hasn't been proven. In legalese, that means they're innocent. It is unfortunate that the law of the country will tend to treat you harshly, if you're well, a male. Men when compared to women, throughout the world are served harsher sentences for the same crimes, but that doesn't make whatever happens in India right, and I genuinely wonder why there are very few who speak against such injustices. Why ever the draconian provisions haven't been revoked, even after what is but ridiculous abuse is another question, which most of us would do well to ask ourselves.
For what it is worth, there is no restitution if you're once dragged to courts in one of the two cases. You will be booked, regardless of your innocence or the lack of it. Well, what it means is that given a case is registered, the chances of gainful employment for the innocent will be severely harmed, nevermind the society treating one as a pariah. What is worse is that i'm not aware of any provisions made to the laws, which act as a deterrent. In the west you have this concept of perjury, where lying to the court is itself considered a crime. However, the laws to protect someone from false accusations, they're woefully lacking. Then again, it is not quite as bad in India, where you don't have provisions to drag someone to court. You could do that both in UK and USA, suing for slander and try to salvage some pride after having your life destroyed. Though, it is quite expensive in UK, prohibitively so. The only known case involves a man actually starting a private prosecution, when the Crown prosecution didn't take it up on its own volition, having spent £200,000.00 to fight to prove his innocence, bringing the anomaly to light. Lawyers are not cheap in India to hire for that matter. How many can actually afford to prove their innocence?
May be, just may be, i'm too concerned about equality. Isn't the lady justice supposed to be blind, and weigh only evidence? Is it too much to ask to have provisions where innocents aren't needlessly harangued and have safety such that their lives aren't destroyed? The laws are supposed to protect the innocent, and this is in no one's interest. Except may be the news-traders who live off of such sensationalism.
