Raksha bandh

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Ironically this year, they all happened around Raksha Bandhan, a day that's meant to celebrate the protecting of sisters--the doc in Kolkata, the kids in Badlapur … the usual outrage that follows. Candle marches, concerned citizen morchas, collective anger - it'll all die down soon, we're counting the days we need to lie low, before we can strike again.

One of our fellow "rakshasas" was on the prowl again (how he found his way into a hospital, don't ask me, a civic volunteer no less, does no one do reference checks anymore?) - many of us, well some us, sexual predators are still amazed at what a social and political fiasco follows a rape, especially one that becomes a high-profile one… like Kolkata. What a grisly mess, and I'm not talking about the body itself, or the crime - the whole aftermath, the faulty investigation, the farcical probe, the lateness of the FIR, the family not being allowed to see their dead daughter. Politicians hitting out at each other, the hospital dean passing it off as suicide, delays in post mortem, cops messing up the evidence - the state government actually organised a protest against itself, if that isn't a self-goal. I tell you, for us, the system is our ally, its apathy, its inertia, its corrupt nature - because nothing happens, no one convicts us - we have no fear of a sentence, or a noose. We watch from the wings, while everyone shoots themselves in the foot. Look, these last two, Kolkata and Badlapur, the nature of the crimes shocked even me, but alas there will be no outcome, no justice for the families.

Look, I'm still an old-school sexual predator. I act alone, I perform the act and slink away into the darkness - the concept of gang rapes, not my style - but this new generation of abusers, they're level of psychopathy/sociopathy… picking on kids, in a school. I would never touch a child… I'm not inhuman, even Kolkata, the violence, that preceded and followed the rape, ending with murder, the trend is dangerous, because there's so much cruelty that accompanies the rape.

I guess you'd have to dig deep to fully understand such sick minds - when institutions like schools and hospitals are targeted you know the system is beyond repair.

That juvenile in the bus, back in 2012, I mean it's not one man working alone getting his rocks off, this was six men taking turns. But he, all of 17, inserted the jack, destroying Nirbhayas intestines.

They let him out, he's 29 now, up to no good, I'm sure.

You have to marvel, at how inactive we are by way of stringent laws, take the Middle East, our brethren are tied up in the middle of the street, lynched, lashed, for all to see - lobotomised, in some places. Capital Punishment with a capital C. Those guys truly learn their lessons - what are our lawmakers doing? What can you expect of Parliament, when 46 per cent of the sitting MPs have criminal records, 25 per cent of which are serious.

Let's face it, this nation just isn't sensitised to deal with violence towards women, and it's not just the patriarchy, even your lady ministers, not one has spoken out, not one has spoken to the family - the complete lack of empathy… absent.

"Why did the girl go alone into a deserted seminar hall?"

Same old cold-hearted echoes.

The refrain never changes… 11 years ago they asked,

"Why did the girl get into a bus". Last week, "why did she go into a deserted hall?". It fascinates me how a rape so quicky goes into a dark hole 0f "blame the girl". The social ostracism that follows every one of the annual 35,000 rapes. "Why was she alone at night?", "Why was she skimpily dressed?", ‘Why did she get into the taxi alone?"

Call me a criminal, call me "sick" in the head, and I am, I admit, but you know how it is… if there's no impediment, no punishment, no deterrent, we're gonna go on.

I'll put it simply, two weeks after Raksha Bandhan, the horrendous heartlessness, the humiliation, the horrific crimes will continue… frankly in this country, for women, it's raksha bandh.

Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com