A rape victim lives in fear all her life: Smriti Irani

Congress parliamentarian Sanjay Nirupam’s derogatory remark on actress-activist-politician Smriti Irani calling her a ‘Thumke wali’ a few days ago has triggered off a public uproar. Smriti has undertaken serious legal action against the offensive remark. She spoke to Tellychakkar.com about the lack of respect for women in society and in parliament. Don’t you think there is a basic lack of respect for women in our society? I can say one thing for sure. When the entire nation comes together outside parliament demanding safety and dignity, there is an assault of another kind inside parliament. The irony is not lost. Women who are not actually raped physically are also subjected to all kinds of violation. The assault begins with words. Do you think we need more women in parliament to make a difference to the dignity of women? We need more sensitive men in parliament and we definitely need many more women in parliament. That’s why I’ve been fighting for the Woman’s Reservation Bill. It is the men who are most vocally opposed to the Bill. You’ve been vocal about women’s issues. Do you think we’ve made any progress getting dignity for women in or outside parliament? We limit our outrage to one headline and then move on to the next. So much was being said and written about the Marine Drive rape case. Did anyone find out what happened to the girl after the rape? We seem to accept that one atrocity will take over from the previous one. But don’t you think the outrage against the rape in Delhi in the moving bus exceeded the routine level? You can’t do a comparison of the outrage felt after such violations. But why do we express outrage only after such an incident? Everyone takes reactive steps after the crime is committed. Why can’t we take clear strong preventive steps? I had written to the Commissioner of Police of Delhi in 2010 asking for an increase in police patrolling by foot. Where are the additional patrolling vans in sensitive areas? What about extra patrolling near call-centers where girls wait late in the night? There is no real initiative to check crime against women. How do you think such an initiative can be undertaken? On the basic level there is no attempt to check whether enough is being done to check crime. On Friday night the Commissioner of Police went on television to say they (the cops) have done good work. I don’t think it’s the right time for self-congratulations. Look around you, women are horribly unsafe. They talk about disallowing tinted windows for buses and cars to prevent crime on moving vehicles. But a law banning tinted glass in vehicles already exists. Why was that bus on which that girl was outraged not stopped on the basis of the tinted windows? If it was, maybe the girl would have been spared the torture and humiliation. What measures do you suggest to stop crime against women? The problem is there is no certainty of punishment. The criminal has absolutely no fear of the law. We can continue expressing horror and disgust as much we like. Till an example is not set, potential criminals won’t be deterred. How many cases of non-delayed justice do you know of in crimes against women? You hear of the rape. You hardly ever hear of conviction. Do you think capital punishment or chemical castration is advisable for rapists? I recommend both chemical castration and capital punishment. The sheer violation that a woman undergoes when raped is something only a woman would understand. It is not about the physical assault. It is also the psychological scar that the rape victim carries around for the rest of her life. A rape victim lives in fear all her life.