There have been 11 rapes in less than a month in Haryana, prompting state Congress chief Phool Chand Mulana to claim these were a political conspiracy to malign the government. “Such things”, he claimed, “used to occur earlier as well” — as if that made it all right! One victim, a 16-year-old dalit girl who was forcibly seized from her home and raped, later set herself on fire. A khap panchayat, reacting to this, helpfully suggested the marriage age be lowered to 16 so that youngsters past puberty can fulfil their sexual desires. The implication was clear: the girl had almost “asked for it”. If such views are espoused by our “leaders”, is it surprising if rapes and sexual harassment are common in Haryana?
What is much more worrying is that a powerful minority possibly backs such views. In our democracy, the views of the largest minority often prevail. It is worth reflecting if that is necessarily good or right.
Geniuses and reformers are always ahead of their times. When Galileo, for example, said the earth revolves around the sun, he was almost the only one in the world to say so, and suffered greatly for it. In India, those who battled sati and fought for widow remarriage were few in number. Their views eventually prevailed due to strong support by British rulers. One wonders, though, if such far-reaching social reform would be possible in India now. Given that the lowest common denominator is always right, would our politicians permit it today?