Put the government’s muscle where its mouth is
Granted, Amina bibi’s self-immolation got the chief minister to fly his TV cameras to Muzaffargarh, hold public court of sorts, suspend police officers, promise severe punishments, etc. But, other than making the odd PSP officer sit home, with pay, as he manoeuvres through the bureaucracy’s corruption which, incidentally, reports to the CM himself, what really changes? Not the rapes. Reports of the crime are increasing throughout the province, and since photo-ops have clearly failed to deter eager offenders, it is time the provincial government takes up the issue more seriously.
Perhaps it is really societies not governments that are responsible for such blatant rise in crimes like rape. Remember the uproar in India last year, when the Delhi rape and murder brought thousands to the streets, and the country to a standstill? And while, of course, it will take a lot more than such show of collective disgust to root out this evil, as subsequent events in India proved, it is still important for the people to draw the line for the government. Our streets, sadly, fill for judges, politicians, and sportsmen, but people just do not make a show of force for the people themselves. And the reasons are more deep-rooted and psychological than across the border, and this is where the CM’s office will have to come up with a workable strategy.
At the root of this tolerance for crimes like rape is the deliberately inferior position accorded to women in Muslim societies in general. And the reason for such preferences is another deliberate concoction, political use of religion at the expense of regressive social spillovers. But there is no shortage of progressive liberals in the province our CM oversees, and his government will have to make efforts to moblise this forward-looking bloc to combat adherents of a criminal tribal mindset advocating honour killings, woman oppression, etc. Yet while Mr Sharif is unable to deliver even on justice delivery – rapists repeatedly allowed to walk free – there can be little hope of solutions that require more out of the box thinking. Perhaps he will fly to Muzaffargarh again if his promises are kept, even if only to make sure others, specifically the police department, will move more promptly to prevent such crimes where possible in future, and deal with others with an iron hand. But till such a time, Mr Sharif will have to go out of his way put Punjab’s corrupt, insincere and ineffective police force in order, and then join hands with elements that will fight to keep this country secular and progressive. Both issues can no longer be brushed under the carpet. Take note of these rapes please, Mr CM, and put the government’s muscle where its mouth is.
