In a shocking revelation, one of the protesters of the “Hang The Rapist” crowd has come out severely against the recommendations made Justice Verma committee after the Delhi gang-rape incident of 16 December 2012.
It must be recollected here that the incident received wide and sustained media coverage followed by a series of TV debates and the weeks following the incident also witnessed widespread public outrage over the issue and lack of governance.
Citizens, men and women alike, descended down to the streets and demanded death penalty and chemical castration for men accused of rape/gang-rape. Very soon they came out with the slogan of “Hang the Rapist” and the crowd was identified as the “Hang the Rapist (HTR)” crowd.
Sustained protests and fasts by members of HTR crowd ensured formation of a committee headed by retired judge Justice JS Verma.
Says, Farhaam Shaktar, one of the protesters, who was very active in organizing the protests, “We were extremely hopeful of the committee that our voices would be heard and thought we would be part of history in making social changes that made the world safer for our mothers and sisters. But look what we have got in return. Our trust on the Govt. is badly shaken and we are very disappointed with the outcome of the recommendations.”
Condemning the recommendations as autocratic, Farhaam continued, “Look, first of all, our two prime demands ofhanging and castration have been stuck down. Secondly, a lot of men in the crowd were married, engaged or planning to marry their girlfriends. But with “marital rape” being recommended, most of them fear being booked by their wives. Hence, a lot of my friends are feeling backstabbed now and have no idea where to go. We only wanted harsh punishments for rapists, but instead of giving that, look what they have done to us. I personally vow never to participate in such protests in future ever.”
Sumanth Chandra, a prominent, men’s rights activist observed, “This was bound to happen. Men trust the system far more than this system deserves and hence, these men also deserve these harsh measures. Now, with the introduction of IPC 100, all women need to do is cry “marital rape” after murdering their husbands and then go scot free.”
While no one from the Verma committee was available for comment, sources believe that the committee was under pressure from All India Democratic Victim’s Association (AIDVA) as it had threatened to break the furniture of Justice Verma’s house if the recommendations do not satisfy AIDVA. While the news remain unconfirmed, it is really sad to see that the HTR crowd is unhappy with Justice Vema committee recommendations.