Being Juvenile - in India

“Wow, I am a juvenile and I can do whatever I feel like!” I said in response to my colleagues complimenting me on younger looks (sweet seventeen!) post my latest shorter haircut. It was a natural response the day after hearing the official pronouncement of India’s infamous Juvenile Board in favour of the so-called not-yet-18 rapist-murderer of Nirbhaya. My saying so elicited laughter and my mind immediately went back to many years ago when I had said a similar thing on my 18^th birthday: “Wow, I am 18 and I can do whatever I feel like!”

If earlier attaining an age of 18 meant becoming an “adult” - an independent being free to choose the course in life as one wishes, besides getting to vote the government into power – if, of course, one had a wonderfully supportive & understanding educated family, then today being a Juvenile seems to be a blessing, at least in India. The age-wise classification of people in the world starts with born as an infant to becoming a baby to growing up into a young child to being an adolescent to becoming an adult, ageing gracefully and evolving simultaneously as a human. This “juvenile” category is the latest in vogue, in India only.

Actually this disturbing virtue of being a juvenile in India was playing on my mind since the previous evening when hearing a bunch of the so-called activists of all hues - human rights, child rights, juvenile justice – go absolutely tangent in their bizarre and twisted – fit to be prosecuted and stoned if left in public – television arguments in support of the so-called juvenile rapist-murderer of Nirbhaya. Their calling this criminal a “child” made me cry with rage and shame. I sent smses to Arnab Goswami to throw those mad activists out of his studios – as The Newshour was ‘live’ - and not waste time by giving those nuts national primetime and platform to appear on television and infect the public opinion and insult public sentiments on a hugely sensitive subject.

(I respect Arnab’s viewpoint to have a democratic debate whatever the case may be and thus giving opportunity to even the opposing voices; nevertheless, I confess that if ever I get an opportunity to anchor a television news program and moderate a debate, and I am ‘forced’ to have them on my show, I will “mute” these deranged voices and blur their faces and thus ensure that these opportunists do not get national primetime and visibility.)

Those twisted activists were talking through their hats and proposing putting a “robust system” to “reform” the juvenile rapist-killer of Nirbhaya! I sent another sms to Arnab asking him to ask those same activists if they were willing to take the juvenile criminal to their own homes – in turn – and “reform” him, a “child” in their words! I exactly know how they would have reacted: they would have fainted in the studios itself! And their own family members too would have fainted in their homes at the same time!

It is one thing talking in a television studio in order to justify and save their “jobs” and appear compassionate and committed, and absolutely another thing to “walk ones’ own talk”. These so-called activists should first take a few juvenile criminals and “reform” them; to start with they should try their experiment on a few petty juvenile criminals. Nirbhaya’s juvenile rapist-murderer will be punished as per the heinousness of his crime. Period.

Frankly, I have always wondered about the grand purpose of these so-called activists in every imaginable human-related field; I am yet to see them doing anything worthwhile in their respective chosen action areas. To me these so-called activists seem to be a complete waste of time and resources (they are almost always a part of some so-called NGO or a government board/body, prospering on public funds but almost always acting on behalf of the “accused” – fighting for the “human-rights” of the non-humans, almost never being on the side of the “humans” which are the “real victims”. Examples are numerous: be it in case of Maoists or Child abusers or juvenile criminals. I have never heard them arguing and voicing their concern and exhibiting their commitment in fighting human rights violators. In my opinion, the best way to get rid of the menace of these so-called human rights activists of all kinds is to gag and ban them. 

   

I am sure the India Justice System will set an example in front of the world by delivering appropriate and speedy justice to Nirbhaya. I am sure the government and the Judiciary will amend the archaic Juvenile Justice System and evoke their extraordinary powers to punishment all rapists-murderers of Nirbhaya equally, keeping only the gravity of their crime as their yardstick and guiding principle. I wonder if an opposite scenario arises, will this so-called juvenile criminal be able to breathe even for a second the moment he steps out of Tihar or his reform home in public domain as a free individual …   

Another aspect which disturbed me the most about this so-called juvenile angle being propagated in Nirbhaya’s rapist-murderer’s case, is that if we treat even hardened so-called juvenile criminals with kid gloves, then soon we will see the professional criminals hiring or grooming a brigade of the so-called juveniles to commit crimes of all types, assuring them immunity against any kind of punishment – forget about that being “harsh” – just because of they being on the “right side” of the age limit. I shuddered with these thoughts. This type of “outsourcing” in the criminal field is not an imagination; this could become a reality soon in India. Only God can save India then, perhaps …

The evening of the 16^th of December of the year gone by is the day which told India in cold voice that why it was called the most dangerous place for women in the world. It also woke the Indians – hopefully every one of us – that in order to live a life with dignity and peace, India need to be bold in dealing with the ills of its society, especially in cases of crimes against its female citizens. Indians expressed their shock and disbelief hearing soul-curdling Nirbhaya’s ordeal. We cried and felt rattled; we felt insecure and vulnerable; and ashamed. But the best thing witnessed was the strength showed by the protesters, most of them young students, who braved the brutal clampdown of the government but did not budge. The most shocking and shameful was the prime minister saying “theek hai?” post his 2 minutes 13 seconds much belated – forced – televised address to his country folks. 

Come on, Mr. Prime Minister, you were among the most respectable personalities India ever had in the post-Independence period and you were hailed as the architect of the modern and prospering India; but your prolonged stay in the position of power seems to have blunted your vision and emotions. I am sure you too must be wondering about this transformation within yourself. Wake up before you get banished by Indians too; the world has already labelled you as being an “Underachiever”. Indian history will mock your meekness.   

Making India a safe and secure country for all its citizens – females included – is going to become a reality only when the Indian government wakes up to the realities and its own responsibilities. Because before the much needed mindset change comes about, the crimes need to be checked and deterred with deterrent punishments delivered through fast track judiciary process and a sensitive and committed government towards good governance, bringing about the much needed amendments in its archaic laws. Of course, gradually much need initiatives need to be taken up by Indians collectively; each individual Indian needs to take the oath to work towards reforming our own mindset first and foremost and of our family members which will cumulatively bring about the much needed changes in the society and the country. Otherwise, we will keep waiting for the much needed mindset change for millennia and the world will keep wondering that “what the hell is happening in India of 21^st century?”  

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P.S: Nirbhaya, India will not fail you; all your rapists-murderers will be hanged till death soon including the so-called juvenile rapist-murderer. …