"In a nation gripped by fear and injustice, women's safety continues to deteriorate as systemic failures and political corruption fuel rising violence, disappearances, and a pervasive sense of helplessness." Humra Quraishi writes…

Photography: Vinta Nanda

The gruesome rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata highlight the alarming state of women's safety in India. As sexual assaults and disappearances continue unabated across states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, systemic failures and political corruption exacerbate the crisis. Despite shocking statistics and widespread fear, real change remains elusive. This article deep dives into the ongoing violence, the ineffectiveness of law enforcement, and the pressing need for a collective outcry to safeguard women and children in India.  

The Aftermath of a Gruesome Crime

What will change after the brutal rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata? Unfortunately, not much. Sexual assaults and rapes are continuing unabated, one after another. Just in the last week, reports of such heinous acts have emerged from Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. And these are just the reported cases. What about the countless incidents that go unreported?

A State of Fear: Women and Girls Under Siege

Where are we heading in this state of complete moral decay and lawlessness, where no woman, child, or teenager feels safe? Fear permeates every aspect of daily life.

Let’s not overlook a related and equally disturbing fact: thousands of women and girls go missing every year in this country. From 2019 to 2021, a staggering 10,61,648 women vanished, along with 2,51,430 girls.

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are the two states with the highest number of disappearances during this period. In Madhya Pradesh alone, 52,119 women went missing in 2019, 52,357 in 2020, and 55,704 in 2021. Maharashtra reported 63,167 missing women in 2019, 58,735 in 2020, and 56,498 in 2021. In 2021, a total of 90,113 girls disappeared across the country, with the highest number—13,278—reported in West Bengal.

The Grim Statistics

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 82,619 girls went missing in 2019, of which 49,436 were recovered. That same year, 3,29,504 women were reported missing, with 1,68,793 eventually found. In 2020, 79,233 girls and 3,44,422 women went missing, with 2,24,043 women recovered. In 2021, 90,113 girls were reported missing, with 58,980 recovered.

If this level of abuse, disappearance, and sexual assault is occurring in public spaces, what horrors might be unfolding in so-called 'secure' environments, hidden behind guarded gates and high walls?  

The Unspoken Violence

We must also not forget the blatant violence inflicted on women and children during riots, pogroms, and forced displacements. These easy targets are often forced into silence about sexual assaults, fearing retribution from political goons and mafia. Several victims of sexual violence during riots have confided that they kept quiet for the sake of their own survival and that of their families and communities.

Political Mafia and the Helplessness of Victims

Today, the safety and security of women seem to be at their lowest ebb, with the political mafia pulling the strings. It’s not surprising in an environment of widespread moral decay that the vulnerable are not just targeted but often left ruined for life. Consider the helplessness of national and international champions like Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, whose careers have been jeopardized to protect tainted men hiding behind political shields.

The New Vulnerability: Homelessness Due to Bulldozing

With the recent trend of bulldozing homes, women and their entire families are forced to squat by the roadside, their dwellings reduced to rubble. Where are those who claim to champion the safety of women and girls? Do they not realize that demolishing homes leaves entire families vulnerable, with no roof over their heads?

Where are the day and night shelters to provide refuge for these displaced people? The situation is dire for those whose homes have been bulldozed or who live in fear of bulldozers arriving in their neighbourhoods.

Homelessness, joblessness, and poverty form a lethal combination for survival in these harsh times, but thousands are facing this reality. Meanwhile, the powerful land and political mafia keep a close eye on these vulnerable individuals, waiting like hawks to seize remaining assets.

In this politically polluted environment, havoc reigns. Instead of addressing the core issues with all their complexities, political gamesmanship takes centre stage. It’s nauseating to witness the levels of perversion we’ve reached, where even rapists exploit political connections to their advantage.

Consider the stark case of the three men accused of raping a student from IIT Varanasi. They were formally arrested only after 60 days! Why the delay, when their whereabouts were widely known? The accused were said to be close to the top brass of the ruling party, with ample photographic evidence showing them posing with the powers that be. This is not an isolated incident.

Where Is Our Outcry?

Where is our collective outcry? Where are we heading when those in power play games while our bodies are torn apart, with hundreds among us assaulted and left lifeless?

For God’s sake, let’s move beyond the empty speeches delivered by politicians on Women’s Day and Human Rights Day! Hollow words mean nothing when ground realities are deteriorating by the day.