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                                                              (Picture: Bloomberg.com)

The increase of rape cases in India has shaken the conscience of every right thinking Indians. People were outraged when in December 2012, a girl was gang raped and killed in Delhi. Again the same horrific incident has recurred in Mumbai when a woman photojournalist was gang raped. After the Delhi gang rape episode there were widespread protests and there were demand for tougher rape laws. It is not that after the Delhi episode there were no rape cases. The only thing is that when such horrendous incidents occurs in metropolitan cities then it hogs the limelight and if it happens in small cities and villages then it goes unnoticed. But why is it that the rape cases have become so common in India. And in spite of stringent laws and social ostracization of the rapists the situation is deteriorating. The only solution which the government, the people & the media think - enact more stringent laws.  But sadly the fear of punishment has not bore any results so far.  

Aggravating the disease of lust

Bhagavad – Gita 16.21 describes “Lust, anger and greed as three gates which leads to hell”. Vidura once told Yudhisthira that uncontrolled lust is one of the main reasons as why people commit crimes. But unfortunately the present day society is trying its best to aggravate the disease of lust. Obscenity has become so common – in movies, TV serials, advertisements, billboards, movie songs etc. Some of the leading newspapers and magazines are stuffed with semi - nude pictures of women as it helps to increase circulation. Internet and mobile pornography is at its peak.  Even in IPL, semi clad cheerleaders were brought in to entice the audience. Women are portrayed as an object meant for gratifying the senses.  Today the only cheapest commodity available in India is condoms; it is even cheaper than the food grains. “You can have unlimited sex with unlimited partners but just use condoms”.  If we promote, propagate and advertise lustful tendencies so rampantly then how can we expect that the incidents of rape do not occur?

Campaign against lust addiction

If we seriously want that these horrific incidents do not get repeated then there should be laws to check vulgarity and obscenity. As we campaign against drug addiction similarly we should campaign against lust addiction.  Sadly today’s educational institution do not teach pupil to control their lusty propensities.  In schools and colleges emphasis should be given to impart ethical values to students. Rape crimes can be curbed only by instilling values and by providing spiritual knowledge to each and every individual. We should imbibe the teachings of India’s timeless Vedic literatures. These priceless literatures have always taught people to rise above bodily conception of life and look women not as an object of lust but as a soul who are parts and parcel of God. Srila Prabhupada one of the foremost saints of the modern era explains in “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” 4.1 purport “The kings of all planets are especially meant for the protection of the inhabitants, and therefore the royal order should understand the science of Bhagavad-gita in order to be able to rule the citizens and protect them from material bondage to lust.”

Best solution to stop rape crimes

Making stringent laws and punishing the rapists may help us to a certain extent but it won’t be able to eliminate rape crimes. Srila Prabhupada provides a very logical solution to all these problems, “The only way to permanently change the criminal habit is to change the heart of the criminal. As you well know, many thieves are arrested numerous times and put into jail. Although they know that if they commit theft they will go to jail, still they are forced to steal, because of their unclean hearts. Therefore without cleansing the heart of the criminal, you cannot stop crime simply by more stringent law enforcement. The thief and the murderer already know the law, yet they still commit violent crimes, due to their unclean hearts.”

If we are really sincere about eradicating the menace of rape from the society then we will have to go back to our roots.  Vedas are our roots. Vedic literatures like Bhagavad – Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Upanisads etc teaches us to lead a God – centered life. In a God – centered society, a person cultivates genuine love for God which cleanses his heart of lusty desires.  People then do not just identify each others as men and women but understands that both men and women are children of God. And so a natural and genuine respect develops for each other. In such a society the horrific incidents of rape would never occur.