While most of us still wait for the newspaper each dawn with hopes of learning from the happenings in our society and around the world, we are normally greeted with bad news – of some crime or the other. And that too on the front page (gone are the days when metro/city crime was an ‘inside page’ story). However, instead of making us more sensitive, such news has just followed a shout-and-soon-forget syndrome. Even the Nirbhaya tragedy was allowed to be forgotten all too easily. Meanwhile, every other day we are made witness to disgusting cases of rape of toddlers and aged housewives. And we are made aware of only the reported cases…much more goes on unreported, on the road, and in households and palaces. The police seem unable to tackle this menace; it seems that there is no cure for this social and physical disease of rape, which has spread like cancer in our society.
Almost predictably, we come out of our societal slumber only when a ‘big one’ hits the Capital – like the rape of the 25-year-old executive by a ‘Uber cab driver’. It seems that a serious psychological malady has affected certain elements in our society, like this cruel cab driver. They have been called animals, but no animal, however predatory, behaves like this.
A senior psychiatrist of Civil hospital Dr. Brahmdeep, comments, “I won’t deny that such people need psychological treatment, because ethical and moral education has gone missing from our society. We all need to develop mutual social respect and humaneness towards each other. Although crimes of this nature can’t be stopped, we ought to take precautions and our government as well as law enforcing agencies have to be much more pro-active towards this sensitive issue. I also believe that our society is too much divided - into caste, creed and religion - and persons with a criminal bent of mind take advantage of this.” Sarvesh Singh, who drives cabs between Gurgaon and various localities in Delhi, says, “In India there is unemployment all across, and by banning operations of cab services this will only increase. I earn my bread and butter by sitting behind the wheel of my cab and I am a father of four children. Unfortunately, persons like me directly and indirectly are going to be affected by the inhuman and criminal deeds of guys like Shiv Kumar Yadav.” However, a glaring fact that has emerged is that many of the drivers work round the clock - from dawn to dusk with Company A, and after sunset till the next morning with Company B. Rajnish (name changed), who works for a reputed cab provider, admits, “I work with an organisation for the ‘normal’ hours, and in the evening I switch off the cell phone registered with them and put on the uniform of another cab service agency (for which I have a separate contact number). I do this for money and I feel it is not a crime.” A resident from the neighbourhood of Ardee City, Ishita Mainak Pal, works for a private firm located at Hauz Khas in New Delhi. Sharing her views on the recent case, she opines, “I was shocked to hear this news. After the Nirbhaya case I had stopped commuting by bus; but after this, what next? How is a woman supposed to commute? We had believed that Uber was best cab hire system, worldwide, and it was easily available through apps. However, I guess the learning is that it is not the apps or the call system, but the kind of drivers (and the system for their verification) that is of most importance.” Advocate Kadambari Singh laments, "The law and order machinery in India needs to be much more alert, and responsive towards society. I would also like to add that rather than banning, they might work on the better monitoring of the cabs." Expressing concern over the safety of women, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk says, “We are reviewing and verifying the drivers’ licences and their records. We also want corporates and BPOs to co-operate with us regarding the safety and security of their lady employees. A male employee must accompany any lady passenger, and should be the last person to be dropped from a group. We have already instructed policemen and other agencies to keep a strict vigil on all vehicles that are carrying women passengers.”
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