Young men killing girlfriends, chopping them up, stuffing them in fridges to avoid being caught – crimes like these are recurring much too often these days. Any person with any sense has to be aware that it is very difficult to get away with crime in the present technological era, when it is very easy for investigators to reconstruct the crime by following smartphone use, going over CCTV coverage, tracking social media, etc. And, yet, they do so, often because the crimes are committed in a sudden burst of anger, followed by desperate attempts at cover-ups inspired by third-rate TV serials and movies.
The anonymity of urban existence is also responsible, with neighbours living lives invisible to each other – nobody to offer support, notice unusual behaviour, help connect with the real world. Social mores are rapidly changing with it becoming possible for young people to date, live together, and have a life without the need for any kind of social sanction. Even parents and close family members remain unaware of what’s going on – any display of interest or concern is considered unwarranted ‘interference’. So, nobody can pick up on the signs of impending disaster.
In the most recent case, the alleged killer was in a live-in relationship with the victim, while actually planning to get married to another woman! What must he have thought of his partner to have imagined he could do such a thing? How can a woman have such little power in a relationship to be so treated? Seeing the succession of such misogynistic relationships it can only be concluded that the social mores by which men and women interact are poorly constructed and exploitative. Are women exercising their freedom of choice without even the basic social skills required to do so?
All the organisations that work in the field of women empowerment must work on providing these necessary skills. They should ensure that lack of self-esteem among women should not be exploited by predators that come in all kinds of guises. People should be psychologically mature enough to cope with the lifestyles they adopt, no matter how attractive and liberated these may seem. Unfortunately, many of those working in these areas are themselves little aware of the real challenges in present day life, even as they encourage ‘empowerment’ for ideological and other reasons.
If women wish to be truly liberated, they should learn from childhood to recognise signs of morbid patriarchy among such males, and not succumb to their entitled behaviour at any stage, at any time!
