The alleged gang-rape of a fifteen year old girl in Champawat by three men, including a BJP functionary, once again brings to the fore the dismal law and order situation in Uttarakhand. If any lesson is to be learned by the BJP regime here from Mamata Banerjee’s election defeat in West Bengal is the danger of being deluded by one’s own narrative. It is easy to claim good governance on the basis of schemes launched and projects completed, but the nitty-gritty of daily administration also needs to be addressed. Mere speeches and public posturing is not enough.
The economic structure of the hills has historically been built upon mostly women’s contribution. As such, it has required that they have the freedom of movement and personal security. Because of this, it has been inbuilt in the culture of the hills that women can go to the forests, fields and markets without fear of harassment. It is truly unfortunate that this social compact is now collapsing and women are no longer safe. And it is not that the crimes are being committed by ‘outsiders’ – those belonging to local communities are increasingly involved.
On the face of it, instructions have been issued to the authorities to crack down on all aspects of criminal behaviour. The question is how intelligently the response is being planned and implemented. Is it just left to the police to deal with the problem – often after the crime has been committed – or are leaders of society also working on cultivating a better civic consciousness? The BJP claims to have a political ideology based on ‘Sanatan’ values. How much are these visible in the daily lives of Uttarakhand’s citizens? In fact, the manner in which conservative values are being promoted through highly visible orthodox religiosity works to the contrary.
It is not just the temples of the Dhams that Uttarakhand’s culture is identified with; there are also the temples of high-learning. The main cities of the city are renowned for the schools that rank among the best in the country, as also the colleges and universities. Where are the students they have turned out, and what role are they playing in establishing the norms of present-day society? Should not the old culture of the hills and the sophisticated citizenry of the cities not be leveraged to establish a secure environment so that women can be safe at any time of day and night? Unless this is done, the present government should not be surprised if heavy anti-incumbency emerges in the next round of elections, as it did in West Bengal.
