India has a law against rape 56 days later; US has nothing 58 days after Sandy Hook; Wash Post decries speed of reform in US
Washington Post is lamenting that US can’t seem to act in a crisis fast enough. At least not as fast as India can. Although the Sandy Hook shooting happened 2 days before the Delhi Gangrape, a law is already there to take care of the issue. Yes, it is not perfect, but at least something came to pass.
However, on Sunday, the Indian president ratified a landmark package of laws dealing with sexual violence, just 56 days after the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a New Delhi bus.
“The reforms fall short of what is needed and must be seen only as the beginning of a struggle to protect women from rape, trafficking and other abuses,” the Post said.
“But they also demonstrate why India’s political system can respond in a way unthinkable in Beijing or Moscow.
“India has nevertheless shown how its political system can respond to an urgent popular demand for change,” the Post said, suggesting that the same could certainly not be said of China or Russia.
“As for the US, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings occurred two days before the New Delhi rape; whether our political system will respond to the subsequent outcry remains to be seen,” the daily said. (link)
However, we in India need to take this with a pinch of salt.
We all know that it was the incredible public outcry and uprising that forced – twisted – the Government’s hand to do this. So, more than the system, it is a testament to the unity of voices within the Indian polity. The reason why post – Sandy Hook legislation has not happened is because of the fragmented moral fabric of the US. There are enough people on the side of Gun lobby who make ridiculous arguments and hold sway using a very wide articulation of a fundamental right in the constitution to have guns.
Like I have said earlier, this fragmented consciousness and gridlocked polity will cause the greatest harm to the US in the coming years!
Related articles from External Sources
Court begins hearing testimony of witnesses in India gang rape case
India’s political system can respond when required: Washington Post
Fatal gang rape shatters Indian family’s dreams
India gang-rape trial starts with testimony from victim’s friend (Reuters)
Why Newtown & New Delhi are joined at the hip
First witness for Delhi rape trial
