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India sees that rape is a problem, but biased surveys just feed the paranoia
I refer to Mr Yonden Lhatoo’s extremely balanced view on the Reuters survey ranking India as the most unsafe country for women; he put things into a global perspective (“Yes, India has a rape problem but is it really a no-go for women?”, June 30).
Upon being queried by an Indian news and media website, Thompson Reuters Foundation admitted that the survey – which rated India as the most dangerous country for women, ahead of war-torn Syria and Afghanistan, because of the risk of sexual violence – was “entirely based on expert opinion”. This appears to validate critics who slammed the survey as a “perception poll”.
Also, this presumably unscientific exercise was merely a snapshot of a time frame between March and April this year.
India prescribes death penalty for rape of children under 12 amid fury over brutal attacks
No doubt, crimes against women provide a sad commentary on Indian society and must be dealt with severely. However, every society has its ills and these should be highlighted in a fair manner, without bias or prejudice.
Approaching social ills with a sense of constructive and remedial purpose is the mature way forward. Creating paranoia and needless alarm serves no purpose at all.
Unlike in many advanced countries, India has voted women into powerful prime ministerial and presidential positions – this deserves recognition, acknowledgement and accolades.
Geetanjali Dhar, South Horizons
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