Punyabhoomi

"Man arrested on charge of raping teenaged daughter"
ran the headlines in the front page of today's national daily. Along with the above crime details, several such crimes were reported which had occurred in my residential city in the recent months. What was striking was the fact that the article did not delve into the punishment that was awarded to any of the criminals.

Such crimes are indications of the kind of perverts that roam around in the society freely. I am paraphrasing a funny signature here - "Just because it is illegal to kill, some people are still alive". On a serious note, why should people who commit rape crimes, especially the incest types, be locked away behind bars for a few years ? Why can't we give them more severe punishments ?

Raping one's own daughter and making her pregnant - its such a revolting thought. I felt pukish after reading the article. Just imagine the plight of the girl who is brutalized and made to carry one of her creator's progeny inside her. Being raped by one's own father or brother or any relative, not only affects the girl physically but also mentally. The very people she relied on for support and security actually take advantage of her physical weakness. Isn't it a breach of trust ? The after effects are always painful. More than the physical abuse, the mental agony lingers.

Should we really call India a "punyabhoomi" when there is too much of "paap" strewn over?