17:1 shocker for India! 17 men accused of gang-raping a girl in Chennai

India is bleeding. Mother India is bleeding. Is help available? Rather, is anyone interested in listening?

An 11-year-old girl in Chennai came under the venomous attack of gang-rape, the heinous crime committed by 17 men. At first thoughts, it pains the mind to merely imagine the horror the little 11-year-old would’ve gone through.

On second thoughts, you only admit that it is but normal life in India.

This shocking news strikes even as the landmark judgement regarding Nirbhaya case arrived not even a fortnight ago- wherein the punishment regarding the death penalty was upheld and reinstated for the perpetrators of a truly unforgettable horror in India.

Still, one can’t say the country has learned. Still, it can’t be said that the things will change in the course of the future.

This particular case has been so plied in acrimony and pain that it may bleed your heart listening to the ordeal. According to some child rights activists, the girl had been raped continuously over the course of several weeks. It isn’t the body that has endured horror; it’s the mind that has suffered the greatest jolt.

So severe is the condition of the victim- it is believed- that it may require the said victim to undergo an urgent psychological support and counselling in order to get better. The alleged victim was gang-raped several times in a plush Chennai complex by the clique of 17 men.

The residents in the Chennai residential complex confessed to having been horrified by the incident. On top of that- they feel betrayed. Plush apartments, fancy colonies, great amenities and all that paraphernalia and yet, no security guards to man the zone. Who wouldn’t feel terrified and completely shocked?

A report published in revered India media outlet NDTV shared the following explaining the rational horror of those who reside in the same neighbourhood complex:

No guards were seen around the complex. Till they decide whether to replace the security agency or replace the staff, a group of eight women residents have started guarding the entrance of the block.

One of the members of the society shared in a conversation with NDTV, “They used to smile, salute and we trusted them. Plumbers had free access to our homes. Now we are scared. They can knock us down anytime. Earlier, we concerned about the danger lurking outside, now the danger is within.”

Can anyone blame this visibly shaken account?

What on earth was the building’s security establishment doing? Isn’t this the responsibility of the private company to ensure prevention of such horror? But, while it makes little sense to debate whether the presence of security would’ve managed to avert the horror- what makes sense is to direct the attention of the governor/mayor just anyone who can get Chennai to put its act together.

The girl child, we have heard for the longest time, is the biggest cause that India is ensuring and working toward. We’ve seen massive government spending on ad campaigns that highlight that the tide is changing; that the scenario is evidencing swift changes. But is actually anything happening for real in India?

How many times has one seen the news surrounding another rape or similar atrocity in India? Maybe, there’s a sense to contend with the basic fact that not a single day goes by when these incidents aren’t reported in the mainstream media. We are habitual of seeing our women suffer. We have shamefully grown accustomed to hearing news about another rape crime being executed in some other part of the country. When it’s not Delhi, then Mumbai, Bihar, Bangalore and now, even Chennai.

Few months back there was a grave news from Indore on the same lines. Who’s going to stop the carnage from happening?