When it comes to Rajasthan, there’s seriously so much to be proud of. Can anyone of us actually ever imagine the country without the culturally-rich and aesthetically pleasing homeland that is Rajasthan? There’s much to see and be bowled over by given the state’s magnificent history and splendour. There are those forts and castles. There are temples sunken in rich tradition that date back to hundreds of years. There’s the desert and amid the commercial blooming that Rajasthan has been subjected to over the past decade and a half, witnessing the desert is actually like an oasis of calmness in itself.
Never a dull day in the timeline of a region that’s home to some enthralling and arrestingly beautiful cities, think the likes of Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer.
And yet, besides all of these, there stands a skyscraper of ridicule that the state wouldn’t be proud of. A tall statistic that is raging with fire and casts a doubt about the safety of women. Rather, forget women, think young girls and kids.
Truth is, today no talk about any Indian city or state can be rendered complete without factoring in the most obvious question concerning the fate of women in 21st century: just ow safe are they actually whether we talk about a Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bangalore and whatnot!
And where it comes to Rajasthan, there’s indeed a disappointing statistic that has caught the eye of the commoner in India. A number that stands upon a ruin, truth be told.
Would you have believed it if someone were to tell you that where the past three years are concerned, there have been in excess of 5,700 cases of rape and that too, of minor girls?
So what is it that we are talking here? On the one hand stand the colossal structures whereby every tiny stone or evidence of craftsmanship oozes of class and decorated history whilst standing on the other hand are the girls of Rajasthan, with their faces covered with shreds of agony and disbelief?
A report published on The Print had the following shocking piece of data to bamboozle readers with:
Rajasthan recorded 5,793 cases of rape of minor girls in the last three years, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal said on Tuesday.
He said unrestricted obscene content on social media was behind such incidents, and termed it as a serious matter.
“Inhuman tendency is being developed among youth and obscene content on social media is the main reason for this. This content is being served in an unrestricted manner which promotes such incidents. This is a very serious matter,” he said during the Question Hour in the state assembly.
Of the 5,793 cases of rape in the state from January 1, 2019 to January 31, 2022 in the state, Dhariwal said charge sheets were submitted in 4,631 cases, 6,628 accused were arrested and 398 were punished in 129 cases.