DailyPost 2901
R G KAR CASE; FINALLY A LAW?
Law being made a scapegoat once again. What an irony, that is all what governments can think of as action in a rape and murder of lady resident doctor in her own hospital, in most horrendous of ways. This is what a government can think of even under immense pressure of an ongoing nationwide agitation. The doctors are still on protest and literally nothing seems to have fructified of their demands. On a daily basis managing the crisis has been the purpose. Making a political capital even out of such a heinous case is where Indian politics has stooped down.
The yesterday’s passing of a new rape law in West Bengal, which most likely will not see the light of day in the wake of the Presidential assent required. The rhetoric that went on in the legislature has to be seen to be believed. Leave aside the optics of it and what such a sham exercise would be able to achieve; at the end of the day, it falls under the domain of the legislature. What is worrying the nation is what the executive has done or not done, what it is doing currently and when do we get the results thereof. Will they keep wasting time waiting for instructions of the court when no one has stopped them to deliver what is legally mandated out of them.
Cooperative federalism does not mean to do things via the Supreme Court, the state and central have to put their whole might and administrative, enforcement and investigative machinery at their command, and deliver what the doctors need and are demanding for. It should have happened a long time back on its own. Have the two governments sat down, put their heads together and decided on a deliverable plan of action. Is the execution underway? If any of the demands does not deserve attention that should be told on the discussion table. Do cases of this nature deserve battle between political parties and governments being played out openly in the public domain on all forms of media?
Demeaning the cause is all what the powers that be can do. How much has security and access control improved on health care institutions campuses across the country? Has there a common blueprint and protocol been arrived at and the resources thereof? What about the basic toilets et al for lady doctors and paramedics, has it seen any change since the recent case? Have even the campuses been better lit? How much improvement have we seen in hospital management and processes of late reassuring the students? Any change in bringing a transparent and congenial atmosphere and responsive hospital administration? Have the doctors and their associations been informed and taken into confidence about the progress in the investigation of the case. If the answer to all the above questions is negative, then where have we reached? The arrest of Sandip Ghosh in a collateral case barely means anything.
GOVERNMENTS CANNOT DELIVER EVEN IN GRAVEST OF PROVOCATIONS SEEMS TO BE SETTLED POINT.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.