The monstrous face of Indian society: Two sisters to be raped as “punishment”

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Indian society has seen some horrendous crimes in the past and cases of gang rape are heard every now and then. But the recent case of two sisters being threatened to be gang raped has come as a complete shock. What is more disturbing is that they are told to be raped repeatedly as a "punishment" for the wrongs that their brother had done by eloping with a married woman.

The sisters were so frightened after the khap panchayat in Uttar Pradesh passed the rule to rape them that they fled from their village which is at the Bhagpat district, just outside Delhi. In addition, as a part of justice, the panchayat declared to blacken their faces and then parading them naked on 31 July 2015. All this happened because the married woman that their brother, Ravi ran away with was from a higher Jat caste.

This eye for an eye form of justice is a proof of the hypocrisy that lies in the Indian society. The khap panchayat with a majority of Jat members, thinks that it is the correct decision to avenge Ravi's actions. However, this is sheer injustice done by the village council.

It's an irony that this incident has come up a day before the festival of Rakshabandhan that celebrates brother-sister love and the strong bond that they share. A sister ties Rakhi on her brother's hand with a belief that he will protect her against all odds but here, the sisters are in danger because of their brother's "crime".

Apart from Ravi, the sisters have another brother, Sumit Kumar, who says that "the Jat decision is final". The girls have now appealed to the Supreme Court for their safety. The eldest of the two, Meenakshi Kumari, who is 23, has registered a petition asking for protection for herself and her 15-year-old sister. The family belongs to the lowest caste in India that is Dalit, or untouchables.

According to the International Human Rights group, the woman who eloped with Ravi might be in danger too. She is rumoured to be pregnant as well. The coverage done by Zee Media reveals that the Jat woman and Ravi were in love and wanted to be together. However, the strict village rules and the woman's family forced her to marry someone else until she decided to elope with Ravi.

The two sisters are unwilling to return to their home in the village for the fear of their life and dignity.