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Pornography has embedded itself in mobile phones, creating addiction across all age groups... the situation is extremely alarmingThe country at present is outraged over the heinous rape and murder of a doctor in a Kolkata hospital. The situation is extremely serious, given that the President of India, distressed by the increasing instances of rape and other sexual crimes, is compelled to express her deep sorrow saying she is “dismayed and horrified”. This is a matter of national concern. Every citizen needs to reflect on how the country is faced with such a horrifying situation and what is the solution?According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an average of 87 rape cases are registered daily in India. I’m not even mentioning other forms of sexual harassment and these statistics only reflect the rape cases that are registered. Thousands of cases in India remain unreported due to the fear of social stigma. One major reason for this is that the perpetrators of rape and other sexual crimes are often not strangers, but people known to the victims. This raises the question: Why does this happen? Why do our own people become predators? Why has there been a more than 13% increase in rape cases compared to previous years? Recently, a report on sexual exploitation of women rocked the Malayalam film industry. Following this, cases have been registered against film star and legislator M Mukesh, film star Jayasurya and Maniyanpilla Raju for alleged sexual crimes. Noted actress Radhika Sarathkumar also revealed that hidden cameras in vanity vans were used to film actresses secretly.After the Nirbhaya case, the entire nation was in shock and there was a demand to make laws so stringent that it would frighten the potential offenders before they commit such crimes. Parliament worked overnight on this issue, but what was the outcome? Incidents similar to the Nirbhaya case continue to happen in the country. How effective are the laws that were enacted? The anger and outrage palpable after the Nirbhaya case seems to have dissipated. While fast-track courts have expedited some cases and sentenced rapists, is this happening in all cases? While law enforcement is one aspect, can the deep-rooted problem be solved solely through legislation?I believe one major reason for the increase in rape and sexual assault incidents is the unchecked spread of pornography. It has found a home in our mobile phones and people of virtually all ages are becoming addicted to it. Not just the youth, but people of almost all age groups are now hooked on explicit films. You might recall the incident when the Tripura Assembly member Jadab Lal Nath was caught watching a pornographic film in the House during the session last year. Someone recorded him from behind and the incident came to light. Before that, let me remind you of the Karnataka Assembly, where ministers Laxman Savadi and C C Patil were caught watching pornography in the House. I bring up these incidents to highlight how pornography has gripped our entire society. When a person watches such explicit content, he becomes overwhelmed with lust and turns into a beast. At that point, he does not care if he is sexually assaulting an innocent child or a 70-year-old woman. For such offenders, age seems to be irrelevant. In some cases, pornography has even torn apart marriages. Recently, in Chhattisgarh, a woman told a court that her husband watches porn and tries to replicate the same acts in their personal life. The woman was so distressed that she filed for divorce. While the court punished the husband, how many such cases actually reach the courts?When I read about such incidents, my mind becomes numb. What is happening in our country? I travel around the world, and except for some underdeveloped African nations, nowhere -- including Europe, America and Australia -- do we see such terrifying situations for women. Although pornography originated in Western countries and is an industry there, the mindset towards it is different. Our culture has a different perspective. Pornography has severely affected our country. Here, even 14 or 15-year-old children are falling prey to both pornography and drugs. And when they commit heinous crimes, they exploit juvenile laws. We need to reconsider this aspect too. Unfortunately, there are examples in our country where famous porn actresses have become mainstream film stars. Some big names in the film industry have even started producing explicit films, and some of them have been caught too.We must remember that our daughters are excelling in every field. From administrative services to military valour and even space exploration, women are demonstrating their abilities. Yet, society is regressing. In places where society values women, such crimes are rare. Nagaland, Puducherry and Lakshadweep in India are examples of this. If someone commits a crime against a woman in these places, society itself takes action first. Clearly, social awareness and tough stance are the only ways to overcome this terrible situation. The President’s fear precisely reflects this need.The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.

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