Finally, after seven years, the four convicted rapist of famous Delhi gang rape case were hanged till death today morning in Tihar Jail. Mother of Nirbhaya, the girl who was raped and murdered, was recorded saying, now the justice is done and after this hanging all girls in India will feel safer. Her father said, we appeal for observing this day as Nirbhaya ‘Nyay Diwas’ (day of justice). With her mother and father, women’s rights activist and other such feminists groups are happy and celebrating this hanging.
Keeping apart all the euphoria over this hanging, we need to think rationally and ask ourselves, is the justice really done here and should we now celebrate this day as a day of justice? I say, not so fast.
Just hanging these four rapists can never be called justice done. The real justice will be done when all those convicted of any type of homicide are hanged e.g., true justice will be done when a woman will also be hanged for murdering her husband or in-laws. Justice means correcting the wrong done to someone; giving someone his/her due. And this justice cannot be selective like what has happened in India with the case of Nirbhaya. A selective justice is no justice.
Also, the standard for delivering justice cannot be public pressure or setting an example in front of future criminals to stop crimes. Stopping crime by setting some tough example is not the aim of the judiciary system. Their job simply is to deliver justice. Protecting people and deterring crime is a job of the state police. And setting example like this is not going to deter any crime as we have seen time and again.
So, why celebrate just one day as a day of justice? Why not all days can be days of justice? Why just this one case represents justice? What about other cases? Nirbhaya’s parents are important, but are other parents not important? Before celebrating this hanging, we need to seriously think about these questions.
In the end, as long as India doesn’t become a Private Law Society, talk of justice is futile.
