By Ashim Kumar Mukherjee
CNN’s sensational exposure of global network of men sharing tactics and methodology of drugging and sexually assaulting women is a matter of great concern.
The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”. In 2024, estimates published by WHO indicated that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide had been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
CNN’s report exposed that it is not only the women but also the act of violence had been commoditized. It is beyond thinking that to teach violence, to make a man aggressive can also be a profession!
Are the women simply a gender? No, definitely no. They are our mother, daughter, sister, they are the Shakti. Onslaught on women, violence against women, act of violence against women, commoditization of such acts of violence, even to the extent of naming it as ‘rape academy’ is going to be cataclysmic for the human civilization. Online Global Rape Academy exposed by CNN has put forward the uncontrolled lust and criminal mentality of men much above the other dangers being faced by present civilization, including the climate change and the threat of WW-III.
A few countries have taken steps to arrest further escalation of such catastrophic gender-based violence and teaching for committing such violence. Netherlands have taken down servers of some porn websites, police forces in some countries have made arrests.
It is not known the extent of tentacles of such heinous crimes spread in India. At individual level, people must be cautious and vigilant; at government level strict regulatory measures must be taken against websites and messaging apps facilitating such crimes; at social level, importance and significance of Sanatana culture of respecting female as mother and worshipping of Goddess as mother should be inculcated; in every family, female member should be given their due respect.
It must be remembered that victims of violence against women may survive, but not the human civilization, if this crisis is not tackled at every level with utmost importance and urgency. Digitalization should be for the survival of human civilization and not for its extinction.
