8 Year old, gang raped and bludgeoned to death.

Ever since Kathua made headlines it has been upsetting for most Indians because of the heinousness of the crime committed. An 8 year old was kidnapped, drugged, gang raped and then murdered. This happened to a child. A child whose identity we all know now. A child whose religion we all know now. This is all thanks to the pervasive, aggressive, relentless, merciless Media that is fueling the wrong cause to the Nation.

Today the media takes on the role of the accuser, the victim and the judge. Every news outlet has to be the first to report a case, has to be the first to reach the crime scene( As per law, it is supposed to be the cops),hasto be the first to identify the victim and make known the victim’s identity(As per law, the victim’s identity in such cases must be kept confidential), has be the first to nab the accused(as per law, it has to be the cops), has to be the first to talk to the victim’s family( as per law, it is supposed to be the cops), has to be the one that finds out the motive (as per law, it is supposed to be the cops.), has to be the voice of the victim andthe accused (as per law, it’s their lawyers who speak on their behalf in the court.),has to pass judgment. (As per law, it is supposed to be the courts)

Yes, above are the few transgressions of the media that we have come to accept as a part of our system. It has been alleged in the Kathua case that the cops who were supposed to do their duty were instead destroying evidence and trying to cover up the crime. This is not the first or the last time we’ll be hearing of such an allegation against the people we believe will help us in grave situations. As unfortunate as it is, when we have been failed by the system, the media has stepped up. We have seen the media pressuring and pressing certain matters and we have been ever so thankful to them– case in point being Jessica Lal murder case which saw the light of day, thanks to the media.

Jessica Lal’s case was one of the first few that I recollect that had so much media coverage, that nobody could unsee the things happening in that particular case. The reason why the media gained public favour at that point of time is because the media stepped up when the witnesses and the lawyers and the cops weren’t doing their job. This though is just an anomaly in a larger scape of crimes happening in our country.

It is unfortunate that since then the media believes itself to be the almighty, the all-encompassing entity of justice.

The Fourth Estate was considered to be an unbiased entity that brings to the fore, matters happening around the world, for people to read and form opinions. Except now, the media tells us what our opinion should be, it tells us it was a Muslim child who was gang raped by Hindu men in a devisthan. Instead of telling us that a child was gang raped by a bunch of men who need to see the insides of a prison.(preferably hang though)

Yet, every headline we read is about Hindu – Muslim! The media is in its sphere doing everything it can to further fan the apparent communal unrest in our country which is just waiting to explode in our face by 2019.

I know I’ve gone on about the way media has handled this case but it’d be like a pot calling the kettle black if I don’t mention the lawyers who protested and tried to prevent the charges from being filed in the case.

You see, that’s the root cause of all our social problems today - that little group of extremely insecure people who are frightened that by bringing justice to an 8 year old child, they will lose something.

I wish the media would go back to unbiased reporting.

I wish lawyers just did their job and didn’t go about doing the things that they have done or said the things they’ve said in the Nirbhaya case and now the Kathua case. It makes me feel ashamed of being a lawyer and extremely angry as a woman.

Lastly, I wish politicians would stop participating in protests. Joothe padenge.

We really need to revisit our laws. We really need to take a step back and ask ourselves why the rape of an 8 year old is sparking a debate! Why isn’t the entire country just calling out for justice? Don’t waste air-time on blaming and pointing fingers. Just use that time to get work done. Don’t protest. Make more practical plans of better protecting the people around you. Stop depending entirely on the government and cops and do your duty as a vigilant citizen. Don’tbecome a vigilante.

Because the bottom line is – it’s a child that was raped. A child.

[Edit] Update: Media Houses Apologise Before Delhi HC For Revealing Victim’s Identity, Told To Pay Rs 10L Each Towards J&K Victim Compensation Fund 

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