THE DYNAMICS OF RAPE IN MODERN INDIAN SOCIETY

Abstract

Rape is malum in se. In modern India the institution of rape has flourished
immensely in recent times, and presently it is a national problem. It is a challenge to the
contemporary thinking. Gender equality is enshrined in the Indian constitution. In ancient
times rape existed in Europe while women in India had divine personification as Shakti and
in modern times millions of Indians visit Shakti temples with liberal offerings.
This paper addresses dynamics of rape with particular reference to India. Rape is a
multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon. Its perception may vary from radical to liberal,
and the legal definition keeps evolving. Mathematically it may be modeled as a space-time
function. In 2013 the definition of rape was revised both in India and US. It, however,
differs. The paper examines recently introduced Indian law to reduce rape incidents.
There are various areas which need attention to have insight into the phenomenon of
rape and measures to control the incidents. This includes understanding the effect of socioeconomic-
demographic predictor variables in reduction of the incidents. The authors have
applied statistical analysis using correlation to rape data from all the 35 regions of India
with eleven socio-economic-demographic predictor variables to find the effect of the
variables on incidents of rape. It was found that only literacy status, or literacy status as a
proxy, for male and female in urban population indicated significant desirable effect on the
number of rape incidents. This sets a direction for further research. The rape challenge should
be addressed with afresh look from multidisciplinary perspective besides law and
enforcement. The fusion of data, analyses, and ideas including from sociological, cultural,
psychological, and religious aspects, and encouraging merging of tools from disciplines,
should provide an insightful and sound approach to find solution to the intractable social
problem. Also social change with the universal wisdom thoughts of great minds like Mahatma
Gandhi and Elie Wiesel is desirable to eliminate ills, including rape, from the modern society.