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Inlaws, Outlaws and The Rule of Law

Inlaws, Outlaws and The Rule of Law 

Full article in Maunstream 25 Dec 2001 

Synopsis

This paper presents spatial analysis of two most heinous crimes against women namely, rape and dowry deaths across the country. 

 1)Most of the districts with high rates of rape have low dowry deaths and vice versa. 

 2)The district with highest rape rate (887) is East Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, while that with highest dowry death rate (300) is Mainpuri in UP 

3)Out of first 50 districts having high rape rate (greater than 400 per crore ), 27 are from MP. 4)Similarly, out of first 50 districts having high dowry death rates (more than 125 per crore) 21 are from UP. 

 5)Thus a vivid clustering of these two crime types is seen. Moreover, in the high rape rate list, no district has dowry death rate higher than 200. In the high dowry death list, no district has rape rate higher than 700. 

 6)The either – or nature of these two heinous crimes against women points to an unfortunate dilemma before the women. Those who seek to come out of boundary walls of domestic life face the violence outside while those who seek to remain inside, face dowry deaths. Where can a woman find the succor? 

7)A scatter graph demarcates a zone in which both the crime types are simultaneously on the higher side. These districts are from MP, Delhi, Haryana, UP, Maharshtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This shows that we need to concentrate on the central part of India for creating atrocity free environment for women.

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Full paper

As the Year of Empowerment for Women is coming to an end, it is necessary to bring to focus the survival dilemma faced by women in India. During my study of district level crime data for Maharashtra, (Mehendale, 2001) I had found that all districts from two revenue divisions Nagpur and Amarawati had very high rates of rape but low rate for dowry death. As opposed to this, all districts of Aurangabad division had very high rates of dowry deaths but low rates for rape. This was the picture throughout the decade of ‘90s. It was only logical to undertake a similar analysis at All India level and see what pattern emerged. I took the average data for 1995-96-97 as the basis of this study. Surprisingly, the pattern repeats itself at the national level. Even within a state the same either- or pattern is found to be repeating in Rajasthan, Himachal, Andhra, Bihar and Bengal.

Among all crimes the most henious are the two crimes of rape and dowry death against women. The threat of first clips the wings of a woman ready to take up all flights into freedom and achievement. It cripples her mentally and hurts physically beyond the imagination of anyone else. Dowry death, on the other hand, arises out of a mentality that denies the women equal status and respect even in supposedly “her own” house.

What are the pre-conditions for empowerment of women for which we are all so keen? As analysed earlier, (ibid) access to relevant education, economic opportunities and freedom from violence are the key factors. Above finding shows that availability of the first two is a pre- condition that is necessary but not sufficient. In past fifty years various Government schemes were formulated for providing education (it can be doubted whether it was also relevant education) and to some extent economic opportunities. However, there was no conscious scheme for freedom from violence or speedy justice delivery.

This is, perhaps, the reason for this very typical situation in which women, both educated or uneducated, working outside or inside the “home” find themselves. Although it can be a matter of part satisfaction that a state or a region can concentrate its efforts on one type of crime against women, the academicians and activists will have to consider what option can they offer to women.

 

·        Chart 1 gives a state-wise comparison between rates of rape and that of dowry death. The All India averages for these two are 157 and 58 respectively. A scatter graph plotting these rates shows that Delhi has high rates in both. Most of the states with high rates of rape have low dowry deaths and vice versa

·        States with high rate for rape but low for dowry deaths are: mizoram, MP, Arunachal, Himachal, Assam, A&N islands.

·        State with high rate for dowry deaths but low rate for rape are UP, Haryana, Punjab.

·        Lakshdweep has no crime against women. States in which both the rates are on the lower side are Manipur, Gujrat, Karnatak, Kerala and Tamilnadu.

·        The state level aggregate is not a very powerful indicator as it tends to average out the local level extremes. Hence a district level desegregation is necessary.

·        The district with highest rape rate (687) is East Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, while that with highest dowry death rate (300) is Mainpuri in UP.

·        The district level analysis shows two peculiar features. Out of first 50 districts having high r/r, 27 are from MP. Similarly, out of first 50 districts having high dowry death rates 21 are from UP. (charts 3 and 4). Further, the 50 districts of chart 3 do not have dowry death rates exceeding 200 while the 50 districts of chart 4 do not have r/r exceeding 400. It is possible that both types of crimes arise mainly from a typical power- mongering male attitude and the banter about women being  enemy of women as often quoted while referring to the role of mother- in- law is really not the main cause for the dowry deaths. This line of argument deserves further consideration.

·        The district level scatter graph in chart 5 can be studied with respect to the point (400,134). Districts in which both the crimes are higher than these limits - ie the 1^st quadrant districts are only 6, namely Sagar, Damoh, Hoshangabad, Gwalior, north west Delhi, and Karnal. As delineated in curve3,  north Delhi and Raisen can be added to this catagory. Other 17 districts are delineated by curve 4 and yet other 30 by curve 5. Chart 6 gives the lists of these 55 districts. All of them are from MP [23], UP [13], Delhi [8], Haryana [5], Rajasthan [4], Maharshtra [2], AP and Bihar 1 each. Thus MP, Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra are states with high rates in both crimes. Orissa too comes in this catagory though at a lower level.

·        The 2nd quadrant districts with high dowry deaths but relatively low r/r are UP, AP and Punjab.

·        The 4th quadrant districts with higher r/r but lower dowry rates are Mizoram, Himachal, Arunachal, Assam, Bihar, and Rajasthan.

·        Among the 3rd quadrant districts the real lowest ones (200, 67) are from Kerala (-Waynadu), Tamilnadu, Bengal, Gujrat (-Surat city), Karnatak.

·        It is interesting to see the north- east separately. Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya (except Jaintia hill district) have no record of dowry deaths. Out of these Manipur and Nagaland have low r/r too; only 3 districts exceeding a rate of 100. In Meghalaya too, all districts have r/r below 150. On the other hand, Mizoram districts have very high rape rates. In Arunachal, East Siang with its highest r/r appears an aberration, though other districts also have high r/r. Tripura with its proximity to Bengal has a low but non- zero dowry rate and low r/r. Sikkim too has no record of dowry deaths.

·       The either – or nature of these two heinous crimes against women points to an unfortunate dilemma before the women. Those who seek to come out of the boundary walls of domestic life face the violence outside while those who seek to remain inside, face dowry deaths. Where can women find the succor?

·        An effective action for safety of women is needed much more in central parts of the country.

·       Chart 1:

state name	R/rp	R/dd
mizoram	581	0
MP	448	69
delhi	410	128
Aru_P	355	0
tripura	281	37
assam	250	12
rajasthan	234	73
HP	220	14
A&N islands	206	20
haryana	184	125
orissa	176	59
J&K	165	7
all india	157	58
maharashtra	153	51
meghalaya	145	2
bihar	144	43
kerala	132	8
sikkim	131	0
AP	119	59
daman & diu	118	0
goa	113	15
UP	111	123
D&N haveli	111	19
west bengal	110	18
nagaland	98	0
chandigarh	95	29
gujrat	72	14
punjab	70	75
manipur	56	0
tamilnadu	54	21
karnatak	50	39
pondichery	30	22
lakshdweep	0	0

 

 

Chart 2 and 3: are 2 scatter graphs comapring crime against women vis-a-vis total crimes and rate of rapes vs rate of dowry death.

 

1)     Rate of total crimes against women was highest in Rajashtan, MP, Delhi and Maharashtra.

2)     The ratio of  all crimes against women with total crimes is surprisingly highest in West Bengal.

3)     The lower number of crimes in some states could be on account of improper or  non recording.

4)     Punjab having low rates fot all other crimes against women has  the 5^th highest dowry death rate.

The NCRB must make a separate record of organised or mass atrocities against women.

4 states with maximum crime rate are also the states with highest rape rate. They are Delhi, Rajasthan, MP, Mizoram. A scatter diagram of total crimes Vs rapes shows a general corelation between the two. Hence increase in total crime rate should ring an alarm.It therefore appears that general improvement in the law enforcement is one of the pre- conditions for women’s empowerment.NCRB brings out data on 6 major crimes against women under IPC namely, rape, molestation, abduction, sexual harrasment dowry death. 

 

chart 5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

< state	worst 25 districts	R/rp	R/dd>	state	next 30 district	R/rp	R/dd >
MP	RAISEN	837	117	MP	SIHORE	789	42
RAJASTHAN	JHALAWAR	837	54	MP	GUNA	765	33
MP	VIDISHA	689	65	RAJASTHAN	BANSWARA	726	38
MP	SAGAR	688	165	MP	BHOPAL	565	63
MP	HOSHANGABAD	671	138	MP	CHHINDWARA	554	64
DELHI UT	NORTH	590	127	MP	DHAR	531	64
MP	NARASINGHPUR	561	77	MP	DEWAS	513	65
MP	RATLAM	552	86	MP	CHHATARPUR	416	81
MP	DAMOH	513	170	MP	TIKAMGARH	408	85
DELHI UT	CENTRAL	487	87	DELHI UT	SOUTH WEST	379	97
DELHI UT	SOUTH	452	110	MP	PANNA	322	77
HARYANA	KARNAL	422	154	HARYANA	FARIDABAD	283	126
MP	GWALIOR	421	176	MP	SATNA	279	127
MP	JABALPUR	412	125	MP	INDORE	244	155
DELHI UT	NORTH WEST	406	168	DELHI UT	EAST	240	123
DELHI UT	WEST	383	117	RAJASTHAN	BHARATPUR	237	124
DELHI UT	NORTH EAST	355	143	AP	KARIMNAGAR	215	159
MP	MURAINA	317	128	UP	SHAJAHANPUR	213	133
MP	RIWA	242	214	UP	PILIBHIT	212	125
RAJASTHAN	DHOLPUR	236	217	UP	SITAPUR	205	184
HARYANA	REWARI	196	201	UP	BAREILLY	187	164
UP	UNNAO	193	203	UP	ETAWAH	181	202
HARYANA	BHIWANI	193	195	UP	KHERI	178	188
UP	ETAH	165	233	UP	MATHURA	172	180
MAHARASH	AURANGABAD	126	291	UP	FEROZABAD	170	199
				MP	BHIND	169	161
				HARYANA	SONIPAT	169	188
				UP	ALIGARH	162	174
				UP	KANPUR	147	226
				BIHAR	MADHEPURA	100	233
				MAHARASHTRA	LATUR	87	247
				UP	MAINPURI	75	300

 

 

 

state	dist	R/rp95-97	R/dd95-97	state	dist	R/rp95-97	R/dd95-97
AR PRADESH	SIANG EAST	877	0	UP	MAINPURI	75	300
RAJASTHAN	JHALAWAR	837	54	MAHARASHTRA	AURANGABAD	126	291
MP	RAISEN	837	117	MAHARASHTRA	LATUR	87	247
MP	SIHORE	789	42	BIHAR	MADHEPURA	100	233
HP	KINNAUR	773	0	UP	ETAH	165	233
MP	GUNA	765	33	UP	KANPUR	123	229
RAJASTHAN	BANSWARA	726	38	RAJASTHAN	DHOLPUR	236	217
MP	VIDISHA	689	65	MP	RIWA	242	214
MP	SAGAR	688	165	UP	UNNAO	193	203
MP	HOSHANGABAD	671	138	UP	ETAWAH	181	202
MP	RAJGARH	661	27	HARYANA	REWARI	196	201
MP	BALAGHAT	643	25	UP	FEROZABAD	170	199
MIZORAM	AIZAWL	638	0	HARYANA	BHIWANI	193	195
MP	SARGUJA	605	10	UP	JALAUN	74	195
J&K	RAJOURI	603	8	UP	KHERI	178	188
BIHAR	GUMLA	602	0	HARYANA	SONIPAT	169	188
DELHI UT	NORTH	590	127	UP	AGRA	118	187
RAJASTHAN	BUNDI	572	50	UP	SITAPUR	205	184
MP	BHOPAL	565	63	MAHARASHTRA	DHULE	112	183
MP	NARASINGHPUR	561	77	UP	MATHURA	172	180
MIZORAM	LUNGLEI	557	0	MP	GWALIOR	421	176
MP	CHHINDWARA	554	64	UP	ALIGARH	162	174
MP	RATLAM	552	86	MP	DAMOH	513	170
MP	SHAJAPUR	550	20	HARYANA	JIND	131	169
BIHAR	KISHANGANJ	546	6	DELHI UT	NORTH WEST	406	168
MP	DURG	542	43	UP	FATEHPUR	110	168
MP	DHAR	531	64	MP	SAGAR	688	165
MP	RAJNANDGAON	513	35	UP	BAREILLY	187	164
MP	DAMOH	513	170	MP	BHIND	169	161
MP	DEWAS	513	65	AP	KARIMNAGAR	215	159
MP	SHIVPURI	497	44	MP	INDORE	244	155
MAHARASHTRA	NAGPUR	496	40	HARYANA	KARNAL	422	154
DELHI UT	CENTRAL	487	87	AP	RANGA REDDY	101	147
MP	MANDLA	475	19	UP	BARABANKI	160	144
ASSAM	LAKHIMPUR	470	0	DELHI UT	NORTH EAST	355	143
MAHARASHTRA	GADCHIROLI	454	11	UP	HARDOI	178	141
DELHI UT	SOUTH	452	110	HARYANA	MAHENDRAGARH	139	139
ASSAM	HAILAKANDI	444	12	MP	HOSHANGABAD	671	138
MP	BETUL	435	62	UP	BULANDSHAHAR	137	137
HARYANA	KARNAL	422	154	UP	SHAJAHANPUR	213	133
MP	GWALIOR	421	176	UP	JAUNPUR	36	132
J&K	UDHAMPUR	421	0	UP	BADAUN	191	131
KERALA	WAYANADU	419	27	BIHAR	NALANDA	88	130
MP	CHHATARPUR	416	81	MP	MURAINA	317	128
MAHARASHTRA	AMRAVATI	413	42	MP	SATNA	279	127
MP	JABALPUR	412	125	DELHI UT	NORTH	590	127
MP	DATIYA	411	45	HARYANA	YAMUNANAGAR	148	126
MP	TIKAMGARH	408	85	HARYANA	FARIDABAD	283	126
DELHI UT	NORTH WEST	406	168	MP	JABALPUR	412	125
ASSAM	SIBSAGAR	400	0	UP	PILIBHIT	212	125

 

 

 

Chart 1 above gives a list of worst 25 districts along with other 32 districts where both types of crime rates are high enough to warrant a more concerted action. Chart 2 gives the lists of 50 districts each having highest rates of rape and dowry deaths respectively.

 

The district level scatter graph in chart 5 can be studied with respect to the point (400,134). Districts in which both the crimes are higher than these limits - ie the 1st quadrant districts are only 6, namely Sagar, Damoh, Hoshangabad, Gwalior, north west Delhi, and Karnal. As delineated in curve3,  north Delhi and Raisen can be added to this catagory. Other 17 districts are delineated by curve 4 and yet other 30 by curve 5. Chart 6 gives the lists of these 25 districts each. All of them are from MP 23, UP 13, Delhi 8, Haryana 5, Rajasthan 4, Maharshtra 2, AP 1 and Bihar 1. Thus MP, Delhi, Haryana and Maharashtra are states with high rates in both crimes. Orissa too comes in this catagory though at a lower level.

 

The 2nd quadrant districts with high dowry deaths but relativly low r/r are UP, AP and Punjab.

 

The 4th quadrant districts with higher r/r but lower dowry rates are Mizoram, Himachal, Arunachal, Assam, Bihar, and Rajasthan.

 

Among the 3rd quadrant districts the real lowest ones (200, 67) are from Kerala (-Waynadu), Tamilnadu, Bengal, Gujrat (-Surat city), Karnatak.

 

It is interesting to see the north- east separately. Arunachal, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya (except Jaintia hill district) have no record of dowry deaths. Out of these Manipur and Nagaland have low r/r too; only 3 districts exceeding a rate of 100. In Meghalaya too, all districts have r/r below 150. On the other hand, Mizoram districts have very high rape rates. In Arunachal, East Siang with its highest r/r appears an aberration, though other districts also have high r/r. Tripura with its proximity to Bengal has a non- zero dowry rate and low r/r. Sikkim too has no record of dowry deaths.