Suggestions To End Cruel Punishment On Women & Girls
Ayathuray Rajasingam
Today parents are concerned whether the freedom of movement of women & girls has become a burning issue. They have been the target of cruel punishment and torture. The recent rape and murder of Vidya from Pungudutivu sends the message that revenge is the emotion of anger coupled with the desire for destruction, in addition to many similar incidents earlier. Such heinous crimes are committed not only by barbaric citizens but also by the armed security forces and politicians, in spite of the celebration of International Women’s Day as well as the Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. What is astonishing is that women and girls are gang raped as punishment for men’s crimes in some countries. Such a brutal form of violence perpetrated on women and girls, which is considered as a kind of wild justice to suppress their basic freedoms, has to be condemned by all civilized societies.
As against cruel punishment and torture there is a concept called loving-kindness promoted by Lord Buddha. Forgiveness is a quality in a human being which distinguishes a human being from an animal. Forgiveness is the essence of life. In Christianity, Jesus speaks of Christians forgiving or showing mercy towards others. Similarly, in Buddhism forgiveness is seen as a practice to prevent harmful thoughts and recognizes that feelings of ill-will leave a lasting effect on our mind. Likewise a number of Hindu Saints had preached at intermittent periods that practising forgiveness is the biggest boon to mankind from God. Lord Krishna states that forgiveness is one of the characteristics of one born for a divine state. Leading personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dalai Lama, etc have practised forgiveness to its extreme in their life. Practising to forgive will pave way to rise to a higher bracket in one’s life, than executing in a barbarous way.
Cruelty involves violence at the expense of the suffering of humans and even animals, where the offender enjoys pleasure in inflicting harm. Violence originates from the disrespect for love and compassion. In general, all religions discourage violence and promote love and compassion, though there were religious wars earlier. Though cruelty involves violence, sometimes violence need not be an essential element. Helpless persons are allowed to suffer when mighty persons remain doing nothing with disinterest especially in a country after an aggrieved community is defeated militarily after an uprising. The failure to realize the natural function of loving-kindness contributes to the existing situation.Read More
