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Is the current Delhi and central governments entirely to blame for the gruesome gangrape in the Capital in November and is the spurt in violence which came as a backlash and took the life of a police constable justified?

Immediately after the rape incident, the Delhi police had beefed up security for women, and this could make them feel safe for a while (temporarily).

The crowd in Delhi went berserk after the incident, and even after killing the cop, the people were yet to calm down. The police had to step in and use teargas shells to calm the public.

This backlash also had its positive effects. It prompted the government to act fast and put in place law and order.

Also, with election year nearing, the government may put in place a law that will be harsher for rapists and even nail juvenile rapists (The most brutal rapist in the Delhi gangrape was a juvenile).

So, are these going to tame the rape incidents, which seem to have gone up manifold across the country, especially after the Delhi incident?

Well, temporarily it might come down in the wake of the police stepping up security but the root of the problem lies in certain factors like our upbringing, the level of education and monetary status.

More importantly, Bollywood and films in Tamil, Bengali and other languages, which showcase “how to do crime in style” are a big inspiration for criminals. This is perhaps the biggest influence for anti-socials.

Talking of the former (upbringing), we notice that most of us (a conservative estimate would be at least 70 per cent) are brought up in a way that portray women as playing second fiddle to men.

They are supposed to do household work while the men relax and order them around. Most girls are still seen as a burden at home and are always given less priority than their brothers.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit sums it up well, “Why is a girl given half a glass of milk and a boy a full glass. The problem starts from there.”

Now, talking about the dismal state of education in our country, we know that low education levels pave way for superstition and belief in traditional institutions like the Khaps of Haryana (kangaroo courts) which have a strange set of beliefs such as giving rapists a light punishment and many others which are vehemently against women.

Another important factor is a deadly combination – lack of monetary security and influence from Bollywood films (especially the violence shown in films).

People want to replicate their heroes such as Salman Khan but don’t have the means (money) to do so.

So, they are easily weaned away into the world of crime. And, the action and rape scenes add to their violent behavior, especially against women.

Therefore, lack of education and monetary insecurity, our mindset and influence from Bollywood films are bigger factors even though the government could play a major role by bringing in stringent legislation and stepping up policing in cities, especially at night to tame rapes.