It was New Year, a day when political leaders would extend greetings wishing people prosperity and happiness. But 2013 was different. Just a fortnight earlier, the country was shaken by the ‘Nirbhaya’ case in which a 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gang-raped on a bus in the national capital, New Delhi. The young woman was air-lifted to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for treatment after which she died on December 29, 2012.
Amid a surcharged atmosphere and widespread outrage, the political climate was not ideal to usher in the New Year with greetings. So, on that day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa chose to respond appropriately to the political situation. She unveiled a 13-point action plan for curbing sexual offences against women. She called for amending central criminal laws to provide stringent provisions to deal with sexual offenders.
Jayalalithaa proposes death, chemical castration for rapists
One proposal stood out. “The Centre would be requested to bring in amendments to introduce death penalty and chemical castration for sexual offenders and prevent them from getting bail till the trial is completed,” Jayalalithaa declared.
This had immediately become a subject matter of discussion nationwide. The National Commission for Women (NCW) welcomed her views seeking amendment of laws dealing with crime against women. “It is a very good decision. She has asked for harsher punishment for the accused and has also said that steps will be taken to amend the Goondas Act,” NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma had told the news agency, PTI, the same day.
