In-laws, Outlaws and the Rule of Law
--Leena
Mehendale
( The author is Jt Sec to GoI working with National
Commission for Women. This article is a
part of her private study.)
Abstract: This
paper presents spatial analysis of two most heinous crimes against women
namely, rape and dowry deaths across the country. Such a study has not been
attempted so far. The NCRB data for 1995-96-97 at a district disaggregated
level is taken as the basis. An agenda for policy planners, and social
activists emerges, as the study brings out a striking finding.
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.
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 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 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 5th 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.
