DMK leader M. Karunanidhi on Saturday asked the Centre to consider his proposal to introduce solitary life imprisonment as maximum punishment for rape convicts, as the State government has refused to consider it.
In a statement here, he said though leaders of various political parties had favoured death sentence for rapists, he alone favoured solitary confinement for life as appropriate punishment.
“I wanted the State government and the Centre to take firm steps to implement my suggestion. Like many social activists and thinkers, I am not in favour of capital punishment,” he said.
Referring to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s proposal to detain rape suspects under the Goondas Act, he argued that the detention under that law was only for a year.
“There is no guarantee that they will not commit similar crimes after release,” he said.
Mr. Karunanidhi also said the Goondas Act had been misused in the State against to settle scores with political opponents.
Mr. Karunanidhi claimed that in Tamil Nadu, the only action that was taken against sexual offences was filing a case for namesake in a police station.
“When a 13-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Tuticorin district, the government woke up to the incident only after the DMK released financial assistance to the family and party MP Kanimozhi called on the girl’s mother,” he said.
Demanding adequate relief to the families of rape victims, Mr Karunanidhi alleged that instead of taking such measures the government had announced a 13-point programme.
“These steps will only generate statements welcoming the plan, but will not ensure help for the victims and their families,” he said.
“The government should ensure that the 13-point action plan would not remain on paper and really prevent the crime and provide relief to the victims,” he added.
“Like many social activists and thinkers, I am not in favour of capital punishment”
Solitary confinement is harsher than the death.
A private room with attached bathroom, a cot, table and chair, and three guaranteed meals a day (chicken biriyani, pulav etc) for life!!! How many ordinary Indians can hope for that?
Confinement at the cost of tax payers? Any anti-social element that
commits high crimes (such as rape, murder etc) are unfit to live in a
society of decent people. The pain endured by the Delhi rape victim is
unfathomable by anyone other than her own family. India, as a country
should take a stance to assure protection to Women. This can be
achieved only be making punishments severe. If solitary confinement is
imposed; after few days/weeks, some criminal with political connection
would come out free. This would not work in India. By having those
criminals, more tax payer money would be wasted by feeding them for
life, providing medical services etc. As such they are criminals why
waste more honest citizen's hard earned dollar on those criminals.
If the society becomes more and more refined, the hitherto considered
smaller crimes will become bigger crimes. On the other hand if the
society is moving towards degradation the biggest crimes will not be
considered as crime at all. The choice is yours, dear leaders.
All criminals including rapists and murderers should be sent to hard labour and solitary confinement for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes one wonders whether we are still in the middle ages!
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