Friday, April 13, 2012

Blog 12: Delhi Chief Minister blames rise in Rapes on Migrants


On Thursday, the Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit commented on the increasing number of rapes in the city, going as far as to blame it on those who migrate to the city from other Indian provinces. In her statements, she provides no hard evidence linking these migrants to the rise in violence against women, but instead offers a loose idea of how the crimes occur. She suggests that these migrants come into the city and partake in criminal activity and then leave before they can be caught. She blames this method on a “porous” border. It seems as if this may become a rallying point for cracking down on inter-provincial migration, backed by the idea that more migrants will mean more rape. As would be expected, many migrants and spokespersons responded to CM Dikshit in disgust and anger, calling her view elitist.
To my knowledge, India is an independent country now, and its states and provinces are all a part of that country. So why is it that the Chief Minister speaks of migration into the city as if it is NOT supposed to be happening? In a free country, you would think someone would have the right to live in whatever province or city they would like. I also find it convenient that even though crime is said to be decreasing in Delhi, every rape that occurs seems like, in Dikshit’s words, “100’s”. This association between rape and migrants will be causing even more tensions within the city, aside from lack of jobs that was already a major issue.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sheila-dikshit-rising-rape-in-delhi-migratory-population/1/184091.html

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