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Wake up before it is too late

Tackling the growth of crime in a fast developing society is a complex and difficult proposition. To herald a peaceful social existence in such a society, one must destroy the very roots of crime and not be contented trimming foliage. There are three major reasons for the rising crime that need immediate attention:

Firstly, the politician-criminal-bureaucrat nexus has grown into a gangrenous disease, eating into the very socio-economic texture of society. With more people with dubious and criminal background entering politics, notwithstanding the Election Commission’s efforts and assurances, it has become ever more difficult to root out this menace from the system. The government should take immediate steps to purify the legislative bodies.

Secondly, the inordinately slow process of our judiciary has turned out to be an encouragement to the criminals, particularly those with political backing. The decade-long cases against political heavyweights like Laloo Prasad Yadav, Jayalalithaa and Mulayam Singh Yadav (not to mention Pappu Yadav and Arun Gawli), which are still undecided, make people lose all hope of political cleansing.

Thirdly, the growing public indifference to the rising crime has shaken the very base of Indian political structure. The evils of globalisation has isolated people form each other, giving rise to an individualistic attitude that makes everyone become impassive to all matters that don’t involve him/her. People fail to realise that their indifference will only perpetrate the evil. It’s time for the people to wake up before it’s too late.

If the government sincerely wants to contain the rising crime rate in the country, it should first amend the existing laws to bar the entry of charge-sheeted persons into politics. The right to vote should be limited to people with a minimum educational qualification, e.g., graduates, who at least understand the basics of governance.

Police personnel should be adequately compensated for their services rendered to society. Their salaries should be revised at regular intervals to break the unholy nexus between them and criminals.

The judiciary should also ensure speedy justice. Revamping the education system and making it accessible to one and all would go a long way in tackling crime in our society. Generating more avenues of employment will also help in combating the menace.

Most importantly, checking crime is a matter of self-sensitisation. Parents should play an important role in inculcating moral values in their children. A sense of responsibility should be instilled in the child at an early age. Once that is done, there is no need to worry about him straying towards crime.

The following steps should be taken to curb the rising crime rate in the country: First, bar the entry of criminals into politics by enacting stringent laws. Checking unemployment is the next step. Introducing moral education in schools is also a positive step. Conducting special short-term reform programmes in jails that include yoga, exercise, and personality development etc. have shown good results in bringing down crime.

Instituting special reform cells to look into the grievances of the criminals and to find the roots of their criminal instincts will work out a possible solution. Offering jobs or special loans to those who are not hardened criminals but driven by circumstances will ensure that they are rehabilitated in society.

As the majority of the crimes committed are against women, it is important to raise their living standard and to make them self-sufficient. Laws should be made more lenient for first-time offenders, so that each criminal is judged according to the level of his crime.

The graph of crime in the country is on an upward trend because of the lengthy legal procedures that take decades to mete out punishment to offenders.

As a result, several criminals, particularly those with political backing, go scot-free while several innocent individuals languish in custody for years as undertrials.

Thus, the only way to tackle crime in the country is to strengthen the judiciary and make the processing of cases simpler. Exemplary punishment should be given to criminals so that others may not dare to follow their path in future.

The violent scenes in films and tele-serials are believed to be one of the main inspirations for the alarming rise in the crime rate in the country. Violence in films has a strong international market. It is easy to produce and definitely attracts large audiences. Many minors commit heinous crimes like rape and murder by getting hints from these violent scenes.

The government should introduce strict control over the scripts of films and TV programmes to protect the naive and vulnerable minds. According to a recent report, a local observation home wasn’t serving as a reformation centre for the juvenile offenders, but as a breeding ground for criminals. Some provisions should be made to segregate hardcore criminals from petty criminals.

Criminals should be treated like human beings and be motivated to become honest and responsible citizens of the country. They should be inspired to live a good life and be provided with ample employment opportunities to start a life afresh, a life of respect and acceptance; rather than a life where they are looked down upon even after serving their terms in prison.

Inculcating good moral values in children can also reduce the rising crime. Some children take to crime because of continuous neglect, hatred, inferiority complex, child abuse, etc. In such cases, parents should try to help them get over this depression, by providing them with psychotherapy at the right time.

While talking about crime in contemporary India, it is important to notice the detrimental role being played by films in society. Ever since the 1970s, there has been a thriving genre of Hindi as well as regional languages films that contained crime and excessive violence.

The "Angry Young Man" films starring Amitabh Bachchan showed how society created criminals out of perfectly upright and honest individuals, but since the late 1980s, there have been a different kind of films that revolved solely around violence and crime, showing rape, political murder, etc. in their most vile form, with generous doses of blood and gore.

Since some of the most popular stars are chosen to play the roles of high-profile criminals in such films, the youth cannot be blamed for thinking that it is fashionable to tease women on the roads, or join the gang of the local political leaders who take to crime. This is not to say that films should only tell moral fables, but a little less violence in our films will go a long way in curbing criminal instincts among our young people.

The rise in crime is engulfing the country like a serpent. Providing employment to the youth can lower the crime rate. An idle mind is Devil’s workshop. Unemployment leaves them entrapped in the quagmire of poverty and frustration, which is the basic cause of the rise in crime. Job should be given to at least one member of each family, so as to reduce economic worries of most people.

The government should create jobs for at least the degree holders, so that they do not feel like the dregs in society. In order to curb unemployment, population explosion should be brought under control.

Besides, cinema and television are becoming a source of inspiration for criminals. Young people try to imitate the reel life criminals in their real life either out of curiosity or for fun. For committing every type of crime, they get a hint from the media. Tele-serials and movies of this sort should be strictly banned. Firm steps at the earliest can tackle the rising crime.

The ever-increasing unemployment is the root cause of all crime-related problems. When a person is unable to get a job and feed his family, he is left with no choice but to take to crime. Until this problem is tackled by creating substantial employment opportunities, one can’t expect development and economic growth of the country as well as a sharp decline in crime. When the mind of a person is absorbed in work, there are lesser chances of loitering around and carrying out unlawful activities. Moreover, moral values must be inculcated in the childhood. Children doing honest deeds should be awarded suitably to nip the evil in the bud. But before doing this, we will have to be honest with ourselves and set a precedent for the coming generation. After all, it is all about making the world a better place to live in.

Crime is a poisonous bug paralysing the vital organs of the nation. To curb crime, it is the ultimate responsibility of the general public to remain vigilant. Moreover, the media should also expose various criminal activities to make people more aware and vigilant. The police should deploy more of its personnel in markets, schools and colleges for better patrolling. It is the ultimate responsibility of everyone not to let the criminals escape and to help the authorities catch them.

First, trace out the basic causes that give birth to crime and swell the number of people indulging in it. It will help in dealing with illiteracy, unemployment, frustration, lust for power, etc., the main causes that trigger the crime rate in the country. The range of crime has stretched beyond anyone’s imagination. All government departments are plagued by corruption, and it is very difficult to get government jobs without paying bribery. The crime against women is rising at a scary rate. Dowry killings no longer shock people. What can one expect when tainted persons are allowed to contest and rule the masses!

We are not leaving behind good traditions for our children. These acts will only create an angry and frustrated generation. So, we should be ready to take radical steps to overhaul the system. One must not lose hope because today’s youth are a well-educated lot who understand their responsibility. We should first try to change the indifferent attitude of people and then take initiative.

Crime is committed due to three main reasons—zar, zoru and zamin (money, woman and land). However, in India, where more than half of the population still lives below the poverty line, one will get tired of counting the reasons for the rising crime rate. Empty stomach compels a person to take to crime. And social and economic maladies like poverty, illiteracy and unemployment only add fuel to it. Even after 58 years of Independence, all governments have failed to improve the condition of the downtrodden. Politicians and bureaucrats at the helms are eating into country’s economy. It is the fundamental duty of the government to provide roti, kapda aur makaan to every citizen. In fact, it is still unable to provide clean drinking water to the whole of India. The crime graph would come down automatically after fulfilling basic requirements of the poor..

The conduct of the police is another reason that enhances crime. The way they traumatise even innocent people produce anti-social elements. It is high time the police should change its attitude.

The slow-moving judiciary should be shaken up so that it can function more effectively. There should be no vacant post in any court of law. These steps, if taken with sincerity, would definitely bring down the crime rate.

The basic reason behind the rising crime is that the state agencies like the police, CID and vigilance don’t have the much-needed infrastructure to implement the modern techniques to curb crime.

You can’t expect the situation to change overnight, especially in a country like ours where "all criminals are politicians but all politicians are not criminals".

Only people with a clean background should be allowed to contest elections. Judiciary should execute its social responsibility without any bias while dealing with criminals. Three galloping horses of money power, political power and caste power should be discouraged at any cost to curb the rising crime.

The problem of drug abuse should be taken more seriously. Every citizen should know his/her responsibilities towards making India an evil-free country.

Total crime control has to come from within and not outside. Above all, an individual awakening by upgrading our education system and providing moral education is must to tackle the rising crime in the country.

To deal with the rising crime, the law and its enforcing authorities should be made more stern and inflexible without allowing any discrimination between the rich and the poor. Criminals having political backing should be dealt with an iron hand while persons with dubious background should be debarred from politics.

Most of the police officers have become mere puppets in the hands of criminals, mafia dons and rich businessmen, which is not a healthy sign. The police should take corrective measures to improve its tainted image. The media should expose criminal acts fearlessly without giving in to any undue pressure.

The people should be more vigilant and conscious while electing their leaders. Unemployment and poverty lead to crime. So, the government should take concrete steps to create more employment opportunities.

In a civilized country, the common men should feel secure at public places and their homes. But in India, the criminals strike just as you see in Bollywood flicks, with the cops always turning up late. The image of the police has worsened so much over the years that even respected citizens are afraid of helping victims. It is not easy to get an FIR registered without greasing the palm of corrupt officers.