We Are All Complicit in the Acts We Condemn

The recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata is a tragedy that has yet again shaken many of us to the core. It’s the kind of news that makes you want to look away, but you can't. Like everyone else, I, too, have been following the news stories.

“…the state should proactively take steps to prevent rapes, making the punishment a deterrent.” This is how an article in The Hindu concluded its take on the incident. (Read More)

Another piece from The Telegraph declared, "This was an avoidable tragedy for which hospital authorities and the police are both culpable."(Read More)

And so many more news pieces, some blaming the government and police, some blaming the accused, and some still going so far as to blame even the victim for this ghastly act.

Yes, the government must act, and the police should be accountable, but is that enough? We often forget that we are a society—and each one of us plays a role in shaping it. Are we not then responsible for contributing to a world where such violent crimes happen?

It’s not just about patriarchy or sexual perversity, although that plays a role. It is also about the anger that comes from deep class divides and the constant ‘othering’ of people different from us. Every time we dismiss someone because they don’t fit into our idea of what is acceptable, every time we judge someone for what they have or don’t have, every time we turn a blind eye to someone’s sufferings or ignore their existence, we are adding to the problem.

We are the ones who perpetuate these systems of inequality and injustice. There are lavish and opulent weddings on one hand and people struggling to survive on the other. We treat people with low incomes as invisible, without identity or value.

When a crime like this happens, our first reaction is often to demand the harshest punishment. But does that solve the problem? The truth is, nobody is born a criminal. These acts of violence are symptoms of a much deeper issue—a society sick with inequality, injustice, and division.

Is it any wonder, then, that anger builds up, boiling over in such horrific ways?

We need to turn the mirror on ourselves and ask not just what society has become but how we have contributed to it. Protests are important, but they are not enough. We must ask the hard questions: What have I done to contribute to this? How have I, perhaps unintentionally, supported a society where such acts of violence can occur?

This isn’t just a problem for the government to solve; it’s our problem. It’s about realising that every action we take, every word we speak, and every choice we make contributes to the world we live in. And if we want that world to be better, we have to start by being better ourselves.

Kindness, compassion, consideration—these are not just nice ideas. They are essential. We need to bring them back into our interactions with others. Only then can we hope to create a society where such tragedies are not just punished but prevented.

So, who committed the heinous act of rape? The truth is, we all did. And yes, it sounds harsh, but sometimes the truth must be.