Crime and punishment stay constant in an ever-changing world

There is a Hindi song from the fifties, Dekh teri sansar ki halath kya ho gayi bhagwan! Meaning, O Lord, look at the condition of your world! How much have humans changed, nothing in the galaxy has changed.

My friend and I were in a tea shop listening to this song from a radio during our college days. He looked at me and said, "Humans have not changed." I didn't give much thought to it, but now, I realise, what he said was true.

Handwritten notes to voice-converted text documents, snail mails to emails, gramophones to mobile phones, camera films to digital photography and drones, instant communication and global reach, war modes from primitive arms to sophisticated nuclear to biological weapons, manual to automation to artificial intelligence - every change has taken the civilisation to a whole new level.

Human emotions have not changed. Crimes in society have not changed. They existed from time immemorial and will continue until the end of humanity. The crimes and reasons have not changed. There are constant efforts in social science researches with policies, programs, preaches and lectures trying to make society crime-free, but the criminals don't care.

We are living with crime and punishment. Criminal laws are clearly spelt out, punishments ranging from imprisonment to death are given. But influences and money help the guilty to go scot-free.

An acquaintance, a lady, CEO of a company, told me on the subject of the safety of women in our country: "Safety is a chance. I've been assaulted, once in a foreign country and another time here in India. On both occasions, I have fought and sent them to jail myself. To be victimised has been a traumatic experience. Mind you, those guys were educated, you cannot blame lack of education. There are a lot of risks in life, women should be taught to fight. If you can prevent, well and good. If a crime happens, don't get bogged down, don’t feel ashamed, don't worry about society. Fight them, report, act."

Today the lawlessness looks more prominent. There are two reasons. One, the population has multiplied. Second, the information reaches across the globe within seconds, unlike the past where it may not even go beyond the scene of action. The tussle between Dharma and Adharma, the good and the evil, will continue.