The Cycle of Impunity

My close ones often say I’m an over-thinker — an idealist who thinks too much and expects too much from the world. They say it harms no one but me. And I agree. I am both an idealist and an over-thinker, but far from perfect.

That’s why, in my fair thinking, I will continue to question and analyse everything that happens around me — to reflect on what happens and why.

But one thing I’ve decided to change immediately in myself is this: expecting the world to change. Because that, I’ve realised, is the truest form of self-destruction — waiting for the world to correct itself instead of learning to navigate it with awareness.

When I think about why people call me an over-thinker, I realise it’s usually when I question things they don’t expect me to, or when I refuse to conform to societal norms — as one is apparently supposed to.

But one fine day, while traveling with my best friend, our conversation took a deeper turn. We started discussing the state of women in our society — and what could possibly be the reason for it. Are we, as a society, failing to serve justice to women who have been wronged?

⚖️ When Justice Fails

Year 2020: The Guwahati High Court ruled that a married Hindu woman’s refusal to wear traditional sindoor and bangles signified her rejection of the marriage, stating:

“Compelling the husband to continue to be in matrimony with the wife may be construed to be harassment.”

A judgment that reduced a woman’s marital commitment to mere symbols worn on her body.

We, the so-called progressive citizens of the 21st century, would call this ruling discriminatory and unjust. Yet, it’s a small glimpse of how our judiciary continues to fail women.

Consider this:

“The Supreme Court reversed the verdict of a High Court that sentenced three men for gang rape in 2016. The court stated that the victim’s behavior was ‘not at all consistent with those of an unwilling, terrified and anguished victim of forcible intercourse if judged by normal human conduct.’ Because the victim stayed to collect evidence instead of rushing home in a devastated state, the court concluded that she wasn’t seeking justice — but revenge.”

Normal human conduct? Revenge? 

Words that make you numb and angry at the same time.

🕳️ The Empathy Gap

The judiciary — the very foundation of a democratic society — is created by humans for humans. But have we ever asked: how many women were involved in making those laws? Or even today, in enforcing them?

Of the 389 members of the Constituent Assembly, only 15 were women. Only around 14% of High Court judges are women. In the Supreme Court, historically, that number is barely 4%.

These are the people who have shaped — and continue to shape — the very fundamentals and future of justice in our country.

Given this imbalance, how can a system dominated by one gender truly understand and adjudicate the gender-specific experiences, biases, and harms faced by the other?

Psychology has a name for this — the Empathy Gap. Justice often fails those who need it most because those delivering it have never felt the same pain.

🔍 The Root Cause

But there’s something deeper. Whenever I question such systems, I hear the same familiar lines:

• “But this is how we’ve always lived.”

• “This is not our culture.”

• “You don’t understand — there’s a way society works.”

• “But what will the relatives say?”

• “Why fight everything? Don’t be such a rebel.”

• “Are we stupid for following tradition?”

• "Why are you so troubled? you have it much better than what we went through"

  
  

If we zoom out — even for a few minutes — from the small pond we call society, we might realise something uncomfortable: 

WE ARE THE ROOT CAUSE

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐

Individuals → Groups → Societies

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If we examine our daily lives, we’ll see countless examples of unfair social norms so deeply rooted in people’s minds that they’ve hardened into culture — unshakable rituals that, when questioned, label you a rebel or a difficult person to live with.

• We’ve all lived through those moments — when we’re reminded that “a man is the provider” and a woman’s duty is to “take care of the family,” no matter how hard she’s worked to build her own life

• When washing utensils is seen as “not a man’s job”

• When household chores are considered beneath men but expected of women

• When a woman’s marital status must be marked — turning Miss into Mrs. — while men remain Mr. unchanged

• When a son-in-law is respectfully addressed as “Aap” and with a “Ji” suffix both signs of deep respect in Hindi language, but a daughter-in-law is called simply by name — and “Tu” a form reserved for those younger or inferior, implying affection perhaps, but deliberately withholding the respect automatically granted to the son-in-law

• When boys are told not to cry, even at their mother’s passing, because emotion is weakness. While a woman who doesn’t cry even at a distant relative’s funeral is called cold and unfeminine.

  
  

These everyday acts are reflections of how our society has been shaped — and how questioning them is seen as rebellion rather than reason.

🔄 The Patriarchy Loop

From childhood, boys are taught — explicitly or subtly — that men are dominant and women must conform. This conditioning normalises Control, Objectification, and Entitlement over women’s bodies, lives, and choices.

While crimes against women’s bodies and lives are slowly starting to be taken seriously, there’s still a long way to go. Women’s choices on the other hand — their right to wear what they want, say what they feel, and live how they choose — remain governed by culture and controlled by patriarchal beliefs.

The judiciary, in this sense, often becomes an enabler of injustice rather than its corrector. The root cause lies in the patriarchal mindset that glorifies “honor” and blames victims. The justice system then reinforces it — through delayed trials, insensitive handling by police and courts, and low conviction rates — sending a dangerous message that perpetrators can get away with it.

This creates a vicious cycle

⚖️ Patriarchy shapes the justice system    

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🧠 Biases shape judgments         

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💔 Injustice reinforces patriarchy        

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        🔄

🦋 Choose Better

As a society — as individuals, as current or future parents who wish the best for our children — we must pause and reflect.

Are we, knowingly or unknowingly, becoming part of this flawed system? 

Are we silently perpetuating what we claim to fight against?

Maybe it’s time we all choose better