Ref: Delhi rape case, judgment of 31st August.
Okay, 3 years imprisonment for a 17 year old guy. Let the emphasis be made.
1. Constitution and law, as written and not amended to date, would like to consider an 18 as an adult. This is not the first time we have seen it. Kids of about 15 years age drive bikes today. Every second matriculate has a Facebook account, and more than 40% of phones bought today are by people younger than 18. This is no less than a clear indication that the age of juvenile amateurism has fallen down to less than 18 years. I understand that it is hard to change the law for such a limit, but a 17 year old being brutal should be an exception, “brutality” being the consideration, neither the rape nor the murder.
2. This has not been new to us. We hear of 12th pass-outs being hit by a drunken truck driver. The police rule the case out stating that a minor was driving the vehicle. We see a case of a 16 year old teasing a fellow girl in his school, the police continue stating he was juvenile and action cannot be taken up. Mobs of under-18 protest (recently, citing Telangana issue) and violence follows. The accused are bailed and don’t even afford to stay the night, thanks to their juvenile mindset. So we have a youth who understand everything and even make the best out of their childishness, seemingly.
3. We today, witness a generation where a 20-year old knows hardly anything less than a 50-year old. I refer to knowledge, and not understanding. This acceleration of acquiring knowledge has gone up, high up, thanks to the prevalent globalization. Evidently, I am not against the effects of it. Rather, I would like to make it clear that the generations to come, a child 15 year old may be as brainy as a 30 year old. Hence, the necessity to reduce the age for such a limit has come.
In short, I assume I am able to state a reason why the age of a juvenile limit has to go down. This be made clear, the process is huge, and the consequences inevitable. However, noting this change and training the children of the future accordingly is necessary. It would be delightful if the government studies the fields where the age limit has to be reduced and acts accordingly.
1. Constitution and law, as written and not amended to date, would like to consider an 18 as an adult. This is not the first time we have seen it. Kids of about 15 years age drive bikes today. Every second matriculate has a Facebook account, and more than 40% of phones bought today are by people younger than 18. This is no less than a clear indication that the age of juvenile amateurism has fallen down to less than 18 years. I understand that it is hard to change the law for such a limit, but a 17 year old being brutal should be an exception, “brutality” being the consideration, neither the rape nor the murder.
2. This has not been new to us. We hear of 12th pass-outs being hit by a drunken truck driver. The police rule the case out stating that a minor was driving the vehicle. We see a case of a 16 year old teasing a fellow girl in his school, the police continue stating he was juvenile and action cannot be taken up. Mobs of under-18 protest (recently, citing Telangana issue) and violence follows. The accused are bailed and don’t even afford to stay the night, thanks to their juvenile mindset. So we have a youth who understand everything and even make the best out of their childishness, seemingly.
3. We today, witness a generation where a 20-year old knows hardly anything less than a 50-year old. I refer to knowledge, and not understanding. This acceleration of acquiring knowledge has gone up, high up, thanks to the prevalent globalization. Evidently, I am not against the effects of it. Rather, I would like to make it clear that the generations to come, a child 15 year old may be as brainy as a 30 year old. Hence, the necessity to reduce the age for such a limit has come.
In short, I assume I am able to state a reason why the age of a juvenile limit has to go down. This be made clear, the process is huge, and the consequences inevitable. However, noting this change and training the children of the future accordingly is necessary. It would be delightful if the government studies the fields where the age limit has to be reduced and acts accordingly.