Indian PM calls recent rapes 'source of shame'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned a spate of rapes as a source of shame for India and urged an end to communal violence on Friday as he vowed to improve the lives of the nation's poor in his first Independence Day speech.

In one of the most eye-catching passages of a 45-minute speech, Modi said levels of rape had shamed India, and he urged parents to take responsibility for the behavior of their sons rather than put the onus on their daughters.

"When we hear about these rapes, our heads hang in shame, "Modi said.

"The law will take its own course, but as a society, every parent has a responsibility to teach their sons the difference between right and wrong."

Anger over sexual violence has been rising in the past two years, fueled by a series of high-profile assaults, including the fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in December 2012.

The victim's father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, welcomed Modi's comments.

"No one says a thing to boys who commit atrocities against women, but they are quick to say the mistake must be the girl's. Modi has sent out a very good message, "he said.

There was also widespread outrage in May, when two teenagers were found hanging from a tree after being gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh.

The girls, aged 14 and 15, were attacked while going to the toilet in fields after dark as - like hundreds of millions of Indians - they did not have a toilet in their own home.

"We are in the 21st century, and yet there is still no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for darkness to fall. Can you imagine the number of problems they have to face because of this? "Modi told the assembled VIPs.

Modi said India should strive to ensure that every household has a toilet within the next four years and pledged to ensure that all schools have separate toilet facilities for girls and boys.

The prime minister also called for a change in mindset in a country where a boy baby is still sometimes seen as more of a blessing than a girl - particularly in rural areas.

Despite laws banning parents from finding out the sex of their unborn child, Modi said only 940 girls are born for every 1,000 boys.

"Who is responsible for this imbalance in our society? I urge the doctors and mothers not to sacrifice their daughters for sons, "he said.

In his speech, Modi said communal violence has been "stalling the growth of the nation" and has gone on far "too long".

The initial reactions to his speech were largely positive. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior figure in the former ruling Congress party, praised "an inclusive, harmonious" speech, while Yogendra Yadav of the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi party lauded Modi for speaking "spontaneously and with some conviction".

(China Daily 08/16/2014 page11)