Heinous cases of rapes and other crimes against women are taking place in our country with so much frequency that one is forced to think that something is basically wrong with our morals. We are forced to ask if there is an end to these sordid and shameful happenings or are we moving headlong towards an abyss of immorality and debauchery.
There is a general lack of sense of responsibility which is on the increase because of blind race of materialism bereft of immorality. Our films, TV programmes and pornographic depictions in newspapers and magazines are playing havoc with the public morals. Capitalism is out to create a heightened sexuality in the minds of unsatisfied youths, both male and female.
A survey of sex habits of Indian youths, in six states of India which count for about one third population of the country, was conducted by the Ministry of Health. Its report, based on answers of 51,000 respondents, was tabled in Parliament in February 2010. It made a shocking and disturbing revelation that 15 per cent of young men and 5 per cent of women surveyed admitted to having premarital sex. More shocking is the revelation that there is greater indulgence in illicit sex in rural areas than in urban areas and that girls are not at all lagging in this dirty race.
God has given human beings the basic instinct of sex to be a source for rearing family and building civilization. Unfortunately, it is being used rather abused to strike at the very roots of civilization.
We cannot fight these horrible trends unless we counter the prevalent notion that two consenting adults can indulge in any sexual activity. Sex with responsibility, sex within the four walls of marriage, for building family and society should be the basic mantra we need to adopt.
Consider in this context the move by the Union Government to bring down the age of consent from 18 to 16 years. How ironic that a young man can marry legally only at 21 and a young girl only at 18, but they are free to indulge in illicit and immoral sex at 16. Is it not a travesty of moral principles and an open licence for sexual depravation? Add to it the moves to legalise homosexuality and live-in relationships. This is the perfect recipe for total moral destruction and annihilation of all good things we and our civilization stand for.