Indians should reset their moral compass to prevent crimes against women which are projecting a distorted image of India, President Pranab Mukherjee has said in the backdrop of gang-rapes in Delhi and Mumbai which have outraged the nation.
"One point has to be kept in mind. Some of these (violence against women) events are really disturbing as the incident in December of the last year. Many times I have described that it shook the national conscience. It was an incident affecting an individual or a couple of individuals, but it shook the conscience of the nation. Thereafter there has been a series of debates and discussions.
"But this media exposure to a considerable extent is because of the fact that Indian women are normally shy, especially the rural...Earlier they did not report it. But nowadays these are being adequately reported. In one way it is good."
"Though for the time being it is projecting a distorted image of India, but at the same time we cannot ignore the ground reality. If it happens, it will have to be addressed and it will have to be recognised that it has happened," the President said in an interview to Euronews.
Mukherjee, who is Brussels on a four-day state visit, stressed that making aware the people, especially men, about women's issues is very important.
"That is absolutely needed-awareness-building, education, creating consensus. That is why...I have asked my countrymen to reset our moral compass because India is always known for respect for women. We deify them. Our important deities are women," he said when he was asked if men need to be re-educated about issues related to women.
He said the gap between the rural and urban women is being covered fastly.
