Juvenile...Even Years After He's Fertile?

The juvenile laws in india are under scrutiny. Finally. Long overdue, wasn't it? The dictionary defines juvenile as 'not fully grown or developed' or 'someone who hasn't reached sexual maturity'. By any stretch of imagination, would you say that an 16-17 year old in today's times fits this definition? Don't bother to answer that question, it's rhetorical. 

For God's sake, the boy is capable of producing millions of sperms on a daily basis around the age of 13! So basically he attains manhood much before the law thinks he's become an adult. And many of these boys, with unrestricted access to the Internet, do and explore as much, if not more, than an 18 year old. You know what I mean.

Why has the system taken notice of it now, after so so many years, you ask? Cos the deeds or rather the crimes, that these so called juveniles have committed have forced the legal system to do so. The cases in point being Nirbhaya case, the Shakti Mills rape case, or the very recent Punjab case of mob attack  on a man who couldn't repay his debt.

A boy who is capable of taking such decisions, where he is knowingly causing harm to another human being, would you punish him any lesser on grounds of immaturity if you were the judge? I know I wouldn't. The boy in the Punjab case is funnily 17 years 8 or 9 months of age and has pleaded for being excused! Bullshit! So if we were to follow the current law, he'd be punished if he'd commit the same crime in another 4 months, but thanks to his mother who so accurately timed his birth, his ass is saved. Simply not done. The juvenile in Nirbhaya case had escaped too on the same grounds, with a mere 3 years in the reformation home. He must've laughed his heart out. It was high time the law be revised and an example be set for all those young guns, who are ready to take a shot at the very first opportunity. 

Even as I write this, I stand corrected. Apparently, some child rights activists have opposed any proposed amendments to the law, and so Mr Modi has stalled the discussion on the point for now. Would someone please tell these activists, the boys you are protecting are NOT children? Especially so in today's world. Would these activists stick to their stand, if a near one suffered at the hands of such a 'child'? Wake up, there needs to be a deterrent in place, and there would be no better time than NOW.

Joyous Update:

I happened to write this article just a day before the Parliament actually approved amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act. Now juveniles will actually be tried as adults, on a case-to-case basis. Kudos to the Government for this. I take my words back, merrily.