India has been trying to better its record at empowering women by providing, among other measures, justice to women for crimes committed against them. The fact that the penalty for such an extreme crime of violence against a woman has been diluted - a legislator of the ruling party in Gujarat who was part of the review panel even ascribing the pardon to some of the convicted being 'brahmin' and, thereby, having 'achhe sanskaar' (good manners) - muddies, if not overrides, that very attempt.
