The protests at India’s rape
capital continue, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred the “macho” men of the
nation. Since the protests broke out,
there have only been more reports of child-rape, gang-rape, rape and murder
from all over the country. In the preceding week itself, there were two
consecutive rapes in the town of Malda in West Bengal- on Wednesday evening a
house-wife returning from her shopping was kidnapped by a few men in a car and
gang-raped, the very next day- a 16 year old girl who was going to her aunt’s
place was picked in a car at gun-point, taken to a hotel and raped through the
night. The main accused, called Kalam Sheikh is apparently a student of a local
college. He’s gone missing since then, but his family has been quick to
pressurize the girl’s family to lift the complaint with an added benevolent
gesture- an offer of marriage. And because there are no protests breaking out
over these women, there has been no arrests made so far. All round, it’s all
fair and lovely.
Here’s an article by Anjali
Mehta, an eye-surgeon. I’m copy-pasting it because unfortunately, while there
are laws to mark rape as a crime, and rapists as criminals, we as a population
haven’t quite grasped a few basics. Here goes:
Fault
lines
24 December 2012
Blaming women for the
atrocities committed on them is nothing but a perverse denial that can extract
a high social cost, writes anjali mehta
One of my patients came
for a check-up and we got talking. He was a man I thought highly of, therefore
I was deeply saddened when he made the casual remark: “In more than 80 per cent
cases it is the woman’s fault when she is molested.” I was too stunned to speak
so sat in silence while he recounted how women ‘defy’ their parents and stay
out late at night, hang out with boys, wear alluring clothes and so on. He
explained that by this deviant and provocative behaviour women brought on all
this sexual violence upon themselves.
When he finished
speaking, I told him I would like to ask him three questions and he must give
me a patient hearing and answer them. To his credit, he did.
Question 1:
In a classroom, a
teacher goes out for a few minutes. In the teacher’s absence, most students
continue their studies quietly. One child is bored. He talks to his neighbours
and tries to induce them to indulge in some mischief with him, but they
continue studying and largely ignore him. Feeling left out and irritated that no
one is joining in his pranks, this child then gets up and goes to the chalk box
and starts throwing chalks at everyone. The class is disrupted .The teacher
comes back and sees what is happening.
Should he counsel the boy
who threw chalks or should he counsel the neighbours of the boy who did not
agree to play pranks with him, leading to his resorting to chalk-throwing?
My patient answered that
obviously the boy who threw the chalk should be counselled.
We both agreed that the
person who commits the wrong act is the one who is at fault.
Question 2:
A very handsome young man
comes out of a popular gymnasium in his cut-off T–shirt. His aquiline looks and
well-toned body win him many admiring glances from women. Two girls who know
him offer him a lift and he accepts. En-route, the girls stop at a house,
pretending to collect something. Soon many women come out of the house and he
is forcibly taken inside and his clothes removed and body admired. Till this
point he is actually half-enjoying the attention and feeling he must be as
irresistible as the men in the Axe ads. Suddenly, the women start touching him
roughly. At this point he begins to feel uncomfortable and feels that things
may be going too far. He protests, only to find that his refusal has enraged the
women. Two of them have been abused in childhood and they feel this is a good
opportunity to vent their frustration and anger at what happened some years
ago. They thrash him soundly for not submitting to them and leave him lying
there. He is greatly bruised all over, thoroughly bewildered and angry about
what has happened to him.
Are the girls guilty in
this case for molesting the boy or is it his fault for being good-looking and
toning up his body to be more attractive to the opposite sex?
My patient answered that
obviously it was the girls’ fault.
We both agreed again that
the person who commits the wrong act is the one who is at fault.
Question 3:
Indians, like all races,
admire beauty. As P B Shelley said ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’. Since
mankind came into existence, beauty has been considered a highly desirable
quality in humans. Statues are lovingly and skillfully carved, poems are
written, paintings done, clothing and jewellery designed, all as an ode to
beauty. Beautiful women (both external and internal beauty), have been the
inspiration for many a creative soul. The same can be said of beautiful men.
Earlier folks seemed to know just what to do with beauty. They took it in their
stride; they handled it well. Now beauty is deemed a distraction by some; an
evil quality meant to cause man to stray.
Should we hope and pray
that all our children are born ugly? Should we dress up girls and boys in sack
cloths so that the vulnerable and delicate minds of criminally-inclined people
are not pushed over the edge? Or should adults be more responsible for their
own thinking and (mature) actions?
My patient answered that
he hoped most people grew up with healthy minds and attitudes.
We both agreed that
adults should take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions and not
use environmental justification for misdeeds. We both felt beauty ought to be
admired and not destroyed.
When we blame somebody
else, it is a way of absolving ourselves of any responsibility. Till the time
people continue to feel that it is a girl who brings this upon herself, they
will not feel any great motivation to participate in the issue. The truth is
however, different. A wrong has been done, in front of our eyes and we must
right it and prevent more wrongs. We must not be mute and silent witnesses to
wrongful acts perpetrated in our presence. We have to work together to change
things for the better. All must contribute their honest share and might. We
must worry not only about our daughters when they stay out late; we need to
worry equally when our sons stay out late, drinking and partying.
Yes, common sense
dictates that people, especially girls, should not be out alone in the dark at
night. Common sense dictates that women should move about in groups and not
consume drinks offered to them by strangers at a party as they may be laced.
Yes, they should not take lifts from men. However, it takes a very unfeeling
and brutal mind to conclude that someone should pay for their momentary lack of
judgement or common sense with their honour
or their life.
A small note on the ending
though: Here’s the idea again. A woman
once raped loses her ‘honour’. For rapes to stop, this is another concept that
needs to change. Perhaps we should start at school? Teach them that a woman is
as equal a human being as a man and not merely an embodiment of some abstract
honour. Shuddhabrata Sengupta has an excellent article
where he dwells on length on this subject, so do read.
Post-Script: Just to end the day:
3-yr-old raped in jungle, left to die
24 December 2012
BURDWAN, 24 DEC: A three-year-old
child was raped inside a jungle at Katwa today. Some women who were collecting
dried leaves in Kuldanga jungle were alarmed by the barking of stray
dogs. To their utter surprise they found a frantic girl child making her last-ditch
bid to defend herself from the attacking dogs, lying without clothes on the
ground. Her legs were tied up and she was bleeding profusely.
Mrs Sohagi Das of Parul village in
Katwa said: “It was dreadful to see the child deserted by the hoodlums. We
picked up the fallen branches of trees and hounded out the two dogs and picked
up the child who couldn’t speak and was frightened.”
The women took the child home and
informed police. The Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr Tarun Haldar,
directed the child be taken to Katwa SD Hospital where she was given saline.
The Chief Medical Officer of Burdwan, Dr Asit Baran Samanta, rushed to Katwa
hospital to supervise treatment of the child.
Mr S M H Meerza, SP, Burdwan,
said: “The child seems to be highly scared and is not in a position to speak.
We will try to ascertain whether she can help us identify the accused.”
Mr Rabindranath Chatterjee, MLA,
Katwa, said: “We have told police to nab the culprits immediately.” sns
I can’t even begin to comprehend the minds
behind such acts. This is sick on so many levels- where do I even begin? The
rape of a three year old child, tying up her legs and leaving her to die a slow
death…
A capital punishment is too easy
for them.
And oh, if you’ve got suggestions
to make about punishments for rape and sexual assault, send in your opinions
here:
I suggest public, if non-violent
shaming. And rigorous life-imprisonment where life isn’t just equal to 14 years
or less.
More importantly, I want to live in
a country where rapists are arrested without a whole city having to come down
to the streets. The police shouldn’t be arresting criminals to placate the
crowd. They should do it because they are supposed to. And no bails.
