Photo Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

India needs a high quality anti-biotic to nip 'rape flu' in the bud but the government is using the humble ‘Paracetamol’ to deal with this deadly bug.

By Abhishek Pandey

Youngsters are fed up of being outraged. They took to the streets after Delhi Gang rape case. Seven months later, another ghastly gang-rape took place and this time in the financial capital--Mumbai. People are outraged again but this time with less intensity and valour. The reason is simple: they are tired of being outraged.

It is not that no rape case took place all these seven months but we have learned to become outraged when safe havens become hell. Mumbai was considered one of the safest cities for girls. It was the city that promised its women safety when they roamed around with friends after sunset, allowed them to sit at marine drive at mid night and travelled in the last local with a sense of safety. They felt safe in the city. They are now worried.

  

India is suffering from ‘rape-flu’ that is spreading fast. It has reached Mumbai from Delhi in less than seven months. The government is treating this flu with humble Paracetamol while the disease requires high quality anti-biotic. Perhaps, the government does not have any effective remedy and does not want to waste its time in inventing one. The reason is: this flue is not because of what Rupee is falling against dollar or it is not what will fetch votes for our politicians.  

From December 7 in Delhi to August 22 in Mumbai, nothing has changed. Perverts still gawk at women at public places and undress them with their penetrating gaze. They not only intentionally touch their bodies but violate them whenever they get lucky in a crowded place. They still tell sexist jokes openly. May be an Indian could not explain but a Canadian girl who studied in India explained her ordeal in India. She was groped, masturbated at and assaulted many times. 

Nothing has changed and if some drastic actions are not taken, nothing will change. You may call me a pessimist. Yes. I am. And, there is no reason that any Indian should not be.  Rapes will continue to take place. This is the destiny of Indian women with which they will have to learn to live unless a superhero comes to save them. Period.

Why rape will not stop?

There is a basic problem in our preaching to girls to avoid being raped. They are told not to venture out alone, not to go to secluded places and most importantly, not to wear indecent clothes. We give this list to girls when they decide to go out for work or studies. Why nothing will work! Let us talk about the Mumbai and Delhi cases because every one of us is aware about the minute details of these horrid cases.

Girls should not go out alone.

In the Mumbai and Delhi gang rape cases, there is a similarity. Both the girls were not alone and were accompanied by a male friend. But it did not make any difference to their perpetrators. They were beaten and raped.

Don’t go to a secluded place.

What will they do if someone abducts them to a secluded place? Delhi girl was duped in a thick-curtained bus because no autowala in Delhi was ready to ferry her home at 9pm. Mumbai girl was tricked inside the mill campus while her male colleague was handcuffed with a leather belt outside. This suggestion too seems nonsensical.

Don’t wear indecent clothes.

This is the most stupid suggestion. Eight-year-old girl and seventy-year-old lady are too raped. Rapists do not discriminate against clothes, age, caste and religion. It is evident, they are not human so don’t care about this man-made rules.

Frankly speaking, I have no idea what would help our girls: harsh deterrent, safety on roads, stricter laws, chemical castration or what else. I don’t know.

I recall couplets of an Urdu poet Nawaz Deobandi.

He says:

Uske katal par mai bhi chup tha, mera number ab aaya.

Mere katal me aap bhi chup hai, agla number aapka hai.

(I was silent when he was killed, now I am being killed. You are silent on my killing, the next number is yours.)

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LK Advani resigns from all the posts he held in the BJP. The news comes as a shocker for the BJP leaders and workers who were celebrating Modi elevation as the chief of poll committee. The decision taken at the Goa meet was being considered historic and many believed that it was the beginning of a new era. A day after ‘the historic decision’ an era ended in the history of the saffron party when LK Advani’s resignation reached the BJP headquarters. 

Advani, who has been the part of the BJP since its inception, was member of the national executive, parliamentary board and the election committee. He, who had been instrumental in making the BJP powerful in the nineties, felt short off supporters within his own party and had no option left but to resign to avoid denting his image further. 

In an emotional letter to the BJP chief Rajnath Singh, he said that he had been finding it difficult to reconcile either with the current functioning of the party, or the direction in which it is going.  He complained that most leaders of the party are concerned just with their personal agendas. His resignation indicates that the BJP is party with differences and is unable to handle its affairs. 

It is ironical that his resignation came a day after Modi was elevated. As political pundits are saying the resignation is his way of expressing dissent over the elevation of Narendra Modi. Modi met him first in 1975. Advani supported him climbed the political ladder in Gujarat. But he did not have a faint idea that Modi will become ‘indispensible’ for the party and party workers will choose Modi over him. 

The resignation sends a message across clearly that Advani’s voice of dissent did not matter in the party. Advani, who always had major say in party affairs, even during the Vajpayee reign, felt his hold on the party affairs insignificant. He had never criticised the party functioning in open as he was the sole authority to take big decisions and he was whose voice always matter. His harsh words about the party affairs shows he became really upset and weak within the party.  

He had always been the number two and he was hopeful that after the retirement of Atal Bihari Vajpayee he could become the number one in the party. Undoubtedly, he was the senior most and the powerful leader after Vajpayee. He tried his luck in 2009 elections but failed miserably. His resignation expresses that his hopes of becoming the PM or say number one in the BJP was dashed by the popularity of NaMo among party workers and others those are BJP fans. 

Advani must have thought that he can be the prime minister of the NDA if the alliance wins enough seats to come to the power after 2014 general elections. He knew NDA allies would have never supported the nomination of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. His chances were bright but ‘the historic decision’ taken at the party meet in Goa humiliated him to the core. Perhaps, it was evident that NaMo would be elevated that’s why he preferred to stay away from the meet on health grounds. 

However, his resignation letter has been rejected by the BJP chief Rajnath Singh and it is uncertain what would be the next move of the former deputy prime minister.

His resignation indicates that the BJP is party with differences and is unable to handle its affairs. 

It is the high time that party get over its inner conflicts as it will not gain even if Congress loses at centre owing to incumbency factor, poor governance and failed economic policies. They should always keep in mind: people are watching.

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While reading Seminar, I learned that 104 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 to protest against Chinese oppression and demand free Tibet. I was aware that people are immolating themselves for a free Tibet but the numbers shocked me. This is one of the most horrendous figures of human civilization! It is weird because it is happening in 21^st century and no one notices it. And those who notice ignore it as if nothing major happened.

People have taken another route to protest when other methods failed. When Tibetans protested on roads; they were killed and dumped by the People Liberation Army of China. They did not leave any trace of what happened.    

Where are the United Nations and Human Rights Councils? To my understanding, they are quiet because the big brother (the USA) and European countries are not interested in taking any action because they have business interest in China. 

Why media is not talking about it? Why any Arnab Goswami is not asking ‘nation needs an answer?’ No one, not even journalists, are allowed to enter in Tibet. A couple of CNN and BBC journalists were not allowed to enter Tibet and threatened that if they insist their visas will be cancelled.

Do we lack journalists who can dare and do a sting in Tibet? It is not true. Journalists have reported from troubled areas such as Taliban where the situation was as hostile as it is in Tibet today. It is perhaps media houses are not interested in reporting Tibet issue because it does not make some great news for front pages of newspapers or for prime time on TV.
  

Why is India that has given shelter to the Tibetan ‘parliament-in-exile’ keeping quiet? Indian silence is obvious. Indian government has failed miserably in their foreign policy. It did not act aggressively when Chinese army intruded and setup their camps 19-kilometre inside Indian Territory. So how can they raise voice against the oppression of Tibetans? 

Would India have reacted the same way when human rights of Tamilians were violated in Sri Lanka? No. They told the Sri Lankan premiere to ensure Tamilians are safe and even took up issue on International platforms. India has not done so in the case of Tibet. However, it will face maximum problems by Chinese spoiling Tibetan ecosystem. 

In the times when people resort to violence to demand anything Tibetans sticking to non-violence methods is admirable. If they fail to make a mark, it will be a failure of the principle of non-violence. It is bad sign for a civilized society. Think.

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Males talk about their sexual desire and fantasies openly. And, no one raises a question. But when people hear females talking about their sexual desires; they looked down upon them. Savita Bhabhi—a pornographic comic character—became instantly popular among Internet generation when it was launched in 2008. A year later, it was banned by the government for serving sexually explicit content.

She was young, sexy, amorous and married. She talked about her sexual desires with men. She demanded whatever she wanted on bed. The comic character may or may not be characterized thinking about what goes on in the minds of Indian women of 21^st century. It made men to rethink about female sexuality and their desires.

The creator may want to utilize male libido and their desire to view and read explicit sexual content to make quick bucks. And, he/she hit the right chord. It was a huge hit and was almost seen by 60 million online users every month. In an interview with an Indian magazine Tehelka, the creators say that their website gets 70 per cent traffic from India.

Savita Bhabhi may have died an early death in the virtual world but she is ready to take rebirth and this time in a new avatar. Internet users can see her in action and talking. An animated porn movie of Savita Bhabhi is available online. 

This time users have to pay $ 25 to see the movie. Porn cartoon videos are popular in other countries but this is the first time someone has come up with porn cartoon in Hindi.

The clear motive of its creators is to make money but they claim they want to talk about freedom of speech and teach men about female sexuality. It is viewers and the government to decide what is the intent of the creators.

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A painting 'Rape of the Sabine women'

Original Text in Hindi by: Manisha Pandey

Translated in English by: Abhishek Pandey

When did I hear the word rape for the first time?   When did I understand what does it really mean? I have no idea. I was just 12 years old when a young woman was gang raped in my city--Allahabad. The news was played up and it was above the fold on the front pages of all newspapers. If I remember correctly, this was the first time my mother instructed me how to behave and dress ‘decently’. That day, she got angry because I went on the terrace of my house without her permission. I asked for her permission to go to a friend’s house that evening. She bluntly said no.  She even scolded me when I went to the market nearby to buy milk without wearing tippet.

We, me and my mother, had not discussed about the news published on the front pages of newspapers that day. But I had understood that the change in her attitude is because of that incident. I had understood that the girls who do not follow the instructions of their parents are raped. A girl should wear a tippet not to get raped. She should not roam around on roads after sundown. She should not go to a friend’s house alone. 

Even after having all this precious pieces of information I didn’t know what was rape? I was growing up. When I was five-years-old I went to a friend’s house to call her. No one was at home. Taking the advantage of the situation her uncle undid his blue ‘lungi’. I got frightened and ran away. Was that rape?

A man lived in my colony with his wife and used to call me beta. One day he made me sit on his lap when his wife was not around. Whatever he did to me was disgusting and still fills me with filth.  I dint tell anyone but began living in an unknown fear. Was that rape?

When the son of Marwari aunty held me by my shoulders for gyrating, he touched me between my legs in an awkward way. I got frightened. Was that rape?

When I was in class six and my mother send me to buy sugar from the general store next door. The shopkeeper touched my breasts. Was that rape? 

In the Hindi belt of shining India, a girl growing up in the city like Allahabad faces similar incidents almost every day. I was frightened to speak up. Was that rape?

I was afraid of dark.

I was afraid of deserted lanes and by-lanes of my city.

I was afraid of men.

I was afraid of my own body.

Was that rape? 

If it was rape, I dint tell anyone about this. I dint ask my mother what was it.

One day, there was another news item that hogged the headlines of newspapers. A bandit in the ravines of western Uttar Pradesh had killed 22 upper caste males because they had gangraped her. Perhaps she was not prosecuted and all the cases against her were withdrawn.

The incident raised many questions. Should girls shoot rapists? The only idea of such action made me feel great because I wanted to kill the uncle of my friend, that uncle next door, the son of Marwari aunty and the shopkeeper. Neither I had courage nor the idea what I wanted to do? My mother had told me that the bandit was Phoolan Devi and had killed 22 thakurs (upper caste). One of my distant relatives, Shukla Jee, was sad because she had killed 22 thakurs.

No one talked about the gangrape.  No one showed any respect or love for Phoolan Devi. Even on my terrace that evening, people were sad about the killings of 22 thakurs but no one saluted Phoolan Devi for her courage or sympathized with her.

I understood one thing that day.

Rape is bad but shooting rapists is worse and killing thakurs is the worst.

Whatever that uncle, the neighbor, the son of Marwari aunty and the shopkeeper and several other males of Allahabad had done with me or the girls like me could be bad but telling this to anyone is worse and thinking about killing them is the worst.

I have stopped thinking about the ‘bad things.’

But the bad behavior of pervert males, eve teasing, molestation and such behavior has not stopped.

This does not happen only in Uttar Pradesh.

One day, I was talking with twelve of my friends at Women Working Hostel in Mumbai. We had managed to get three bottles of wine and only those girls were present who had no issue with drinking and on whom we can trust that they will not leak the news. We were drinking wine in steel tumblers and were talking about things we do not discuss normally.  After a few moments of fear, shame and hesitation, all the twelve girls in the room accepted that they had faced sexual abuse when they were young. Uncles in their neighborhoods, friends of their fathers were the ones who developed a sense of fear and hatred in their minds for their own bodies and for males. 

Even at that moment I could not decide: was that rape?

Once, a hostel mate came back after night out with his boy friend and had black marks under her eyes and bruises on other body parts. She was molested by her boyfriend who had tried raping her. She did not complain to anyone. After ten day she went for outing with the same boy again.

Was that rape?

In Mumbai, a woman lawyer working for a social organization told that she had to sleep with her husband unwillingly many times. She said this as if it is acceptable in our society. Is this acceptable thing was rape?

The woman from Allahabad who says she had never took initiative on bed because she thinks that males think that such girls are sluts. Indian males have poor opinion of the girls who say yes to the proposal of making love before tying the nuptial knot. Males think they are characterless. The educated, modern, working girls fake their orgasm for making their husbands and boyfriends physically, sexually and mentally satisfied.

At time boyfriends do not wear condoms rather force their girl friends to swallow anti-abortion pills which cause vomiting and other health problems. They are the same who leave their girl friends alone and go out of town during their abortions if she forgets to take a pill in time and conceives a baby.

Can all these be called rape?

Male colleagues in offices call a girl slut if she smokes; wear skirts or talks to boys in a loud tone. If a girl had been in a relationship with more than one male then they say “anyone can sleep with her” and bet among each other that who can do it first. They think the girl is available if a girl chose to have a relationship with a male before getting married.

Is this rape?

My 35-year-old unmarried aunty never had relationship with a male fearing she will lose the tag of a ‘good woman’. She had her menopause at the age of 38 without sleeping with any man in her life and in return she got the tag of a ‘good woman’ from society.  Was that rape?

I am unable to decide that what is rape? The sections of Indian Penal Code have failed in defining it. Indian judicial system has failed in deciding its definition. No one decided this because no one cared. No one felt the need because it was not affecting their life directly.

In a spine-chilling incident, a girl was brutally gangraped in the national capital by six monsters in a moving bus. They brutally assaulted the girl and her friend. They threw them on the road without clothes in the freezing cold of Delhi. The nation got outraged. Thousands of boys and girl took to the streets to demand capital punishment for the rapists.

What should be the punishment is a different topic of debate. This is for sure that this is a barbaric criminal act. This is one of the ugliest faces of crime against women. The death of the brave girl has shaken the conscience of the nation. The safety of women has become a prime concern in our patriarchal society.

Rapes were happening before the Delhi gangrape case. They were happening in homes and outside. Indian army was raping. Custodial rapes and marital rapes were happening. Known and strangers were raping girls. Father, uncle, tuition teacher, neighbor and strangers were raping but this never became a prime time question in mainstream media. People never came out on the streets to face water-canons, tear gas shells and lathi charge.

Since we have come out on the streets to talk about this issue we will talk about the history of rapes. We will talk about its culture. We will talk about the patriarchal norms of society. We will talk about religious texts. We will talk about the unfair laws. We will talk about the world which taught men to rape and instructed women to be raped and keep quite. We will talk about the world that makes a man sexual being and a woman a sex object. We will talk about the social norms which justified sexual needs of males and told woman to fulfill them.

We will talk about the society which tells women how not to get raped but never directed a male not to rape women. We will talk about the society that has not given rights to women to express their sexual desires. We will talk about the society that has made woman the property of her father, brother, husband and son. We will talk about the society that made women a machine that produces human beings.  We will talk about the society that has justified the exploitation of women in religious texts and given their own descriptions of them to suppress women.

The society has restricted its daughters from roaming around on roads at night but let its sons out to rape them. The society taught girls to keep the sanctity of their bodies but opened brothels for fulfilling the sexual desires of males. The society tells girls that they were raped because they were scantily clad but never questioned boys for roaming around without shirts and peeing in full public view. The society calls a girl slut for having four boyfriends but praised a male who had sex with 100 women. The society justified violence against women and gave rights on her heart, body and soul to males.

Now we are questioning, discussing and debating on rape then we should not ignore these concerns boggling the minds of women for ages.

I have never reiterated the word ‘rape’ so many times in my life but have written this word many times in this article. And, this is for a reason: we have to take this issue forward to bring about a positive change in our society.

Baat Nikli Hai to Phir Door Talak Jayegi…

The original article was published on www.pratilipi.in. 

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