A mob goes ahead and molests a teenager. They beat her, humiliate her, grope her private parts, strip her in full public view. A part of the “August audience” to the entire incident are watching in rapt attention. Well well, I am not going to condemn that, as I know there would be a prompt response “They were drunk. They were scary and could do anything to us if we stop them.” Fine, point taken. But what about the “daring and dashing” members of this “august audience” who caught the entire thing on camera and uploaded it for the entire world to watch the video. What if the drunkards harmed you? They wouldn’t , cause its convenient for us to assume so. I am not saying that somebody should have jumped into action and attacked the rapists single handed. But there were more members in the “august audience” than the esteemed rapists. This has happened in the past, it is happening in the present. I know not about the future.
Remember the cheer haran of Draupadi in Mahabharata? There were silent members of the “august audience” then too as there are now. But this one is slightly different. We have improved in terms of technology, culture, so called social skills and so on so forth. What differentiates this from the others is perhaps the level of apathy that has been meted out to the entire incident – right from the way it was captured on camera, from the sniggering men, from the way the girl was made to literally ‘shout’ her name and identity on the microphone. There are objections, promises, oaths and then the inherent part of any such incident, THE NASTY BLAME GAME. Okay, my mind is drawing parallels to the past.
I know not as to why I am comparing this to the cheer haran of draupadi. There were many such incidents in the past. But why this one? Is it because the girl was molested in full public view? Is it because many people were silent spectators or is it because this incident has also the jewel of “Judgement” in its crown. Some say, Draupadi laughed at Duryodhan when he fell down in the magical palace of Indraprastha. She said “andhe ka putr andha”. Others say, “The wife of five husbands is not a woman of good character. So a cheer haran on her is not morally, ethically wrong”. Nothing has changed today. Some say, “Shouldn’t she be at home @ 9:30 in the night if she is a teenager? Why did she go to a pub?” Some other great minds would say “She should have known what she was up to. She was in a ‘short’ skirt. And then would come ‘The Judgement’ on it all – “She deserved it.”. Then there would be a brilliant TV show to debate on “Is a woman’s way of dressing the major cause of sexual crimes in the country”. Experts would give their opinions on why carnal desires of men remain uncontrollable because of the clothes that women wear.
I would also like to pass a judgement. Yes women should be aware that controlling their libidal instincts is a thing of another planet for men. I know now that once I finish this article and put it up on my blog, there will be men who call this a generalised statement. So what? Time and again, this generalisation has been proved right. Be it a teacher raping a student in the pretext of marriage or a little girl in Gujrat being sedated and raped by her neighbour. The nasty little conscience in me is compelling me to make such generalisations. All men have libidal instincts yes. But what differentiates animals from men is the ability to control their libidal instincts. And to all those critics who blame the girl for going to a pub or wearing short skirts here are my few words. Girls wearing short skirts or going to pubs may not like you touching them, as much as women wearing sarees or salwars. Women wearing the most traditional clothing are not spared either. Be it in an MTC bus or a crowded train or a crowded street.So I dont subscribe to that argument. Just because they go to a pub or wear short skirts, they cannot be taken for granted. Wait. I am not done as yet. Humiliating a girl by abusing her is a crime and a heinous one, even if the girl you humiliate is a prostitute. If you haven’t done it without her permission, you are still a rapist.
Think about this and after a point, it seems to be a glimpse of some other unheard of, unrecognised barbaric society where there is absolutely no regard for any emotion, remotely human.
Well to all those girls out there.. I would ask you to avoid wearing short skirts or going to pubs, not because it is “morally wrong” as painted by the society but because there are men out there who are so incapable of controlling their carnal desires, that we have to safe-guard ourselves from such a barbaric society. Yes, we have no right to call talibans as “women torturers who ask women to go around in burkha” cause we are doing that indirectly to women in our country.
And yeah, to all those critics who still think that the victims of sexual abuse are the ones who compel the men to do so through their so called “unintentional seduction”, the girl is at fault and thank you for pointing that out !
Jai Hind !
This is an excellent piece of your creative writing. It's not a taboo to wear short skirts at home, but when the girls go to pub and expose, the seduction game starts and the male barbarians go into action. A Nice write up. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteRavi Uncle
Point is that barbarians are action irrespective of short skirts... and who says barbarians are not at home... there are cases of incest. And uncle ppl clad in a perfect pavadai thaavani or saree have been abused in places other than pubs. So i dont subscribe to that :-) Thanks for your appreciation and encouragement uncle. Keep reading.
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