The Culture and Vocabulary of Rape
It is hard to wrap the head around many events that have taken place in India in the last few days. People have said enough about the rape cases in Unnao and Hyderabad, and how both the cases have now taken dramatic turns after the immolation of the Unnao victim, and the encounters of the accused in Hyderabad. We have not forgotten Nirbhya and Asifa, and disagree that Indian people, in general, have shown selective outrage on these cases. The despicable elements are everywhere, and they must be condemned for showing selective outrage, but making a blanket statement to call everyone “selective” because Asifa was Muslim and Nirbhya was Hindu, is being selective ourselves. We must remember that rape is not a communal issue; this is a social and gender issue. This issue is about women and their right to be safe and live with dignity. I deeply mourn when I think of the victims and their families.
But it is sad to notice how everything is politicized and given a communal twist in my motherland. But this isn’t anything new. I have lived half my life in India, and I know. We seldom take responsibility for failing our society as parents, teachers, leaders, and the citizens of a country, we are quick to malign. The education we give to our children at home and in the schools (or fail to provide the education they need), both shape the psyche of whom we become in our adulthood.
But what is new in India is the manner in which media and intellectuals react to social and political issues. The profanity, divisiveness, and ideological differences are evident in our reporting and debates and are expected to be understood to exercise the freedom of speech and expression, but it is hard to bear when they echo in our language and literature. I have found it very difficult to read several posts on social media in reaction to the recent rape cases in India. And I wonder, for us to make our points and criticize the culture of rape, do we need to use “a rape vocabulary?”
Please, do not misuse the power of media, and rape women with your words! They know how it feels when they are violated. There is no need for graphic details in poetry and political rants to make us feel the horrors of rape all over again. Knowingly and unknowingly, some people are seeking attention at the cost of the victims.
I also hope people stop using pictures and sketches of helpless women, half-naked on the floor, hiding their faces, when they talk about the evil of rape. This is certainly not helping. It is only hurting the cause we believe in. And if you really want to use a picture, demand from our authorities to provide the photos of the rapists without any covers on their faces.
So what solutions do we have to stop the rape crimes from happening? The current laws, in effect, are not serving justice to the victims and their families. We have seen this happening time and time again. The most recent examples are the cases of Nirbhya and Unnao rape victim.
Justice must be served fast and efficiently. And we need to understand the outrage of people, only to learn how fade-up we all are. But encounters, extrajudicial killings, and death sentences for all “Accused” may not be viable options to bring anyone to justice without a trial and due process of law. It is crucial only because, in some cases, people can be falsely accused and framed. But there is no doubt that we need to bring changes in the current laws that are resulting in a “systematic failure,” allowing the culprits to roam free.
I hope we can make stricter laws for criminals who perform such barbaric acts against women and in many cases, against men and children also. We need to provide sex education and encourage women, men and children to learn martial arts to protect themselves and defend others in crisis. Politicians and administration must be held accountable for not taking actions against such crimes. All sex offenders must be registered, and their records must be made public for people to be aware of their backgrounds. The families also have an obligation to provide moral education to their children and teach them their social responsibilities. Some people may need psychotherapy, which is still a stigma in our society. But we must be open to provide support and transform the lives of people who can still use our help to stop this menace.
Sadly, such crimes against women are happening everywhere in the world. We, as a country and society, must own this burden and take responsibility for bringing the much-needed change.
© Kalpna Singh-Chitnis
Twitter: @AccessKalpna
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