Voicing out the unspoken

Ganesh Nallari, a sexually abused child, is now a well-settled artiste and painter, at peace with his traumatic past. In a documentary ‘UnSpoken’ released on YouTube recently, Ganesh speaks on what it means to be a survivor of sexual abuse and how to beat the demons that threaten to destroy the violated human being's very essence of existence.

Directed by Aayush Agarwal, the seven-minute short film is written, narrated and visualised by Nallari and is available on city-based Chic Pea Studios’ YouTube channel.

Excerpts
Your short film ‘UnSPOKEN’ is a mirror of your own fears and insecurities. What prompted you to make it? I wanted to become someone worthy before I spoke about my childhood trauma, so that I can give strength to all the survivors and empower them through my film.

If I can make it, so can they! We often talk and read about the do’s and don'ts for children and parenting but not much has been done for adult survivors who still live in denial and find it difficult to confront their past. People don't take mental health seriously as much as they run to a doctor when they have a physical wound.

Have you confronted the man who abused your innocence and scarred you for life? Why have you not exposed him? By keeping mum, haven't you encouraged potential violators of children's innocence?

I confronted my abuser on his deathbed only to forgive him. I had to forgive him for my own self; I did not want to live with that burden all my life. I had to let go to move forward. I had stopped talking to him for years, from that day when I screamed my ‘NO’.

What made you suffer the pain and agony for so many years and what made you come out with it?
My life began at 17; I was focusing on recreating myself. Moving away from familiarity of the place and my extended family. I'm the only child for my parents and they have been supportive, I do not want them to feel guilty about this one particular thing.

How do we deal with the increasing number of sexual predators, many of them at home?
When you first think of child abuse, you only get the image of the child. But today when I stop and think about it some more I realise that the ripple effects of the heinous act are far-reaching. Parents are also affected by it. As the child grows and becomes integrated into society, his/her friends are also in some way affected by it.

So what precautions can we take to ensure our kids' safety?
Society needs to be aware. It has to be a united effort to prevent this. Teachers, extended family, parents… everyone who plays a part in a child's life needs to be intimately familiar with the markers of abuse. And they need to be vigilant. Everyone is responsible for a child's safety. Often the parents are the last to know. It's a cruel and yet all too common reality because the abuser is so often a trusted member of the inner circle of the family.

Child sexual abuse needs to be an ever-present reality in everyone's life. It is imperative that we are aware and vigilant all the time and we have to support survivors. It's not and can never be - just a cause. It's not. It's a harsh ground reality for society as a whole.

What is your message for children and adults who have been abused?
I am honest about everything I do and that's what I have shown in my film. From the dark past to the present all I have been doing is indulging in various forms of art, creating multiple identities. I narrated this story through a painting because it came naturally to me, ever since I can remember, as a child; I turned my pain into something beautiful through dance and painting.

By Subhash K Jha