Muscling to mask reality

Whither India? Yesterday I saw ‘Storyville: India’s Daughter’ on the Delhi vicious gang-rape and murder by six men on 16 December, 2012, on a social networking site You Tube like lakhs others. A powerful documentary made by a British film maker which brutally and lucidly captures the ugly and painful reality of a rape taking place every 20 minutes thanks to an archaic Indian male mentality which raises vital issues on women’s freedom, dignity and safety. The bestiality of a depraved mindset.

All hell broke loose with the Home Ministry issuing a diktat not to broadcast it, the Delhi High Court banning the film and the Bar Council of India issuing a showcause notice to an accused’s defence lawyer for his assertion, “ There is no place for women in India.” Questionably, where did they see the film?

More worrying is why the government wants to brush under the carpet the repellent and debauched Indian attitude towards the female gender.

Its blasé explanation of the ban “being in the interests of justice and public order as the film creates tension and fear amongst women” or that a convict’s appeal was sub-judice just doesn’t cut ice. Perhaps, it has to do with the fact that most of our netagan’s too think alike.

See their outrageous utterances: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat asserts, “Rape is a side-effect of westernization, while Haryana Chief Minister Khattar thinks, “If girls want freedom, why don't they just roam around naked? Freedom has to be limited.”

Appallingly, Samajwadi’s Mulayam Singh brought joy to all rapists when he averred recently, “boys make mistakes that does not mean one hangs them.” Instead his Maharashtra colleague Abu Azmi advocated, “Unmarried women who have sex, consensual or otherwise, should be hanged.”

Added, ex Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, “Women should not be adventurous…Girls have no business being out alone after midnight.” With leaders like these, can India’s future be bright? To the ludicrous. “Rape is due to hormonal imbalance caused by eating fast food….girls should wear overcoats to prevent men from lusting after them…. lower girls marriageable age it will prevent rapes…. schoolgirls shouldn’t wear skirts they draw attention from mischievous elements.” Sic.

Our polity’s advice? Instead of resisting rape, girls should simply invoke God and religion and refer to the molesters as her brothers. And voila! Heavens will shower good sense and morality on the rapists, they would see the right path and everyone has a happy ending!

Clearly, indicative of the narrow-minded climate of political discourse we live in wherein reality not only bites but also can be twisted and misrepresented to suit our ‘holy cows’ netas narrow ends, shore up their image, commitment to their constituencies and portrays their ostrich-like attitude towards their attitude towards the fairer sex.

Raising a moot point: Is India heading towards an era of intolerance and political veto? Is the polity afraid of the clash of ideas in our public life? Is it mere coincidence or a sign of an increasingly knee-jerk, reactionary country?

Think. The rape culture has slowly but surely seeped into the fabric of India. And is the fourth most common crime in the country with over 27,923 reported last year. Add to this over 100,000 minor girls go missing each year, with the majority of them being sexually abused, trafficked into prostitution with the police complicit in these crimes.

Sickeningly, over 7,200 minors are raped each year. Only a tip of the iceberg as most victims don’t report assaults and continue to suffer mistreatment for fear of retaliation or are humiliated by the police. Outrageously, out of 1,01,041 cases before Courts, only 3563 convictions took place and comparison to 11,154 acquittals.

The brutal fact is that India is in the grip of bigotry, narrow mindedness and cultural terror, that no film-maker, historian or social scientist can honestly do his/her research objectively. Sadly, political veto is the latest facet of the dirty politics that our netagan have stooped to. Worse, they seem to be getting away with it without even soiling their hands.

Alas, this is not the first time. Many films, books even cartoons have been banned, innumerable artists have faced taboo and forced out in a country which prides it self for being the birthplace of so many apostles of peace and non-violence – Gandhi, Buddha and Mahavir.

Where does India go from here? To another film storm, to more uncertainty on India’s Daughter? Whereby, celebrities and films are fast becoming soft targets with knee-jerk reactions taking over debates and calibrated decisions.

Clearly, the speed with which our tolerance is falling to fragile levels is scary.

By: Poonam I Kaushish