Crimes against women: The real face of shame

Sexual, racial, gender, and other forms of discrimination and violence in a culture cannot be eliminated without changing culture — Charlotte Bunch.

It is not a rare occurrence to spot cases of rape, acid attacks, and domestic violence committed against women in newspapers, news channels, and social media platforms. We come across at least one unfortunate case of a female being raped and abused, often by one’s own family members. Indians often boast about the “rich and diverse culture” of their country. But are we missing something? Are we forgetting how women have been and still are treated as second-class inhabitants in their own families by their own parents and in-laws? What is it that we are so proud of in a country where crime against women is so common and misogyny is an inherited quality in every individual?

The whole world was shaken when the news of Jyoti Singh, popularly known as the ‘Nirbhaya Case,” hit the news outlets. This outrageous case established Delhi as the ‘Rape Capital’ of India. 16 December 2012 made us question humanity along with the safety of our own daughters, sisters, and mothers. Let us never forget how 23-year-old Jyoti Singh was brutally raped by six men, including a juvenile, in a moving bus in South Delhi in the presence of her male friend Awindra Pratap Pandey. She was gang-raped for over an hour at the back of the moving bus. When she tried to retaliate, the juvenile inserted a rod into her private parts, completely destroying her intestines. The outrageous nature of this case doesn’t end here, as it took 7 years for Indian law to do justice to Jyoti and her family.

On September 14, 2020, a 19-year-old Dalit girl from the Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, was raped by four upper-caste men. Thereafter, she was admitted to the Delhi hospital, but within two weeks, she died because of severe disfigurement and bodily damage. It is important to bring out the angle of caste while discussing this case because the victim was cremated at 2.30 a.m. without even informing her family members. During that time, they were locked up in their house. This serious offence was carried out with the help of the police. This case highlights the authority and power the upper class still holds across our country. Women belonging to the lower section of society often face severe oppression and discrimination. And the sad reality is that they neither have the recourses, education, or support to fight against these inhumane practices. Thousands of crimes against women go unreported every year. This is essentially because of the shame and fear that are instilled in the minds of women by society. “Victim blaming” is a common thing that is experienced by more or less every survivor. Women are often manipulated into thinking that their choice of clothing, their choice to work late hours, and their choice to live an independent life are the reasons why they are catcalled, raped, and abused. The parampara of accusing the victim and the use of the phrase “tali dono se bajti hein” can be heard in almost every domestic household in India. Significant numbers of sexual abuse survivors have later expressed how they were shushed and manipulated by their own parents and relatives to not speak up against injustice.

Apart from these heinous crimes, there is deep-rooted prejudice against women in our society. This prejudice can be easily detected by how women are subtly disrespected in their own homes and workplaces by their own loved ones. Women are expected to be “sanskari” to make sacrifices for their families at the cost of losing their own freedom. Indian society glorifies the status of a mother, sister, wife, and daughter and forgets about the human that resides within those characters.

Also Read: Anoushka Shankar to pay tribute on 10th anniversary of Nirbhaya tragedy

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