Rape, Molestation Are On Rise Around Us... But Hey! Let's Carry On With the "Whataboutery"!

Every time someone expresses one's concern over how women in our country are ceaselessly facing the evils of rape, molestation and discrimination, they are unabashedly ridiculed by a large host of people who come with the absurd whataboutery to counter legit arguments against misogyny and harassment.

Anyway, certain numbers have come forward through the minister of state for home affairs revealing the horrible truth which the enemies of womankind are bent on denying.

As many as 140 cases of rape and 238 cases of molestation were registered by Delhi Police in January this year alone, of which 43 and 133 cases respectively remain unsolved. 

The number of rape cases registered in 2016 was 2,155, of which 291 were unsolved, while there were 4,165 molestation cases of which 1,132 are unsolved. 

There were 36 rape cases registered against Delhi Police personnel in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Of these, 28 were registered in Delhi and 8 in other states. While two of these cases were cancelled or quashed, in six cases there were aquittals while 28 cases are pending trial or investigation. 

Ninety cases of molestation and 9 cases of eve-teasing were also registered against Delhi Police personnel in these three years. 

The details were tabled in the Rajya Sabha by minister of state for home affairs Hans Raj Ahir during Question Hour. 

According to the details provided by the minister, 51 cases of eve-teasing were registered, of which 25 remain unsolved. 

“The reasons for unsolved cases vary from case to case. However, some of the main reasons include non- identification of the accused person, stay on the arrest of the accused by courts, insufficient evidence or the accused person is absconding and not traceable,” the minister said.

-Report by PTI 

 

When the Mahatma Turned Sexist: What Our History Books Do Not Tell

Growing up studying authentic literature that goes beyond "prescribed syllabus", one could, over the years, have come to the realisation that our history textbooks have been inefficient storytellers of an eventful past. And rightly so, owing to how the scribes of these records have portrayed historic heroes across printed pages meant for young minds: as figures and personalities who fought for the righteous causes they stood for; voicing their dissent against oppressive systems, and keeping astray of all the vices  known to humanity. Their actions which remarkably shaped the fate of the society, do inspire the budding learner to follow a path that would ultimately lead to the betterment of the society as a whole. What these syllabus- bound records fail to incite, though, is the will to question the beliefs upheld by the heroes of our past by leaving out those traits of our great leaders which could possibly blight their spotless character.

Take, for instance, the man we call the father of our nation. The Mahatma. 

An article published in The Telegraph* ahead of the alleged mass molestation in Bengaluru on New Year's Eve brings to light a little known aspect of the revered leader's character, the murmurs of which have often risen amidst the public; pretty much unlike the arguments raised above the whispers by the 11 Bengali women mentioned in the aforesaid article, which narrates how, on being asked by a Punjabi girl as to the manner in which girls could apply the principle of ahimsa to save themselves from being teased and harassed by young men, Gandhi had "spoilt his case by launching an unprovoked attack on the dress code of the modern woman." 

The Mahatma did remedy the problem in his answer, urging the victims to name and shame the culprits, and asking men of good character to come down heavy upon the defaulters among their own host, stating that "young men, as a class, should be jealous of their reputation and deal with every case of impropriety occurring among their mates”. Moreover, Gandhi also accepted the fact that women should engage in learning ordinary self- defence techniques to defend themselves from the unruly herd of perverted men.

But where he went wrong was when he dealt the case a sexist blow by expressing his disapproval towards how the modern woman dresses up, writing, “I have a fear that the modern girl loves to be Juliet to half a dozen Romeos. She loves adventure. My correspondent seems to represent the unusual type. The modern girl dresses not to protect herself from wind, rain and sun but to attract attention. She improves upon nature by painting herself and looking extraordinary. The non-violent way is not for such girls.”

For all the evil that young men indulge in, it all comes down to a woman's apparel, even in the eyes of a revered Mahatma. 

However, what's truly inspiring about the whole incident is how a group of 11 Bengali women took on Gandhi for generalising the modern woman as an exhibitionist hungry for attention merely on the basis of the dress she wears. 

To counter Gandhi's remarks on the modern woman's outfits, these 11 women wrote that "it was not very inspiring," on the Mahatma's part to “put the whole slur upon the injured female who suffers most due to the malevolent social custom”, before further stating that “some may find modern girls’ dresses and deportments a bit different than they wish them to be, but to brand them as exhibitionistic generally is a positive insult to her sex as a whole. Strength of character and chaste behaviour are necessary not only for modern girls but for men as well. There may be a few girls playing Juliets to a dozen Romeos. But such cases presuppose the existence of half a dozen Romeos, moving around the streets in quest of a Juliet, thereby pointing out where the proper correction lies.”

Unfortunately, what plagued the Mahatma's mind when he laid his disapproval upon the modern woman, is something that plagues our nation today. Despite the number of times women have made it clear that their outfit is not in any way an invitation for lewd remarks and groping arms, our society has continued to stand firm upon its self- constructed belief of labelling all modern women who choose to dress up according to their wish as exhibitionists of skin who are always "asking for it." 




*the article mentioned here has been penned by noted historian and writer Ramachandra Guha, and is the source of the statements of Mahatma Gandhi and the Bengali women which are quoted herein.

Unwilling to Be Just Another Man With an Opinion, I Half- heartedly Pen Down My Anger, Pointing Out the Enemy For You

I'll be honest, and confess before you that I've been reluctant to write about this.

That the events in Bengaluru were a sad state of affairs is something a majority have agreed on. But, with a difference in perspective. The much required display of solidarity and unity against something that is plaguing an entire nation is nowhere in sight yet. And the more I listen to people, the more I am depressed. In fact, listening to my own thoughts makes me melancholic, for I realize that they lack a certain vitality which is needed to inspire change.You see, I'm a plain man, and I have my insecurities towards the women I love, which unfortunately stand against my feminist virtues. That, however is a different story; one which I shall leave for another time.

For now, there is something that angers me. Lately, after listening, reading and skimming through opinions of a wide range of people across the nation, I find myself being full of wrath at how the actual issue is being pushed down into invisibility with the opinions each one of us has to give. The outrage of people, men and women alike, who have always stood for women's rights is understood and justified, and I wish a majority of concerned folks falls in line with them, so that they feel confident enough to abandon armchair activism and engage in a form of revolution that works with sweat and blood. But, what reveals the much disheartening root of evil is this: politicians blaming women, politicians blaming politicians, journalists blaming journalists, and everyone blaming the police, the politicians and the journalists. To add to these woes, there is another brigade- one that justifies molestation, laying the blame of all the misogyny upon something called "western mindset." In this brigade are men who opine about the feminine population of the entire country with hatred that is brewed within them either after a failed love interest or following an event when they were asked to vacate a seat reserved for women, perhaps. And these men come together on various platforms to form an unruly herd that voices out its own blame- game.They don't target politicians, or policemen, or journalists. In fact, they don't even shame the culprits once the sorry scoundrels are caught. Their blame lies just upon that one gender: that of the female. And they are the people we need to hunt and shut down. They are the ones who won't allow the population of this nation to unify against the evil that is misogyny.

And finding them is not difficult at all. They are everywhere. They are the ones you catch ogling at you, or your sister, or your friend, or your lady love, and yet ignore their shameful act. They are the ones who hurl lewd remarks at you, or your sister, or your friend, or your lady love, while all you do is either blame yourself or your sister, or your friend, or your sweetheart for wearing those "revealing outfits." Those perverted minds are the ones to be blamed. NOT THE WOMAN WHO IS ON THE RECEIVING END!

And once you know the culprits, all you need to do is get up from that smug chair of yours, seek the balance within yourself to become a formidable weapon, and then get out in the streets where our women are subjected to the lust of fell beasts who have dared to call themselves "men."

Unify. Gather your strength. Fume with fury, and attack misogyny right at the mouth that spits forth its vile name.