Political Diary

New Delhi, 7 March 2015

Political Veto

MUSCLING TO MASK REALITY

By Poonam I Kaushish

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 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 lose with the Home Ministry issuing a diktat not to broadcast it, the Delhi High Court banned the film and the Bar Council of India issued 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. Given that the documentary carries extensive footage and interviews with Nirbhaya’s parents, unrepentant rapists and their defense lawyers, police and women activists with the aim of examining widely held attitudes toward women in the country.

 
Its blasé explanation of “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

Shockingly, Capital New Delhi has the highest number of rape-reports among Indian cities, followed by Mumbai while Jabalpur has the per capita incidence of reported rapes. Of these a majority of victims, were in the 18-30 year age group. This is not all. Of fetus found in dustbins 999 are female. 

Besides, there was a 135% increase in the number of cases reported in Maharashtra from 1,302 in 2001 to 3,063 in 2013. In Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh, the number of cases reported was more than double the figure reported in 2001.

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.

Underscoring, that increasingly the leaders are talking more and more in banalities and platitudes where life is lived in the slim strip called the official and every reality, satire or defiance treated as a monster. Big deal if this makes public discourse impoverished and toothless.

Bringing things to such a pass whereby our polity afflicted by the I, me myself syndrome seem to be only interested in grabbing headlines whenever they can. As far as individual freedom is concerned they couldn’t careless.

It’s all about making the right pseudo-secular noises to humour their respective vote-banks, promote their self-interest by creating dissension among the aam aadmi resulting in making them rich and powerful. And India more conflict ridden deeply mired in hatred and violence specially vis-à-vis caste and religion.

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. If one doesn’t like a film just collect a crowd and burn the theaters where it is shown. If you don’t like a novelist’s book get the Government to ban it or issue a fatwa against the author.

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. Forgetting that if an individual’s freedom is denied, then the freedom of a community will be trampled upon too. Our leaders must desist from using caste, creed and attitudes as pedestals to stand on to be seen. The right to freedom of expression must be protected at all costs. The ban on the documentary must be lifted forthwith else we are in danger of becoming the laughing stock around the world.

The message has to go out clearly that India is open to various streams of political and cultural discourse. We could do without netas who distorts politics and in turn destroy freedom of expression and thought, a perquisite of democracy. Will they heed? ------ INFA.

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)