Many women are restricted and told not to do certain things as it could lead to their sexual assault or murder. They are often given diktats such as --don't wear sleeveless shirts to don't take that degree as the college is far.
Women are shamed for being molested. But the leaders of our country have given many solutions over the years.
People in power have suggestions for women so they can prevent sexual assault and rape. Just like you'll tell a man, "Don't take your neck and go outside... What if a serial killer decides to cut?" With the same logic, women have been cautioned about how they should lead their own lives so someone else won't commit crimes against them.
1. Stop watching cinema or TV
Sube Singh Samain, the spokesperson of the Sarva Khap Jat Panchayat said, "I believe this is happening because our youth is being wrongly influenced by cinema and TV. I think that the girls should be married at the age of 16 so that they have their husbands for their sexual needs and don't need to go elsewhere. This way rapes will not occur."
Sounds familiar? Many parents find television and films to be the easiest targets. My knee aches, must be the TV!
2. Rapes can be stopped by sanskaar, allegedly
BJP's Surendra Singh said, "I am a teacher along with being an MLA. Such incidents (like rape) can be stopped only with sanskar (culture), not with shasan (good governance) or talwar (referring to sword or might)."
3. Don't talk to men
The West Bengal Chief Minister once said in her statement, " rapes increasing as men and women interact freely now."
4. Stop putting off your marriage plans
A member of the Indian National Lok Dal, Om Prakash Chautala said, "We should learn from the past, especially in the Mughal era, people used to marry their girls to save them from Mughal atrocities and currently a similar situation is arising in the state."
But who will save them from marital rape? As per the Indian law, there is no such thing.
5. Don't Travel
After the recent Mysuru gangrape case surfaced, many people have given their opinions about what the girl should have done and what she shouldn't have. Similar to that is Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra who said, "The rape happened in Mysuru but Congress trying to gain political mileage from the incident. It was an inhuman incident. The girl &her friend must have gone to a deserted place there, they should not have gone there."
6. Don't use phones
The member of the UP women's commission, (yes you heard it right), Meena Kumari said, "Girls talk with boys and later run away with them. I appeal to parents not to give mobile phones to their daughters. And if they do, their phones should be checked regularly. All this happens due to negligence by mother."
7. Don't go out all night
Goa CM Pramod Sawant said in the state assembly, "When 14-year-olds stay on the beach the whole night, the parents need to introspect. Just because children don't listen, we cannot put the responsibility on the government and police."
8. You know what, forget all night, don't go out in odd hours
BJP's Ramveer Bhatti while talking about the Chandigarh stalking case said, " The girl shouldn't have gone out at 12 in the night. Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right."
9. Don't eat fast food
According to khap panchayat leader Jitender Chhatar, chowmein (noodles) and fast food are the reasons for rape. He said, " Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance, evoking an urge to indulge in acts such as rape and sex."
10. Don't continue living
Kerala PCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran said, "If she’s one with self respect, she will die, otherwise our society has the circumstances to ensure it doesn’t happen again..." He was referring to a rape survivor.
The sexual crimes survivors all across the country have been repeatedly shamed and humiliated by not just common men in the society but political leaders elected by the public, public figures who can influence hundreds and thousands with their words. As bizarre these statements might sound to us, they were used to ridicule the trauma of survivors. They were used to sideline the fact that women in this country are not safe. For how long will the women of this country be shamed for being the survivors of sexual crimes?
Views expressed by the author are their own.
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