In India where in every 16 minutes a rape is reported, rape is always a political tool. A tool of the Indian men who are the main stakeholders of the politics of both the macrocosm and the microcosm. Rape is used as a tool by men to show women their status, or aukat.
The gruesome rape of the doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital is not an isolated case or an aberration. It’s the culmination – like all other rapes – of our entrenched rape culture. This culture is endorsed by our language, our society, our religions, our economy and above all, our politics. The incident has once again brought to the fore the myths of victim shaming. It has once again brought up male excuses and ‘justifications’ of rape like short clothing, late nights, male friends and so on.
Governments behave on the same lines too. After every rape case of “great magnitude” a government comes up with precautionary measures like the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government did. Wherever possible, night duty should be avoided for women, it said. I am consciously using the word, “great magnitude” because we are hierarchical in our protests too. Our selective outrage disowns many rapes. We raise voices considering the caste, class, and gender of victims. We don’t necessarily do it consciously. Our entrenched hierarchy and Brahmanical belief system – which is very much patriarchal – make us do so. The onus to protect themselves is somehow fostered on women, the victims. This denies societal involvement and sees rape as an act of the perpetrator alone, as an individual.
by Moumita Alam
27/08/2024