No! The bizarre title does not reflect my viewpoint!
Please, those who have not watched Gunda (1998), watch it first and then question my morals. The title for the post is simply an allusion and nothing else. I know such an allusion for the sensitive topic is inappropriate, but my Prabhuji (Mithunda) love overpowers the sanity and I chose this dialogue – which is epitome of innocence – as the title. Moving to the actual topic.
About a month back, a news about an American student at Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS) gang-raped by a group of young men in the heart of Mumbai had taken the news channels and Internet by storm. Debates and discussions were everywhere. Even I had a long and serious discussion about it with a friend. And now the Shiney Ahuja episode has beaten all the news hands down. The incident is similar. Both the incidents and their aftermaths challenge the basic morals of the human society and raise very fundamental questions and when you consider it the other way round it add that extra bit of ambiguity to the straightforward answers to them. And just when I try to stop the spiraling thinking I come across this article, “Why men rape?”(Thanks to Haridas) and all of my moral, social, cultural, religious etc etc foundations are totally shaken. Things take an ugly turn.
The article deals with most ambiguous of the areas of human history, mindset, and a very interesting topic cultural evolution. The physical impact of such evolution. It stresses on a point that many sociologists have denied, that “Rape” if not completely about it, is certainly to much extent about “Sex”. The bold statement may leave many of us in awe, who have heard over the period of time, that rape is actually a heinous crime that has to do with insult, dominance and such things but not about sex. Well, the first part is absolutely correct. Rape, is indeed a heinous crime and is completely condemnable, but attributing it with wrong reason can lead us to wrong remedies. Anyhow, though I completely agree with their statements, these all above aren’t my statements and I am simply quoting them here for those unfortunate few, who have to read my blog, when there is so much more and better to web. Anyways, I have given the link and anyone can go there. These guys have done a lot of research and thus they have a moral right to comment. And Shiney case and TISS incident have shaken the society well and have produced a lot of fodder to read already. I, thus, stop the topic here.
Moving further, The previous episode, that of the TISS girl had another angle than just rape. In Shiney’s case, the girl is from such a strata of society that the reactions and their actions are either ignored or judged as – they want to exploit Shiney for money. Thus the entire focus stays on Shiney and the girl, who could not save herself from “gangster” now finds herself at receiving end. But, the TISS girl had a different story. They say, she went with the boys to the flat on her own. The boys she barely knew. The main accused says, she came with us without any qualms, so we thought she must open for everything. Point number one, Generalisation & Assumptions. He further adds, when we were finished with drinking, she wanted to have sex with us. She trued to seduce me and I kissed her, but then I somehow controlled myself and went to sleep, I don’t know what happened with others later. But, In the morning when The other guys bought her emergency contraceptives, as she unhesitatingly took them, I didn’t think she was raped, I thought it was consensual. Point number two, stereotyped conclusions. He adds, since she came with us boys alone to the flat, without much of an acquaintance you can judge her character. Last point, Stereotypical male dominant mindset (some call it Chauvinist, but I never use that word).
The entire proceedings sparked off a debate between me and my friend. He said, the utter condemnable statements, like judging her character should be avoided and this guy for these statements must be convicted. I said, well, I can see the statements are ugly, but the guy, if he really hasn’t done anything or otherwise has a complete right to defend himself. Thus he has a right to make any statement that can strengthen his case, but yes, if the judge is feminist, he can convict him simply on these grounds. But ideally, it should not happen. It can very well be a different story that night, but yes, it seems a remote possibility that the girl was false accusing as she really didn’t have a reason to do so.
Anyhow, such incidences, expose a strata of our society to the other. Here, in Mumbai simply put, there are three different civilisations (yes, I mean it) live. The town side consists of western civilisation, they hardly care about anyone except them. The Middle class belongs to medieval Indian civilisations, whereas the lowest strata is more like an amalgum of the two. It sounds ridiculous, but they really exhibit striking similarities to modernism and conservatism. The open western culture and its influence and the conservative male dominant mindset sometime come together and the horrific instances occur. Both the abovesaid examples stand proof.
Anyway, my philosophical rant implies technically nothing big, but all I want to stress is that I actually feel like backing the findings and suggestions of the article I have mentioned above, though I am not aware of many of the facts mentioned.
Well, two more gang rapes reported from the Capital- New Delhi….Dilli – Dilwalon ki?