“Sexual Assault”: What Is Peculiar To Indian Context?
By Lawrence Rayappan
08 April, 2013
Countercurrents.org
After the awful bus incident that happened on 16th December 2012 to a
23 years-old, middle class, female medical student there have been
mass protests in the streets of New Delhi. Media began to highlight
this news daily. Whole world began to look at India. However, the
question arises: is the somewhat rape prone culture happening only in
India or are other cultures, more pointedly, western cultures
experiencing similar levels of sexual assault? In what way Indian rape
and sexual assault is different from that of western?
1. Sexual Assault in the Developed countries
According to the NSPCC survey, there were 17,727 sexual crimes against
children under the age 16 are reordered in England and Wales in
2010-2011. The same survey states that every day 64 child sex crimes
are recorded by the police.[1] Things are not different in USA.
According to RAINN report every 2 minutes someone in US is sexually
assaulted. Every year there are about 207, 754 sexual assault in US.
The sad thing is that like underdeveloped countries there are 54
percent sexual assault cases not reported and 97 percent of the
perpetrators are not punished.[2] Linda C. Degutis the director of the
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (USA government
agency) said that, “almost one in five women have been raped in their
lifetime.”[3]
Do the above statistics show rape and sexual assaults are occurring at
similar rates in both the developing and developed countries? Owen
Jones, a 23 years old British writer, argues that it is a global
problem and not peculiar to India alone.[4] Also, Emer O´Toole, an
Irish feminist, argues that by highlighting only Indian incidents we
“minimize the enormity of Western rape culture.”[5] In the same
newspaper, a Canadian activist says; “Labeling rape culture uniquely
`Indian´ when it is ubiquitous, is unfair and ignores the real
problem.”[6] In what way the New Delhi gang rape is different from
that of a Steubenville, Ohio rape case, where a 16 years old girl was
gang raped by school football players, which happened on August 23rd
2012, just before four months before Delhi gang rape?[7]
Too much focusing on Indian rape incidents in the US and Europe media
shows the neo-colonial faces of the western. McEwan a feminist writes
singling out Third-world cultures for misogyny, which she says is
“neo-colonialist” and “Othering.”[8] Libby Purves, a British radio
presenter and journalist, criticizes for over emphasizing Delhi gang
rape. Purves also points criticizes Westerns for not looking at the
in-humanitarian acts, gender and caste based discriminations, poverty,
communal violence and social injustice, on the contrary enjoying by
looking at Indian image as industrious ambition, rising economy,
colour and vigour.[9] Purves claims that the attitude of looking at
eastward in disgust by western is unhealthy. Rather she calls for
solidarity with the eastward and give support to women movements.[10]
2. Cultural and Class Factor in Sexual Assault in India
However, it is unfair to universalize the “rape culture.” In the
western countries, due to government effort, people´s awareness and
effort taken by women movements, the number of rapes and sexual
assault is decreasing every year. In the case of rape culture and
sexual assault, there is vast difference between western countries and
India. First, it is not happening in the common/public place in the
west, secondly, there are very strict laws for the perpetrator, third,
in western countries, these rapes and assaults are more frequently
reported to police. Fourth, both the victim and the victim's family
are considered to be social outcastes and fifth, there is common
awareness among women and in the society about rape and finally.
Sixth, the Medias (TV, Movies) focus on other problems such as
terrorism, economic crises, global warming and new scientific
invocations. Finally, the number of rape cases and sexual assault is
every year going on declining.[11]
But on the Indian side, there is cultural tendency to keep the women
always lower or look at the women as only an object of sex. RSS leader
Mohan Bhagwat made a statement that rape happens only in India and not
in Bharat (Bharat is the Sanskrit name for Indian subcontinent). He
means to say that rape happens only in the urban areas where the
middle class groups try to practice western culture. He wants to take
India to the culture practiced before 1000 – 2000 years in the Indian
subcontinent.
Now, there is an increase in the number of middle class groups. After
Indian independence India´s Middle class is estimated to 50 million,
it is about 8 percent to 12 percent of the India´s total
population.[12] The New Economic Policy of the Indian government since
1991 and the reservation (positive discrimination) in education and
employment have resulted in the emergence of the new Middle class.[13]
This Middle class group is mainly people from upper castes. They try
to utilize and imitate western culture. This middle class group tries
to project or highlight the issues related to them or which affects
them. In 2011 there was protest by Middle class against corruption in
the politics and government administration. The protest was initiated
and lead by Anna Hazare. This protest was prolonged for several
months. The Economic Times, an Indian newspaper observes the Anna
Hazare anti-corruption protest was backed by Middle castes and Middle
class. Those who came for protest came by cars such as suntros,
Indian, Swifts, Sx4s and other modern cars.[14]
In the same way, the recent anti-gang rape protest by women, college
girls in the streets of New Delhi, middle class groups, was described
as the “awakening of the Indian middle class.”[15] For urban middle
class Indians “gender right[s are] as important as poverty
alleviation.”[16] The middle class anti-rape movement included many
members of the political parties who wanted to reap the harvest in the
coming Parliamentary election of 2014 by stimulating and strengthening
the protest. For political parties, middle class votes and women votes
were the hidden agenda in the anti-rape protest.[17] In the Indian
parliament there are only 11 percent of women which is lower than the
global average of 20 percent.[18] So the support backed by political
parties for women representation is a mere eye wash.
If one looks at the record of sexual assault and rape in India, one
sees that the media and newspapers reporting these incidents are more
highly happening in North India than in South India. However, the
reality is that sexual assault is equally occurring in South but, due
to cultural openness and cultural interactions in the North India, the
victims (women) are not worried about cultural taboos and traditional
social customs. They have courage and boldness to report. On the contrary,
in South India due to its geographical nature people could not have
any cultural contract with other cultures (except with Sri Lanka which
has similar culture). That is why caste rigidity, high rate of dowry
and women oppression are very high in South India than in the north.
When the traditional Indian caste based, Hindu religion based culture
is not challenged then there is no observable change in the status of
Indian women.
In the movies and television serials again and again Indian ancient
culture is re-enforced. This is particularly in the South Indian
Media. In Tamil Nadu alone (equal to the size of Germany) every day
there are more than 80 TV serials from different channels. These TV
serials are bringing traditional family culture. N.V Prasad and Madya
Shanthi Balraj are observing that “television is blamed for escalating
violence, for the erosion of traditional morality and the promotion of
promiscuity and other social problems in the society.”[19] In the
North Indian movies (Bollywood) there is always joy and happiness, on
the contrary South Indian movies always project the family problems,
caste problems and end up in showing that there will be danger or
punishment if anybody (women and Dalits) violate the Indian
traditional culture.
What happened during the anti-rape rallies in the streets of New Delhi
in December 2012 to January 2013, are cultural cries. It was the first
time in the Indian history women showed protest against rape and
sexual assault in the capital city. Siddharth Katragadda, an Indian
writer living in California, USA, says that “we are experiencing a
schism between a value system that relied on shutting women away to
one where external forces such as the police and the criminal justice
system were looked to for support and justice.” Katragadda observes
that for many centuries India protected women from sexual assaults by
hiding them behind the strict traditional rules. But now due to
urbanization, globalization and modernization, Indian women are trying
to come out from strict traditional values.[20] The anti-rape protest
provided a lesson to the Indian traditional and patriarchal mindset in
that they can no longer hide women behind the Indian ancient
traditional values, says Katragadda. Libby Purves observes that India
faces cultural crises. An anti-rape protest arises due to
modernization of the country which is making efforts to bring cultural
changes promoting proper treatment of women. On the other side,
traditional social customs and norms are being re-imposed on Indian
women. Consequently, Purves envisions Indian women needing a cultural
earthquake to come out from various oppressions.[21]
3. Sexual-assault and Rape of Dalit women is worse than that of Non-Dalit women
Although a number of rapes and sexual assault of middle class women
are brought forth, the sexual assault and rape of Dalit women goes on
virtually unnoticed by the government, media and international
viewers. Plash R. Ghosh says, “rape has been used as method of
oppression and terror by higher-caste men.”[22] Dalit rape cases are
not reported and publicized. Ghosh further narrates that the
authorities keep silent and do not make investigations.[23] Kalpana
Sharma, journalist, notes that Dalit women are not given due justice
in the rape and sexual assault cases. Sharma says, “If you are a poor
woman who is raped, you cannot even imagine a life where there will be
justice. If you are a poor woman and a Dalit, then the chances of
justice are even slimmer.”[24]
In these discriminatory and oppressed situation Indian women
especially Dalit women want to empower and get equal status. At the
same time women empowerment is not against men but to get justice
which was denied to Indian women.
Lawrence Rayappan is a Ph.D student, Freiburg University, Germany
[1] NSPCC. “Statistics on Child Sexual Abuse,” in NSPCC, See.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/sexualabuse/statistics_wda87833.html
(accessed on 03 February 2013).
[2] RAINN, “Statistics,” in RAINN, See.
http://www.rainn.org/statistics (accessed on 16 February 2013).
[3] Roni Caryn Rabin, “Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S Survey Say They Have
Been Sexually Assaulted,” in The New York Times, December 14. 2011.
See. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/health/nearly-1-in-5-women-in-us-survey-report-sexual-assault.html?_r=0
(accessed on 28 January 2013).
[4] Doug Saunders, “Rape is a Crime Everywhere, But India´s Crisis in
Unique,” in The Globe and Mail. January 5. 2013. See.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/rape-is-a-crime-everywhere-but-indias-crisis-is-unique/article6931835/
(accessed on 23 January 2013).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Emer O´Toole, “Delhi Gang-rape: Look Westward in Disgust,” in The
Guardian, January. 1. 2013. See.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/01/delhi-rape-damini
(accessed on 20 January 2013).
[8] Cathy Young, Young: Feeling Appalled by Indian Rape-Murder case
isn´t being `colonialist´ in News Day, January 7. 2013. See.
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/cathy-young/young-feeling-appalled-by-indian-rape-murder-case-isn-t-being-colonialist-1.4417478
(accessed on 12 February 2013).
[9] Sandip Roy, “Looking East in Disgust: Delhi Rape Through Eyes of
the West,” in First Post. January. 3. 2013. See.
http://www.firstpost.com/world/looking-eastward-in-disgust-delhi-gangrape-through-eyes-of-the-west-577131.html
08 February 2013).
[10] Emer O´Toole, “Delhi Gang-rape: Look Westward in Disgust.”
[11] Roni Caryn Rabin, “Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S Survey Say They
Have Been Sexually Assaulted.”
[12] Ambrose Pinto, “Anna Hazare´s Movement and India´s Middle Class,”
Social Action 61 (Oct-Dec, 2011): 337-349.
[13] Umer Farooq, “The Subcontinental Middle Class,” Herald Beta April. 3, 2012.
[14] Economic Times of India, 21, August 2011; Pinto, Anna Hazare´s Movement.
[15] Amrutha Gayathri, “Delhi Gang-rape Protests: How long will
India´s Latest Arab Spring Last,” in International Business Times,
January 9. 2013. See.
http://www.ibtimes.com/delhi-gang-rape-protests-how-long-will-indias-latest-arab-spring-last-1002804
(accessed on 23 January 2013)
[16] Youn, “Urban Indians find Political Voice after Student's Gang
Rape,” In Dawncom, January 2. 2013. See.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/02/young-urban-indians-find-political-voice-after-students-gang-rape/
(accessed on 12 February 2013).
[17] Youn, “Urban Indians find Political Voice after Student's Gang Rape.”
[18] Number of Women in Indian Parliament Lower than the Global
Average: UN, in Ummid, October 12. 2012. See.
http://ummid.com/news/2012/October/12.10.2012/no_of_women_in_ind_parl.htm .
(accessed on 28 January 2013).
[19] N.V Prasad and Madya Shanthi Balraj, “Negotiating cultural
practices consumption of Tamil television serials among Indian youths
in Malaysia”, an unpublished article, See.
http://www.amic.org.sg/Resources/Research_Materials/Media_and_culture/
Negotiating%20Cultural%20Practices%20Consumption%20of%20Tamil%20
Television%20Serials%20among%20Indian%20Youth%20in%20Malaysia.pdf
(accessed on 26 February 2013)
[20] Sarah Brown, “She could have been me”: Action urged after Delhi
gang rape case, in CNN, January 4. 2013. See.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/04/world/asia/irpt-new-delhi-gang-rape-ireport-reaction ,
(accessed on 21 January 2013).
[21] Brendan O´Neil, “The Delhi Rape is Being used to Demonise Indian
Men,” in The Telegraph, 2 January 2013, See.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/brendanoneill2/100196384/the-delhi-rape-is-being-used-to-demonise-indian-men/
(accessed on 25 February 2013)
[22] Plash R. Ghosh, Delhi Gang-rape Protests: What about the Sex
Crimes Against Untouchable Women? in International Business Times,
January 5. 2013. See.
http://www.ibtimes.com/delhi-gang-rape-protests-what-about-sex-crimes-against-untouchable-women-992666 .
(accessed on 12 February 2013).
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
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