The Indian Rapist

NCR's crimes against women have always been on the ascendancy. Everyday, The Times carries a story or two about rape and molestation in some godforsaken corner of the newspaper. But people don't like repetitive stories - they're boring. 'The same rape-thing everyday,' says a disinterested old man passing the newspaper to his son. The young man nods mechanically, switching channels on the television as his elderly mother brings piping hot chai into the drawing room. 'These women must learn not to go out so late in the night. Why can't they stay in groups?' she asks. 'It'll all be better if they begin to dress more modestly. They think they live in America these days!' laughs the old man, sipping his tea.

One more public gang rape later, India is up in arms against what is, after all, routine. Names such as Damini, Nirbhaya and Amanat have been conferred upon the unfortunate girl, who has now been proclaimed a martyr. Songs have been written and letters have been drafted about how brave she was. Inspirational death-bed quotes are abound, each one more touching than its predecessor. But no, ladies and gentlemen; these are all lies. The girl is no martyr. She didn't want to be brave. She was a hapless victim of circumstance and she died a painful, inglorious death in a comatose state. Martyrdom is glorious. Damini's death was nothing but.

'Put the rapists behind bars and punish them,' says the fuming public desperate to exact revenge on the depraved human beings who perpetrated the heinous crime. Several parties have called for stronger laws to make India safe for women, while no one seems to care about expediting the process in place. NCRB reports that 9.4% of all violent crimes in 2011 were rapes, amounting to a whopping 24,206 cases! How many of these cases have been given justice? I doubt the answer will be more than three digits long. When India sends such a message to people - 'Hey, even if you rape that woman, you're probably going to go Scot-free' - then there is no deterrent to these crimes. They will go on and on, no matter how many candle-light marches you hold. Humanity is, in itself, disgustingly depraved and Fear is the only thing which can prevent people from mutilating and annihilating each other.

But Fear is a temporary solution, some people say. Ultimately, there needs to be a stage when people have a changed mindset - when a woman can walk through a dark, secluded alleyway wearing whatever she pleases, and men respect her and leave her alone. Well, this is a noble dream but it hardly seems achievable at this point in time. Many people have blamed the 'patriarchal mindset' for the problems we face today, and they may well have a point. This is ironic - because Patriarchy itself came about in order to protect the women of the house. So, why do people blame the system which is in place to protect them? Or did something go wrong along the way?

The answer to this question is rather simple, readily available in our minds and in the general zeitgeist. One only has to watch a Ilayadhalapathi Vijay movie or a Salman 'Dabangg' Khan flick to see how readily India accepts the objectification of women. But if it ended there, we wouldn't be complaining so much - for in most movies, eve teasing and sexual harassment is almost norm. It adds to comic relief. Some movies go so far as to show how women are finally placated as they are unable to take any more obscene advances from the hero. 'Well, these are mass flicks,' people tell me, defending the their chikni chamelis. 'These are made to run in rural areas. Those farmers are satisfied only by such vulgarity.'

You could give these remarkably stupid defences a second-thought if it wasn't for the 'Cocktail's of Bollywood. Cocktail - featuring Saif, Deepika and Diana: That was targeted at elite Indian audience, correct? Somehow, I remember the ending being about the loose woman who mends her ways and becomes an ideal Bharatiya naari. 'Elite audiences' seem to have the same standards when it comes to distinguishing between a 'loose woman' and a 'good girl'. And this brings me to my point about Patriarchy.

Most cultures in this part of the world are fiercely protective of their women. They feel responsible for them and they will defend the honour of their ladies with their lives. This, after all, comes with the definition of a Patriarchy - where Father is the leader and defender of the household. It is only natural then, that this father has the last and final call regarding the affairs of the women in the house - like the marriage of the daughter etc. So, in the past, marriages were peacefully arranged by elders in society and youngsters didn't have much of a say. But now with love, sex and romance being prerequisites for betrothal, young men want to meet those women who will be conducive to such relationships. In other words, several men search for the aforementioned 'loose women' in order to carry out their passionate love affairs. However, at home it still remains the same. Your sisters and daughters need to remain good girls who can be married off to whomsoever the family decides.

In Arabia, the scene is similar but these men cannot manage their love affairs too easily outside of marriage. The sharia will have them castrated or stoned, or worse - both. So, they have their flings and parties far away from home, with Europeans and Americans, in the bars they swear they won't enter. I would say this is better for society, as the women at home are safer this way. In India, men are confused. They desire their Hollywood-esque love affairs in a society where they would like to keep their women under control.  In such a society, every patch of naked skin on a woman's body flashes brightly as an invitation to rape. Patriarchy, which has become a synonym for 'double-standard', could well be the culprit.

Finally, with so many people pledging to educate their friends and relatives, it is quite possible that we will eventually overcome this hypocritical mindset which will, in turn, lead to a declining number of rape cases in the country. Even if the numbers don't decline, at least a change of mindset will ensure that investigations are carried out without calling the woman the culprit. But this will take time. A lot of time. Until then, we need  deterrents. For every crime, there must be punishment.