Do women ask for rape?

Recently in a bout of random reading, I came across a graphic put out by no less a body than the National Crime Records Bureau UNODC. It gives the recorded rape statistics of a range of countries, calculated per 100,000 population (2009—2011).

Naturally I hunted for the figures of my homeland and was happily surprised to observe that it did not figure in the diagram at all. So, despite such bizarre cases as fathers raping daughters and such like we have become as pure as Tess of Durbeville.

Either the statistician has erred or like the Pirivenas in the 1830s that the Colebrooke Commission regarded as “not worth mentioning“ in their report, we have been considered not worthy of entering the graphic.

Yet all the little ice cold countries fringed by the North Seas have been included. We will take solace in this marginalisation, that there is something absolutely wrong in the chart for India earning a very low place, scoring 1.9. Yet India is today labelled as the ‘Rape Country’ after what happened to the young medico gang raped by six men in what is today designated as New Delhi’s Rape Zone.

Just a few miles away there is the Red Fort, stark red and gorgeously sprawling over acres. In another direction stands tall and mighty the historic India Gate. But that gruesome incident happened in 2012, somebody can counter argue. Back to the chart, South Africa tops the list with a score of 138.5 surprisingly followed by Australia 91.9.

It is childish game reading out from the chart and I change my reading focus.

New Delhi debacle

This time it is the Secretary of the All India Progressive Women’s Association. Mind you. India is still hotted up or steaming over the New Delhi debacle where the worthy life of a female medical student was flushed out by sex—crazed men. So everybody in India ranging from the Raj Sabha or Lok Sabha to those in the lowest doldrums are still talking about it. Kavita Krishnan, among her many observations has brought in as a despicable point, that the government and police officials have publicly suggested that rape victims have asked for “Rape” simply by moving about in male society. It is resonant of our King Kekille’s judgement back home.

Had this rape victim of Delhi stayed put in her boarding place in Delhi away from her ramshackle abode in her Indian village without going for lectures and then indulging in a normal routine that any modern day girl takes to (seeing a film with her boyfriend and then boarding a bus), she would not have undergone this fatal catastrophe. Blame this thinking on shreds of the traditional Indian society which considered the ideal woman as the one who was cloistered at home. There was a spell of a free time for females in India in times just preceding the Buddha’s time.

The writer was astounded to read of female savants who went about India arguing on metaphysical matters. The Great Buddha himself admired women and once told a mighty king weeping that his main queen had delivered a daughter, that females are equal to males in intellect and their lives should be respected equally. But slowly seeped in counter forces and the poor woman got imprisoned in the soot-filled kitchen. Getting fed up of it all, have a good wash, get dressed in beautiful clothes, and walk to the market place. She gets raped for the mere reason of having the courage to please herself.

Women's clothes

Now that is India. Not the total India but good parts of it. But the writer came across instance when even European countries lean towards the same thinking. Italy was at a time of the concensus that women’s behaviour and clothes invite rape. Sweden opines a similar way, that women ask for “Rape” by their intense desire for movement. Poor woman! While the man can gallivant all over dressed in any fancy wear, woman in fear of getting raped by men whose levels of testosterone are high should sit covering at home. Why not send the men to the doctors and cure them?

Is this degrading women to ”second class human“ level? Not even that but “Zero” level as that procured by Sri Lanka in that statistical chart.

The Delhi Police Commissioner has triggered more outrage by advocating that women should not go about unescorted. A male should always accompany her. Apart from other practical difficulties of carrying this out, he should focus on the financial aspect of it. With escalating transport costs, as bus travelling entails, funding one’s own travel on very necessary matters is costly enough but imagine the cost for two or more. If they, the women cannot find an escort, let them carry chilli powder for defence suggests the Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar. And this in 2012. Now that is becoming almost frivolous over a matter, grave in dual aspects. It is as unpalatable as what the Pakistani minister years ago suggested as a remedy.

“If the women cannot fight against rape let them enjoy it”! How foreign he is, to the feelings of a woman! For him, she is only a bitch that dogs salivate over. Had he told that in open economies, sorry libertine countries of America and Europe he could have got all the roofs collapse.

But even in Pakistan the remark created an uproar among the educated women. Why did not the uneducated women protest? They are illiterate and do not know the outrageous remarks made by politicians. They keep on serving their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons throughout their lives. They rarely go out. And if they do, they are escorted by the whole family. They themselves go covered head to foot.

What is the outcome of all this? Never getting subject to rape is a surety for them. What a world! What a funny and topsy turvy world? Who gave the male all this dominance? Never our own master.

He said to the Kosol king, “Do not grieve, O king. Men and women are both equal”. So, if males can go about and enjoy what the world has to offer let it be as equally free for a woman to go about and garner what it has to offer but never its evils including sex starved males.

There was a time when the wilds were rough and full of man–eating animals. Then man biologically more well off left the thick forests carrying his weapons. Woman stayed back and looked after the children. Then man came back with the carcasses and she cooked them for him. Then the family had a hearty meal and spent the rest of the day happily till nightfall till slumber time. But now times have changed much. Activities are not limited to eating and sleeping. There is a galore of work that males and females can both be engrossed in. The world is so vibrant and it is nothing but fair that women as much as men participate in them to the best of their ability.

And as for sexy men, on the prowl, like fawning jackals, let them get that earlier mentioned shot or just be guillotined.

Courtesy: Project Syndicate 2012–for certain quotes