WHY RAPE ?

 

 This is in regard to the cover story published on page 54 of the India Today magazine ( Sept 9 issue ) "Rape !" I wanted to express my views about it and the act itself.


Well ! I'm not a male chauvinist 'pig' ( as the femme readers would say ) neither am I a female liberator 'bitch' ( as the male readers would say ) .... I'm just a human being and a doctor trying to analyze the act called 'RAPE' ... looking beyond the frontiers of 'male/female' sex and in that light the article so published. That's the reason why I'm not disclosing my name ( lest some of the readers might get biased ) and everyone is welcome to drop in his/her views to me through the website owner's guest book, if he/she thinks I'm wrong or right in some realm of my mind.

Rape is a heinous crime ..... inflicted on a human being by another. Who is the criminal and who is the victim ? Obviously the rapist is the criminal and the raped is the victim ...... that what comes to someone's mind in the first go ...... but what I believe is that there's more to it .......

I'm presenting the ''three'' sides of the coin ( the heads, tails and the side ) ...... to attribute to what leads to "A RAPE" .... each will displease one sex and satisfy the other's mind......




 

 

1 - The one side of the coin ---->
( This may displease our MEN and please our WOMEN )

(a) Who commits rape ...... ultimately the MAN ..... so he's the PRIME person to be accused ..... whatever be the circumstances and any number of reasons that he may put up in his defense ..... he's not at all justified to commit any crime ...... be it sexual ..... and the
culprit should be severely punished.

(b) Cases have also been recorded where a culprit was sometime in past humiliated (esp. publicly) by a female in the form of a step-mother, boss, teacher, or for that matter any female in the society and he later quenched his thirst of revenge through rape on another female on getting an opportunity. Such people are not hard to find, and even though here there is a psychiatric reasoning attached ... their act is not a percent justifiable.





2- The other side of the coin ---->
( This may displease our women and please our men )

(a) What will happen if you place delicious dishes before a person ( male / female ) hungry for days together or a person ( male / female ) who has habit of eating toooooo much ...... he / she will instantaneously "crave" for that dish ...... that's another factor that's occurring in case of rape.

The Indian mindset is not that developed so as to take a cute or not so cute female wearing ( or not wearing ) a sexually attracting outfit.

Females .... as the writers of the article.... at this say its against the woman's freedom to dictate what to wear and what not to. I'm not trying to dictate anything but just trying to say that clothes should be worn taking into consideration where one is going or moving in what section of the society and at what time and occasion.

Many of the females would say they wear such outfit as they feel comfortable and trendiness in it. Well Sir/Madam, how many of the readers ( both males and females ) would agree that females wear these trendy outfits ( nice examples .... skin fitting jeans and tops, push up bras and padded bras to give the breasts a larger look, deep cut upper wear, not to forget the new entry padded jeans and trousers to give shapely hips, and yes the hours spent on makeup ) ...... to give comfort. These medically proven uncomfortable outfits are worn to satisfy the femme ego of being admired sexually ....... in work places, colleges and public places ( and that does not exclude places of worship ! )

Lets put it in another way .... Q: Why are flowers so colourful and scented ? A: Because they have to attract insects for pollination ! ...... Q: Why do females put makeup, wear the aforesaid clothes for college or work places ? A: Because they feel comfortable and trendy in them ! Can anyone accept that ?

So, do females start dressing shabbily or move about in cover of a thick long veil , keep dirty faces, or wear the oldest antique dresses and choose from Great Grandma's collection ? No, not at all. The only thing that ought to be done is to wear whatever best suites the place one is going to and the occasion one is at, as also the section of people one is going to be with; and that should be entirely decided by the females themselves and not dictated by the male counterparts.


Also, I will totally agree with all the females if they say that same thing applies to men ...... ( they build up muscles, even take anabolic steroids to build up muscles, drive latest model bikes and cars, smoke, drink and wear the latest in fashion ). The point I'm trying to make here is that this is also a factor when a rape occurs. ( its a matter of dispute to what extent it is ).

All this latest fashion display in colleges, at work and public places .... creates what I earlier termed as
"CRAVE" .... for sex ..... and it is expressed on a physically weaker person whenever an opportunity is there. The thing is that outfits should suite the occasion, place and surroundings ...... ( its ok to wear these at a discotheque or a party )

 

(b) Another fact that I'd like to present here is that, of times immemorial ( the famous story of Sage Vishwamitra and Apsara Menaka ), females have been using their feminity and sexuality as a "weapon" to achieve certain aims and objectives ( be it Councellor Sharda Jain in getting Political mileage, Models and Actresses selling and endorsing products that have no bearing to them, and many more daily life examples that may be unpalatable despite their existence ). This fact may steeply enrage our femme friends, is true to the core and yet hard to admit. What arises here as a point is that the counterpart of "this female weapon" is the "male weapon of being physically stronger than a female" ... that unleashes the act called rape.

 

(c) A famous saying goes : RAPE is an allegation EASILY made, HARD to prove and HARDER to disprove. And thus, off and on we also have cases of Monica Lewinskies and Paula Jones in society ! Did Billie rape either of them; then why such a fuss  over a man having a consented sex with another female in the ultra modernised western society ?

 

(d) Last year I got a chance to interview a woman whose occupation was that of an exotic dancer in a night club and a call girl. She raised a few points to which I had no counter-reply.........   "There is not much difference between us and a modern  day  woman. They also sell their body and beauty as models, as film actresses, as private secretaries, as receptionists, and as as contestants of Miss World Pageant !    Moreover, these days even the so called common  women of our society, diehard and sell themselves for life for rich influential men and NRIs ( the modern day status symbol ) in the form of  marriage setting aside all values ! ! "

 



3- The third side of the coin --->

( both the sexes or none of them are responsible for the causes described in this aspect )


(a)
What I consider is that RAPE is a heinous sexual crime committed by a physically stronger person on the weaker one ..... If WOMAN had been physically stronger than MAN then it was 'she' who would have been the culprit and 'he' the victim. I'm not trying to justify the crime here but what I'm trying to say is that women should also try to build up their defensive power so that no one commits this crime.

As most rape cases are not by strangers but by people around us ( friends and relatives ) .... BEING ALERT and CAREFUL  is also a very important measure.

 These two points  I think are the most important in terms of a preventive remedy for rape.  

(b) Laws regarding sexual crimes poorly depict the nature of real crime ...... Rape ( IPC regards it as 'RAPE' only if there is penetration of the penis inside the vulva .... even if it is slightest & even if the complete act may not have been done ) ..... attempt to rape is taken as "INDECENT ASSAULT" .... even when there is same mentality behind this ..... and same repercussions on the victim ..... the penalty is different in both situations. There are many other drawbacks in the laws concerning rape.


(c) How many perpetrators of the act are punished and how many victims get justice ...... ? Hardly any ! This has made rape as a "low risk pleasure activity" for some ( This is a factor operating in case of CUSTODIAL RAPES and rapes by SOCIALLY POWERFUL  MEN. So the law enforcing agencies and the legal setup has also a role to play. Thus the emphasis should be on punishing more and more perpetrators of the crime rather than making laws stricter.

       There should be establishment of Cells for Crime against women with telephone helplines,   female constables,     permanent lady doctors and     a first contact judicial setup.   ( In some cities they exist while in others there are none. Where these do exist people are unaware about them or fail to report to them ) After a crime is committed it should be IMMEDIATELY reported to this cell .... the accused should be IMMEDIATELY arrested ( whoever the person may be ! ) .... and both the accused and the victim subjected to IMMEDIATE Medical Investigation and IMMEDIATELY produced before the court with all the proofs. BEST  CORRECTIVE   MEASURE   is  thus  increasing conviction rates  and would go miles in creating an atmosphere of dread in the minds of potential rapists.

           Some people are advocating awarding death penalty to the rapists to stop the crime. Well, Sir/Madam if that were the solution, then why despite having death penalty for murdering a person, we have daylight murders in our society, which is not uncommon. Also this may lead to getting 'rape plus murder' as a combined package !

Some people are advocating 33% reservations for women in Parliament. This I consider as a futile exercise is this context and is a separate issue of debate.

Cabinet has decided to amend the Indian Evidence Act wherein the rape victim can't be questioned about her 'character'. What I think is .... if there is sufficient proof of both Sexual Intercourse (through medical investigation of the victim and the accused) and   Consent of victim not being taken ( evidence of resistance ) .... the victim should not be questioned about her character ( as even Prostitutes can be raped ! );     But if evidence is lacking as regards Sexual Intercourse and the consent of the victim are concerned .... surely the defending party can raise the question of a false allegation ( as a false allegation is not less traumatizing to an accused than rape of a victim ! )

 

(d) WHY  IS  RAPE  SUCH   A  TRAUMATIZING   CRIME ? Because of the AFTERMATH attached !  (i) After this sexual crime the victim is thought of as having a loose character ( thought of as if she gave the consent to the act ) (ii) She is thought of as having lost EVERYTHING ( IZZAT chali gayee, sab kuchh lut gayaa, barbaad ho gayaa ! )   (iii) Rape can leave an everlasting effect on a woman.... she can suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome ( a delayed and protracted response to this excessively catastrophic life incident in the form of hatred for men/sex/self/etc,  marked avoidance,  repeated attacks of arousal, anxiety and depression,   anhedonia, etc etc )  to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders ( as repeated baths, washing the genitals )   to  even Severe Psychiatric illness. 

Why can't we put an end to this AFTERMATH ..... its in our hand.... and we can do it if social mentality changes.... making rape-aftermath less traumatizing !  How many rape victims ( those that come to light and also those that fight a legal battle ) get respectable position in society ?? NONE ! ! When did you hear last that a woman asked his son to marry a rape victim ( if no other non acceptability factor is there ) ?? Its nice for Mahila Mukti Women and WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS  to shout slogans against the criminals and the males  ..... but tell me how many of them are ready to accept the victims as their daughter in laws ??? Society on the whole has to change. Why can't male sympathizers come forward and accept these victims as their wives / daughter-in-laws ? Why can't female sympathizers accept the victims as sister-in-laws ?  These I think would be the BEST REHABILITATIVE MEASURES.

 

(e) Sex is regarded as a 'sin' and there is no education whatsoever on the part of educational system and the parents regarding this ..... How can be 'an act that brings the person into existence' be sinful ..... It should be taught that its a sin when done against someone's wishes or when carried out in excess so as to affect the daily being. Sexual freedom should also be allowed ( this may enrage the so called protectors of the Indian cultures and values ...... but what I have to say at this is that there was much much more sexual freedom in Aryan times than it is today .... society turned conservative and more protective after there were regular foreign invasions beginning in 200 BC )

(f) Man by nature has a tendency to 'dominate' ..... and that's the thing which attracts some women ( if you don't believe me just watch this week's chain of 'kahin na kahin koi hai' on Sony where the bride  rejected the groom saying that he did not seem to be dominating enough ) ..... this tendency to dominate has over centuries crept into the society ... and male mindset... due to its patriarchal nature ..... which began as a division of labour .... and later came to become symbolic of masculinity. Rape has a component of this 'dominating nature' in it.

(g) In most, if not all households, there is not enough space ( and sometimes time too ) for free expression and satisfaction of sexual needs of both man and woman.
 

(h) Media ( that includes the print media, electronic media and the celluloid ) plays a 'so called' mirror role of the society ..... forgetting its responsibilities and the fact that something ( crimes and obscenity ) shown day in and day out to the immature public of this country ( by immaturity I mean educational and mental immaturity ..... this statement would enrage many people but its true ) .... creates more of a negative impact than a positive one as it is taken as being "common and prevalent" and thus "socially acceptable" .... esp. stealthily creeping into the young budding minds. ( I'd like to give an example ...... Sir/Madam this may enrage you but I hold myself at it ...... those shaking breasts of two Brazilian women selectively chosen and shown every hour on Aaj Tak News Channel .....Was there really a NEED to show them ? )

(i) Alcohol is a added culprit ..... its no harm to take it if its taken as tea/coffee ..... but if someone swims in it and drowns himself in it ..... repercussions are bound to occur ...... alcohol's not an aphrodisiac .... a misconception .... it rather decreases sexual capacity ..... rather it has a releasing effect on a person's mental faculties ..... a person loses his inhibitions and explicitly expresses his 'basic instincts' that are usually suppressed by social norms .

(j) Late marriages,of vogue in modern times, have also a minor role to play as regards satisfaction of sexual needs is concerned. Males attain sexual maturity and thus desire of sex around 13-16 years of life. But most marriages ( the institution which is socially legalized and acceptable for fulfillment of sexual needs ) take place between 23-30 years of life. Even if we ignore the large number of cases of premarital sex, there is still a whole Brigade of sexually starved males left parading in our civilisation.

But it has also been found out that most rape cases involve married men !  I think that 'excessive unsatisfied lust' or 'crave for sex' may be an important factor in this regard.


(k)  Another important thing is the role of education in refining a person's outlook towards other humans; even though occasionally cases have come to light of highly educated ones committing  such an act; the role of education in shaping ones demeanour in society can't be undermined.

 

(l) Lastly, though not least significant, is understanding the development of human society over millennia. Human beings were animals, before they became humans by means of slow evolution. Nature had insidiously incultated the roles of both males and females of this 'animal herd'. Man had to be a hunter and a food-gatherer, a supporter and protector of those at home and had to inseminate the woman for the continuance of the species. Woman had to attract the man for courtship, raise a family and nurture the young ones.

Over thousands of years as humans  evolved, and became much more than 'mere animals', both man and woman developed more artistic and mechanical skills, engaged the use of brain power in exploiting those skills to maximal development of the civilisation and also  instilled into the society the moral attitudes and feelings like benevolence and service to society. The best of these were acknowledged.

Of late, this mad race for consumerism has been rapidly and overtly transforming our society, mechanically advanced in terms of development of civilisation but slowly and subtly taking us back to simian age by destruction of acknowledgement to various skills and moral attitudes. No wonder if human beings in the next 1000 years become naked apes without morals but handling highly sophisticated devices. The Consumer companies are selling Products USING  seminude ( and nude in near future ? ) attractive female models. Males buy the products by being subtly attracted by these luscious creatures. These sexually intriguing females are supposedly more 'commanding' and being 'respected' by men. Hence other females  are also adopting this role and buying those products.

Females seem to be very well accepting their new role as a "Kaam Devi".

Miss Universe .... Miss World .... Miss International ..... Miss Earth ..... Miss Asia-Pacific ...... Mrs World ... What Next ?? Why do we acknowledge a fair skinned 36-24-36 figured good looking  female who answers 2-3 stupid questions cunningly ( less so wisely ) as Miss World ? Why can't we make several living legends as Miss World- women who have worked a lot for the society ( Supercop Kiran Bedi,   Mrs Smita Thakrey,    Mrs Sushma Swaraj,   Mrs Hema Malini, etc etc ) and have also excelled in their respective fields beyond perfection. The point here is that being a 'young spinster with sexually attractive beauty' should not be the sole criteria but just one of the petty criteria.

 

 

 

What Pity !    Shocking !      Horrific !      etc etc !     And we have done our duty ..... A couple of protests ... talks .... more talks .... slogans .... newspapers and people full of VIEWS .....
..... And then wait for the NEXT RAPE to occur ......

Curb this menace NOW and for all.

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam I have tried to present my views in the most unbiased and to the best of my critical and analytical abilities. No person is totally right or no person is totally wrong ...... therefore I agree I might be wrong at some places and the writers of the article might be right at other. I have tried to present my balanced views and 'three' sides of the coin ..... and leave it to the individual readers to accept or reject them.

 Here I would like to request the readers not to dissect the individual points given in this article in keeping with a particular case but to read the article in totality and in a wider perspective.

 

Some contributions by the readers .............

 

 

Picture Quality regretted,Newspaper Clipping shot with Webcam

 

(1) Indian Ayurvedic counterpart of Viagra !!! Even pfizer company did not put up such a sensual (!) claim !!!

(2) What has the woman or any of her body parts thus shown in the advertisement to do with the product endorsed ( Cement Paint with plastic finish for outside walls of the houses !!! ). The advertisement is being published every Sunday on the cover page of a leading Hindi Daily over the past 3 months! Obviously, the model was paid handsome sum and so was the Newspaper !

 

 

 

The above two pictures clearly show the actual outline and the 'pseudo' outline of the female breast. ( Just go to PVR Cinema,Delhi on any Sunday noon show and you won't have to make an effort to see 'these MEGA PSEUDO-UDDERs'  !!! )  Why do we have to wear these 'props' in colleges, work places and public places ... who is the ultimate target ... the men or we women ourselves?

 

 

"Self-help is the first step towards a safe society. The key to woman's safety is to remain alert"

KIRAN BEDI, JCP, Delhi Police.

 

Submit your views about this article .... Click here !

 

Webmaster's Note: The pictures shown here and the views thus published are  the views of the writer and the contributors for the article and not intended for obscenity or any pornographic purpose. If you feel otherwise please bring it to immediate notice of the webmaster.