Not clear on references to catholic - do you mean to say india is country who are all convent=educated. The reference is making the article confusing without any direction. Otherwise, it is good.
Re: Not clear on references to catholic
by C Deveshwar on Jan 08, 2013 10:04 PM
We are a nation of educated Idiots. Your article proves that. You started by trying to write something different but ended up doing the same everyone is doing now-a-days. RANTING!
If you want to rant too, get in a very long line. A good journalist needs to bring a little bit of original perspective. I think you were trying to do that by invoking US statistics but you either did not quote a source for your information or maybe you were too lazy.
Who knows? As long as guys like you keep on writing, every Harry can dream of winning a booker.
Improve your writing or do something else which makes some money for you at least
There is some truth in this, but this article incorrectly assumes that the problem here is simply high incidence of rape.
Yes, misogyny and patriarchy are everywhere in the world, but it's important to acknowledge that these things manifest themselves in different ways in different societies. In any case, the mixed sexual messaging discussed here - repressive morality perpetuated by the elite, combined with incessant objectification of women in the public sphere - is definitely true of the US and many, many places the world over.
However, it is unfair to say that gang rape happens in India because this system of messaging has simply been imported from the west. Rather, I'd argue it only exacerbates a situation that exists in the first place because of a culture where subservience and submission have long been expected of women in the smallest and subtlest of ways, for generations before that importation happened.
The overarching problem is the permissibility of certain attitudes towards this situation, which is what allows rape to happen at the rates that it does in India specifically. Yes, the incidence of rape is very high in the US, but it would be a shock if a policeman told a rape victim to marry the man who raped her, yet this is normal in many places in India. So while this article expresses an important nuance to why this situation has arisen in India now, I don't think it helps understand what the true solutions are for Indian society specifically.
The fact that India is engaging in self-flagellating debate about the systemic reality of sexual abuse in India is only proper! In fact, it’s long overdue and should also be followed up with more sober analysis as well (this piece doesn’t really cut it). To say that high rape rates aren’t unique to India is beside the point.
Obviously institutions cannot rape anyone. But that doesn’t mean the institutional neglect, and the “deficiencies in the system” - to put it mildly - isn’t complicit in propagating India’s sexual harassment culture.
Whilst I don’t wish to downplay the objectification and commodification of female sexuality in contemporary times, traditional Indian culture suffers from forms of sexual repression that does nothing to help the emancipation of women.
Re: flawed analysis
by Sankrant Sanu on Jan 04, 2013 12:14 PM
Let's check this reasoning. First, is rape increasing or decreasing in India, let's say in the last 20 years.
As of now I have seen almost 32 years of life and based on what I have seen is one thing....development now a days means more and more women uses ultra modern and more open dresses and more and more women goes to pubs and booz so much and in the name of freedom as many men doing for many years and decades, now a days women wan so much freedom hence women competing men in all the things...women behaviour under the name of equal rights some adding fuel to fire...just go Phoenix Lower parel mall in Mumbai and have look around pubs and just see how women is behaving and judge the development , u will get the answer....Women booozing in night clubs is one of the key reason for this kind of crimes.....nothing wrong in fighting for equal rights but women and men both should be limitis
Re: May be right
by Ravi Gloom on Jan 02, 2013 08:56 PM
before women were drinking alcohol and wearing open clothing, men were still raping women and little girls. your logic is a little silly.
Re: May be right
by Manjushree Nanda on Jan 05, 2013 06:35 PM
"Women boozing in night clubs is one of the key reason for this kind of crimes"? Why not "men boozing in night clubs is one of the key reason for this kind of crimes" ?
The writer is half right when he states that rape is a crime of passion. Well it can be a crime of passion, but it can also be a crime of opportunity. So on the part of those not interested to become a crime statistic, they should avoid giving opportunities to such demented souls. Crimes such as rape and murder have existed since ages, and that is most holy books prescribe punishments for them. This suggests that crime has existed and will exist, but only correct societal and penal actions will do will be to reduce such crimes. Thus the better way as pointed out by the writer is to allow legtitimate expression of passion, such as early marriage, and second to curb opportunities for its incidence.
