Political Diary

New Delhi, 31 January 2023

#Me Too Singes

ARE WE WRESTLERS OR PLAY THINGS?

By Poonam I Kaushish

India continues to be at war with its girls and women. Repressed, abused and discriminated against this is the fate of millions of women. If this was bad, another battle front exploded when the country’s top 200 wrestlers including Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik protested in freezing Delhi in a fight beyond anything they have faced on the mat which singed Wrestling Federation Chief BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in the biggest #MeToo inferno of sports.

Yet it took three long days before the Government blinked and got Singh to step aside and formed an oversight committee headed by Olympic medalist Mary Kom to investigate allegations of sexual harassment of women wresters by the WFI President. But that didn’t stop Singh from blustering and slapping a wrestler when confronted.

Questionably, at what point do we say enough is enough? There are hundreds of instances of courage where women have come out to accost there predators. Political masters and blatant misogynist have ensured that political, corporate, sports film worlds thrive on dirty games to flaunt their masculinity.

Look at Haryana Sports Minister and ex-hockey captain Sandeep Singh who has been accused of sexual abuse by a junior coach. He remains a Minister. Filmmaker Sajid Khan charged with sexual abuse by 10 women scripted a comeback by brazening it out. From journalist-turned-junior Union Foreign Minister Akbar who was forced to resign, Congress NSUI President, actors Nana Patekar, film director Vivek Bahl, music composer Anu Malik, author Chetan Bhagat, adman Suhel Seth all have been in the dock. Not a few others of sending explicit images, another filmmaker accused of masturbating on a colleague, one more of sexual harassment and assault etc.   

It all started with a small-time actress Tanushree Dutta recounting her story of being sexually assaulted by Patekar in 2008 on a film set. When she objected the actor’s goons misbehaved   making her quit the film, industry and country. Twenty women journalists named Akbar for propositioning them, groping their breasts and violently assaulting them.

Raising a moot point: Why are women viewed as sex objects? A plaything of males to satisfy their libido and massage their egos? Why are we so complacent when it come reporting sexual crimes?

Clearly, in a society which lives with the regressive mindset that freedom and equality for women tantamount to promiscuity, we swing between two extremes. One where a girl child is bad news and nurtured on “conform” paranoia: Not to rock the boat, be fearful of what lies around the corner and subjecting them to countless restrictions in the name of women’s protection. Whereby fathers make the rules, husbands enforce them and male bosses reiterate them, speaking out against someone’s wrong doing is tough.

A girl raped by one of her male relatives in locked in the precincts of her home, is told to keep quite to avoid repercussions on the facetious pretext of ‘what will people say’ and ‘nobody will marry you.’ Several women who face sexual abuse at work stay quite in order to avoid further harassment and unwanted attention. Or are hesitant to speak out fearing they will be dubbed ‘loose charactered’ at best or ostracized at worst. Either which way the damage is done.  Getting married and raising kids is the core of female existence. Sic.

Not a few women complain that they are viewed as sex objects and mince-meat for male lust camouflaged as human animals to either comply or reconcile to battling it out at every level. To rise professionally they need a ‘godfather’ who can make or break them.

A profession where sexual abuse is rampant is the film industry. Actresses complain of “couch” tactics where it is extremely difficult to land a film. Not only are actresses asked to show lot of skin but visit the director, producer, actor after shooting. In the advertising world colleagues’ comment that women should wear things that make them look luscious, some pinch while greeting you,

Perhaps it has something to do with our patriarchal lineage and misogynistic culture. Whereby, we show utter disregard and disrespect for women.... rape, marital rapes, sexual assault and systemic harassment et al.

Recently, Karnataka’s Home Minister blamed “western culture these things do happen”. Really? Added another, “The more skin women show it’s like if there's gasoline, there will be fire. If there's spilt sugar, ants will gravitate towards it.” Cooed another, “Girls shouldn’t wear jeans and exposing clothes, it is against desi sabhyata…. They have no business to be driving around at 2 am in the morning.” Disgusting, to say the least.

In an era when political image is branded like detergents, our netas completely disregard the fact that they have failed miserably in making our cities safe for its people. Crimes against women have more than tripled over the past ten years, according to National Crime Records Bureau’s latest data.

Pertinently, Prime Minister Modi has maintained a calculated silence in the face of countless rapes across the country. Be it BJP colleague, MP or MLA accused of sexual harassment or molestation. Rape accused Unnao MLA is still in the BJP. When he speaks it’s vague, calling it “shame of daughters establishing his patriarchal thinking of a woman’s place in a ‘man’s world.

All eyes are what the Mary Kom Committtee has to say about Wrestlergate. However either which way, women have identified their predators and they will determine what happens next. True, lies have no legs but truth is the best defense.

Notwithstanding the #Me Too campaign, in a culture where the national narrative conditions people to think that sexual harassment has no consequences; where sex crimes are dismissed as result of an imbalanced sex ratio; and where women have little or no cultural respect, it is going to be a steep uphill to change what is just par for the course.

Where does one go from here? Given that this oppressive atrocity against women will get worse, not better. Clearly our leaders need to pay heed and address this seriously. For starters why haven’t our policing laws been strengthened? Laws tightened which would deter men to think thousand times before they commit crime?

Our education system needs to emphasise the importance of gender equality and eradicate the sick male mindset. We need to change our approach to sexual harassment. One option is radical feminism to make a social impact and safety of women should be an important article of faith with people, society and Government. Along-with dignity, equal opportunity and independence of thought and action.

To that end, we need stricter laws that ensure that those found guilty of workplace harassment are punished. The Vishakha judgment guidelines provide many safeguards, like having an “appropriate complaints mechanism with a complaints committee” at all. Political Parties should constituted a Internal Complaints Committee.

Clearly, a revolutionary change is needed. The Constitution has given equal rights to women. Merely mouthing platitudes of freedom will no longer work. We need cry a halt to women being playthings of voyeuristic men. Will women continue to constitute the weaker gender? Continue to rot at the hands of lecherous, predatory or pedophile men? Will we break new ground and unshackle women?  A time to introspect and say Times Up. Enough of sexual harassment! ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)