Dr Asangba Tzüdir
The various instances of sexual offences perpetrated, especially on girl child, in our own den over the years, have over and above everything else, brought to fore the need to attack the crime.
The narratives on rape somehow find fixated like the story of the frog in the well. While rape is being considered and acknowledged as a heinous crime, it also comes attached to the notion of shame, that the focus somehow loses its attention and shifts to the latter, the shame.
Bluntly put, for the victim, it becomes an eternal shame; an ignominy even bigger than the one committing the crime. Worst is, the victim is further subjugated when the entire blame is put on her. More often, such an attitude comes from the societal conditioning where the blame is put on the victim rather than on the perpetrator/s and thereby ‘justifying’ the crime.
The victim is not only victimized but also shamed in different layers of societal and family stereotyping in such a way that all hope and the very purpose and meaning of life is blown out in an instant. This is one of the major reasons as to why so many cases of sexual offences are not being reported. It is heartbreaking and such incidents have put, especially the mothers who have little daughters, in a constant state of fear and insecurity. It wields them in constant prayers and also educates in various ways as cover from sick predators. However, the little son too also needs to be educated about the importance of creating a secured environment for the daughters and sisters.
Taking the instance of the recent incident of ‘alleged rape,’ someone has commented that the accused has brought shame not only on the village to which he belongs to; but more so, on that particular community at large. It is rightly so in the context of societal conditioning, but if the blame or the passing of shame is to broaden, it ends in the entire men-folk irrespective of the divisions. However, what is missed in the process is that the crime or the perpetrators of crime is often let off the hook. It is high time to attack the problem and not on the issue of shame which operates in many ways. It is not wise to hold a particular tribe or community answerable for a crime. A crime need not be seen through the prism of tribe or community but on the crime itself.
The tragedy of rape is that, rather than attacking the crime, the minds and the societal conditioning delves into the aspect of the shame and that, it is ok so long as one is not a part of the shameful crime, and thereby the issue gets normalized.
Often, in condemnation of the crime, the victims are also emotionally and unnecessarily pulled in by way of saying that their lives are ruined; all honour and dignity lost as if it is the end of the road of their life. It will only add to the horrors of being victimised. Though only the victims know what they are going through, yet a lot of emotional, rational and psychological counselling is needed for them to be empowered and enabling them to seek justice openly.
On one hand, it is imperative that the existing law operates in a manner that the best interests and well being of the ‘child’ are regarded as being of paramount importance at every stage to ensure the healthy physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of the child. On the other, it is equally important to ensure the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment as well as rape and provide for the speedy establishment of special courts for trial of such offences to ensure that the perpetrators of such crime are booked and justice delivered to the victim, keeping in view that there are loopholes even in the POCSO ACT.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
