Why we need to stop calling rape victims 'bechari'

 

Earlier this month, reports of gang rape of a 19-year-old girl in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh shocked the nation. Like every other crime involving sexual assault--this one was heinous in nature too. But, what made it even more disturbing was the ease with which the accused held the rape survivor captive. However, it's not just the rape case we are going to talk about here. There's been enough said already. But, amidst the clouds of grey, shines the strength of the survivor and her will to lead her life as normally as she can. And that indeed is worth applauding. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Before we get into further details, here's a recap of what exactly happened in Bhopal.

A Gruesome Gang Rape That Will Make Your Blood Boil

A 19-year-old girl in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh too took a short cut, at about 7pm on Tuesday, 31st October. And she was gang raped by four men. The survivor belongs to the district of Vidisha and is an UPSC aspirant. She was walking towards Habibganj railway station. The irony is she was just 40 metres from a railway police post.

Golu Bihari, who is out in bail in the murder of his daughter his brother-in-law Amar Bhuntu were drinking when they saw, attacked and dragged her towards a naali. The girl kicked the two men and tried to defend herself, which just fuelled their anger. After fifteen minutes of assaulting the girl, they even took a break and had cigarettes and gutka. Golu went to get them while Amar watched over her.

The survivor begged for clothes because hers had been torn off. Golu got her some clothes, and two more men to rape her. Rajesh and Ramesh, the two men Golu had bought with him, now took turns to rape the girl. This went on for three hours, till 10 pm. She was allowed to go, after the four accused took her earrings, watch and phone.

The Police's Reaction Was Even More Absurd

It's the duty of the police to protect the citizens of the country. So, it's expected that when a victim of sexual assault approaches them, they should listen to her/him and take adequate steps to arrest the accused. Unfortunately, this did not happen in this case.

When the victim was let go, she rushed to a RPF outpost and called her parents. They took her to the nearest police station to file a complaint. However, they were told that the case was not under their jurisdiction and they had to go to another. After making two stops, they finally reached Habibganj GRP, where she related her ordeal. However, the cops there laughed at her story and called it 'filmy.'

This led to the parents' taking the matter into their own hands. When the girls' parents spotted one of the accused loitering in the area, they caught hold of him and dragged him to the police station. It was then her complaint was finally registered.  

In the latest, the survivor spoke to the media and had the most hard-hitting things to say.

"Don't Call Me a Bechari"

"It is my attackers who should feel guilty for what they did to me. I don't want to spend the rest of my life hearing comments like 'bechari rape victim'," she said in an interview to the Indian Express.

The survivor also made a valid point about victim-shaming. It's pretty common in most rape cases to blame the victim's clothes for the crime. "Why was she wearing a skirt? She was asking for it." "She should not have worn a short dress. She deserved it." Yeah, so on and so forth…

But, the survivor here gave a benefitting reply to all such people. "I was wearing a full-sleeve shirt and jeans, not a short dress. And yet it happened. Even sari-clad women are raped in villages," she continued.

The Stigma Attached With Sexual Crimes

Let's not play naïve and rubbish that there is no stigma attached with sexual crimes in our society. Because there is. And that's one of the prime reasons why identity of a rape victim is not disclosed--not to the public and not to the media. The reason behind this legal obligation has a lot to do with the attitude of the society towards the girl.

Unfortunately, it even terms the survivor as 'soiled good.' Very conveniently forgetting that the girl is a human being and not an object. Yet, there are extreme reactions to the crime. And honestly, both of them are equally absurd.

a)    Victim shaming--Some people tag shame with rape. They believe the victim has tainted her honour or izzat, as you call it. She should be ashamed and the burden of the crime falls on her alone. Her lifestyle, her choices, and her fashion sense are questioned. Her character is maligned and she is forced to live a life of shame.

b)    Glorifying--This is another extreme reaction. Yes, it is indeed praiseworthy when a victim of sexual assault fights back what is unjust. And this is exactly how it should be looked at. Earning brownie points and TRP by exploiting the personal space of the victim is not justified. In case of Nirbhaya, the victim did fight back. Because that's the only option she had. But, media turned it into a circus altogether.

In both the cases, it the victim, who bears the burden of the crime alone. One breaks her down by taunting her, the other stops treating her like a normal human being. And that's exactly the reason why law emphasizes on keeping the identity of the victim hidden from the public eye--all for the sake of normalcy.

What The Law States

Section 228 A of the Indian Penal Code lays down the provisions barring the disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences.

"Whoever prints or publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom an offence under section 376 (rape), section 376A (rape leading to death or making victim go into a permanent vegetative state), section 376B (sexual intercourse by husband upon his wife during separation) , section 376C (sexual intercourse by person in authority) or section 376D (gang rape) is alleged or found to have been committed (hereafter in this section referred to as the victim) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine."

Why law emphasizes on keeping the identity of the victim hidden? Photo: Shutterstock/ IndiaPicture

Now, coming to the gang rape of the Bhopal victim and the statement made by her. She does make a point. All she wants from the society is normalcy. The right to live like every other person. And the tag 'bechari' makes that impossible. In fact, ex-Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar shares the same view.

Rape Victims Should Not Be Addressed as 'Bechari': Meira Kumar

In 2013, Meira Kumar made some valid arguments about the same. According to a report published in the DNA, Kumar on insisted that a rape victim should never be addressed in a subservient and disrespectful manner, by calling her 'bechari' (poor girl) or 'zinda laash' (live corpse).

"Victim should never be called 'bechari' or 'zinda laash'. How can you just condemn a person because she was raped? These words should not be used," Meira Kumar said at an interactive session organised by MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"As far as language used in the parliament is concerned, there is a very big dictionary of language on parliamentary words and I always delete any word which is un-parliamentary (the proceedings come to me). That is a kind of self-restraint which should be there," she added.

And we totally agree.