Indian students in Amritsar on December 20 protest against the New Delhi rape that ultimately resulted in a woman's death.President's son faces backlash after "dented and painted women" commentHindi phrase "Izzat lootna," used to describe rape, means "to steal the honor of"Mangaldas: "Why should a rapist be given so much credit" for criminal, perverse act?New Delhi woman dies with honor intact; her rapists will live in ignominy, Mangaldas writesEditor's note: Leeza Mangaldas is an actress based in Mumbai. She is also the founder of Evoke India, a forum for idea-sharing and open dialogue in India. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.Mumbai, India (CNN) -- Misogyny is so deeply rooted in India's collective psychology that even the president's son -- in this case, Congress Parliament member Abhijit Mukherjee -- could entangle himself with a remark against women protesting gang rape.
He called them "dented and painted women" who go to discos, have little connection with ground realities and are making candlelight vigils fashionable.After an enormous backlash, he apologized and retracted his comments, but many are not satisfied and want his resignation
Misogyny has long permeated our textbooks, our pedagogy and our parenting. In fact, it runs so deep that it reflects itself even in our linguistics. The Hindi phrase most commonly used to describe sexual violence or rape against women is "izzat lootna," which means "to steal the honor of." Another Hindi word used for rape, "balatkar" (or "bad act"), is considered so erudite and technical that it's barely ever used. (Its English equivalent would be "coitus" instead of "sex.")So, for the most part, we're stuck with "izzat lootna" -- and the necessary question: Why should a rapist be given so much credit? Rape is a criminal act of force and perverse subjugation. When a woman is raped, her most fundamental rights as a human being are violated.Yet, she is just as honorable as she ever was. Honor cannot be stolen. It can only be surrendered. Surely in the act of rape, it is the perpetrator, not the victim, who surrenders honor.The brave girl from Delhi died with her honor intact. Her rapists will live in ignominy.var currExpandable="expand18";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='international/2012/12/29/india-rape-protests-malika-kapur-pkg.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229065600-india-rape-protests-malika-kapur-pkg-00002012-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand18Store=mObj;Unfortunately, in India rape is inextricably linked by men -- and women -- to shame: the ultimate desecration. Many victims are murdered by their rapists or choose to commit suicide. It is also not uncommon for the parents of rape victims to kill themselves. Thus, most victims don't speak up about what happened to them, lest their families be ostracized, lest they never find a husband or be shunned by their friends.var currExpandable="expand19";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/29/india-rape-protests.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229013952-india-rape-protests-00014512-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand19Store=mObj;About 10 months ago, I was offered a role of a young, urban woman who gets gang raped. The film explores how she chooses to deal with what happens to her. It is a very powerful script, and most of me wanted to accept the role immediately. But a gnawing part of me worried about how I'd be perceived by the general public were I to perform this role.var currExpandable="expand110";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/29/wr-bhagat-rape-suspects-murder-charged.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229073809-wr-bhagat-rape-suspects-murder-charged-00012901-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand110Store=mObj;Female sexuality in Hindi cinema is extremely fraught, especially because audiences seem unable to comprehend the distinction between what a role demands from an actor and that person's conduct offscreen.In the script the woman is attractive, confident and self aware; she'd had several consensual relationships with men and enjoyed her sexuality. Truth be told, her character is not far from me in real life. Still, in patriarchal, judgmental, misogynistic Indian society, these are labels most women are afraid to carry publicly. On top of this, the character gets raped.I was afraid to accept the role. Afraid of whether audiences and the media would think I was promiscuous, desecrated. Embarrassed at the prospect of saying I'm doing a film in which I get raped, lest aspersions be cast on my character.There lay, in my own mind, the seeds of the same misogyny that makes Mr. Mukherjee's remarks in the wake of the student's gang rape so deplorable. Seeds I had to uproot at once. I accepted the role.At the time I was offered the film, rape wasn't getting the sort of national attention it is getting right now. It was still a topic that made most people uncomfortable, a topic that women and men alike were not able to freely express their opinions on.That India's young public is today demanding so vocally the need to address the way we view sexuality and gender equality is empowering. People are sharing their own experiences of sexual violence on blogs and social media. Men and women are collaborating to seek legal reform, to challenge the societal perceptions they have been force-fed.We now understand that to remain silent bystanders of a crime is to collude with the criminal. It is clear to me that as actors, filmmakers, artists, journalists, activists -- people who use a medium that has the potential to reach so many minds -- it is our responsibility to educate and mobilize, while we entertain.For the last 10 months, as we have been rehearsing and shooting, the subject of rape has been my foremost preoccupation. Two points have struck me in particular: First, the director, who is also the scriptwriter, is male. His co-writer, the music composer, is also male. These two artists, Tarun Chopra and Daboo Malik, chose to champion a cause that almost always gets packaged as a women's issue.In India, sexual violence is perpetrated almost entirely by men. Rapists are male. Should men not feel responsible then to prevent the occurrence of this crime? Shouldn't men be disturbed that their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters constantly feel unsafe or feel they have to dress and behave in a particular way to avoid getting raped? Isn't it time men educated other men about consent?Secondly, and this point took me longer to acknowledge, women are as guilty as men for the mindset that breeds the crime. We kill our own infant daughters, we immolate our sons' wives if they bear female children, we disapprove of women who make an effort to be attractive -- and doubt their character. We still look at marriage as if it's the purpose for which we were born.But misogyny is no longer misogyny when expressed by a woman. It's self-loathing.And while it is easy -- and justified -- for women to point fingers at men for the chauvinism in our society, don't we owe it to ourselves to look within?
December 30, 2012 -- Updated 0841 GMT (1641 HKT) 
In India even the president's son could entangle himself with a remark against women protesting gang rape, an actress writes.December 30, 2012 -- Updated 0346 GMT (1146 HKT) 
Philippines Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago writes about the long struggle for a reproductive health law, and why it empowers poor women.December 29, 2012 -- Updated 1722 GMT (0122 HKT) 
Dean Obeidallah says you are smarter today than 365 days ago, and you probably learned a few Korean words like "Gangnam Style." December 29, 2012 -- Updated 0313 GMT (1113 HKT) 
America's gun debates are about score-settling and finger-pointing, and many issues must be faced to stop the killing, says Roland Martin.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1356 GMT (2156 HKT) 
Aaron Carroll says most of the changes in 2013 will be in preparation for 2014 when the Affordable Care Act really kicks into effect.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1351 GMT (2151 HKT) 
Don't look for dramatic change in the troubled politics of the Middle East, says Aaron Miller.
Get the latest opinion and analysis from CNN's columnists and contributors.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1337 GMT (2137 HKT) 
Sheril Kirshenbaum says natural gas fracking, climate change and renewables are likely to drive discussions of energy in the new year.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1354 GMT (2154 HKT) 
Former CIA director Michael Hayden says the controversy over the film is one of two Washington debates in which politics obscures the real role of intelligence agencies.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1344 GMT (2144 HKT) 
Even for someone who has written more than 2,000 columns over the last 20 years, sometimes the words come out wrong, says Ruben Navarrette. December 28, 2012 -- Updated 0307 GMT (1107 HKT) 
Kerry Cahill and Keely Vanacker, whose father was shot dead at Fort Hood, say the nation must address problems that lead to massacres.December 27, 2012 -- Updated 1445 GMT (2245 HKT) 
Jeffrey Toobin says key rulings will likely be made regarding same-sex marriage and affirmative action for public college admissions.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 0041 GMT (0841 HKT) 
Frida Ghitis says that after years in which conservative views dominated the nation, there's now majority support for many progressive stances.
Today's five most popular stories
No comments:
Post a Comment