reacting to rape in india

In the wake of the trial covering the recent rape and murder of a 23 year-old woman in Delhi, the western media has brought about some ill-minded commentary. Certain publications have taken to blaming misogyny in India on Islam and the supposedly radically different outlook which Muslims have compared to the rest of the world. Rather than show this fanciful claim to be false, perhaps it would be better to simply point out that all five of the men who are accused of carrying out the attack are Hindus and that (according to the 2001 census) 13.4% of the country is Muslim - hardly a majority. Using Islam as a scapegoat here cannot be justified.

Rather than asking why India is a misogynistic country and then blaming one cultural foundation or another, one should pursue the means to real change.

The rape of late last year is not the first to receive national publicity in India. In 1979, a sixteen year-old girl named Mathura was raped by two policeman who were later acquitted because the girl was not a virgin at the time the rape took place. After large scale protests, and coverage from India's media, there were significant changes to the law. In 1983 a provision was made to the Evidence Act which states that if a woman says that the sexual intercourse was not consensual, then the court is to take the statement at face value and presume that what she says is the truth. Such a victory should not be seen as minor. Not only does this provision show the power which protest holds for real legal and social change, but it also more importantly empowers the victim to point out her attackers and identify them as rapists.

Since 1979, India has grown in affirming the status of woman as equal to men. The year 1984 saw the end of the 15-year premiership held by Indira Ghandi - the world's longest serving woman prime minister. The 1990s saw the creation of numerous NGOs concentrating on woman rights (such as the Self Employed Woman's Association). 2001 saw the government declare the Year of Women's Empowerment followed by the enacting of the Women's Reservation Bill in 2010 which retains a minimum of 33% woman membership in parliament and other state legislative bodies.

These milestones reflect the growing trend towards equality in India, and even perhaps suggest that the real catalyst for change is real legal action as apposed to the criticism of out-dated cultural foundations.

What is true is that India is a deeply divided country. Cultures of misogyny and patriarchy are prevalent with some - and yet it would appear that the ideals of equality and egalitarianism are prevalent with much more. In trying to explain the cultural cause for misogyny in India we always find ourselves lacking in explanation. Rather than attacking the supposed root of a problem we will lose ourselves in petty arguments and achieve nothing but the explaining away of the problem. If India is to enjoy real change, and if the west wants to help her achieve it, then all we should do is support the protestors on the street calling for a judicial system which represents the beliefs of the growing majority. Anything more or less would be damaging.