Ugly India

Hidden in India's Toilet Statistics, the Real Threat of Sexual Violence

Badaun:  On the night of May 28, 2014 two girls, cousins aged 14 and 15 years, stepped out of their house in Katra village, in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district, to relieve themselves.

They were allegedly abducted and raped by some men from the same village; their bodies were found hanging from a tree the next day.

The route the young Dalit girls took that night is a familiar one for the women of the village. It is probably the only time in the day when they step out alone, unaccompanied by the men of the family, in the dark.

"Men go out in the day, so women can go only early in the morning or late at night," said one of them.

An everyday routine in rural India - where the acute shortage of basic facilities like bathrooms forces women and girls to venture out to the open fields - also makes them vulnerable to horrific sexual violence.

Nearly two months ago, four Dalit girls from Bhagana in Haryana, who had stepped out to answer nature's call, were picked up from right outside their residence. They were raped and then dumped at the Bhatinda railway station in Punjab.

It took the families an entire day to get the first information report, or FIR, registered; the medical examination took even longer.

Five people have been arrested in connection with the case, though the man alleged to be the main culprit, the village sarpanch, continues to roam free.

Most Dalit families have since fled the village; they have been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar, in Delhi, for nearly two months.

One of the survivors, only 13-years-old, told NDTV, "We want justice. The sarpanch should be punished so that he can be made an example of."

The horrific crimes in both Bhagana and Badaun display the power politics -- as well as the prevalent caste and gender discrimination -- in rural India in its worst form.

They also reveal the dark subtext of one of India's most shameful realities -- 53 per cent of Indian households defecate in the open, according to a World Bank report. In both villages, the girls, from impoverished Dalit families, were forced to leave their homes due to a lack of basic sanitation facilities.

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India's most shameful realities - 53 percent of Indian households defecate in the open.

Lack of basic sanitation facilities.

That is the fact and true face of India. But, we cover up this ugliness with our the most spectacular swearing-in ceremony in Rashtrapathi Bhavan; with our massive political entertainments.

The underlying truth is - lack of basic sanitation facilities; not just in Uttar Pradesh; in fact, the whole of India.

But, that is a known fact. It has been the way of life for many decades. Perhaps in the British period; Mogul period; Akbar period; way back in Rama Rajyam too. People in India used to go out in the open field.

Recently, a team of researchers had been to Australia to test their Solar powered car. They said; they had to go out in the open field in Australia.

So, going out in the open field is nothing new or bad about it. In fact, it is a natural fertilizer for the field.

Then, what is the real problem.

In this article, the word used is: Sexual Violence.

Yes. that is the right word. Rape is more of an abstract word. Sexual Violence coveys the true meaning of the action.

For Sexual Violence, we may find western solution or eastern solution.

The fact is, human beings are sexually starved in India. That is the reason, they become violent.

In western, right from schools, they encourage physical sexual activities. So, all human beings have totally and completely had enough of sex. In fact, they have more than enough. It is pure physical sex; no love; no romance.  So, from age 20 to age 30, they have had enough sex without any marriage commitment.

From their perspective, sex is a basic need of a human being. They refer it as biological need.

Now, coming to eastern solution; Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was married at the age of 13. So, in ancient India, the elders took the responsibility of managing a family and had their children married at the young age. The elders didn't give the youth the burden of a family; but let them enjoy.

Now, we are caught in the middle. We cannot promote physical sex without marriage commitment at the young age. We cannot encourage child marriage also.

For any human being, the sexual need begins at the age of 13 to 14. In the modern India, they have to wait till the age of 30 to get married. How do they manage for 15 years of their early life. In fact, that is the right period for good, healthy sex activities.

So, it is not just a problem of Akilesh, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The problem will not be solved just by replacing the Chief Secretary.

Sexual Violence is a real, serious problem of mankind.

கற்பழிப்பு; அல்லது கற்பு அழிப்பு
இந்த வார்த்தை பொருத்தமானது அல்ல.

பாலியல் வன்முறை என்பது சரியான வார்த்தை; சரியான பொருளைத் தரும்.

So, Sexual Violence is not  political issue; it is not a government issue; it is not an issue of a political party. It is a social issue.

So, political party or political leaders or Chief Ministers or Prime Ministers cannot solve this problem.

It is an issue of the society. It is a social issue. It is an issue of all human beings. First, we need to understand the problem, before start looking for any solution.

So, the truth is, current India is an Ugly India.