It's been such a turn around of events. Just as news came in that 11 of the total accused in the sensational GS Road molestation case (Guwahati)on July 9 were convicted, I saw faint rumblings on Facebook regarding a case in Bangalore where a woman who had asked for assistance from a traffic police personnel was manhandled and then subjected to forms of sexual harassment by a mob. To be really honest, I did not even read the news posts. Call it a case of getting weary of reading harassment stories, denial of justice stories but the truth is that I did not want to read the story anymore.(read this: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/woman-groped-by-mob-slapped-by-constable-after-accident/article4172944.ece
The story behind the news unfolded during the course of a Heijingpot (a Manipuri pre nuptial ceremony, held at the bride's house) where other friends asked me about the case. I said I had skimmed the news but did not know in any detail. The next thing to hit me was, was it about Swar Thounaojam a very good friend? I said that she was on her way to Imphal to be with family but everyone said that the profile of the unnamed person in the story could only point to her. I called up Swar immediately and found her firm voice saying that yes, it was her who had been subjected to the latest series of public assault on woman/women in public spaces. She told me that she would fight on and I felt helpless sitting so far away from her.
It gets disturbing how things play out. A woman asks a traffic police to do something about a motor cyclist who has not only rammed into your vehicle but is also abusing you and the traffic police shoves you saying, 'but you don't speak my language!' and pushes the woman who won't give up. She takes the picture of the cop and that leads to more heckling. A semi mob gathers and only after a patrol vehicle comes is the group dispersed. Swar's case is not the first and won't be the last in a country that is fast becoming intolerant and smugly at that. At the end of it all, there will be some buzz on social networking sites and a load of comments but the legal bit of punishments or ensuring that such actions do not happen again, never really happen.
In Manipur, the reactions once this news gets on the local news circuit will ONLY focus on the racial discrimination bit. This is NOT to say that racial overtones were not involved in Swar's case but the main point that needs to be acted upon is why action should not be taken against the traffic police. He who is supposed to ensure road safety has taken upon himself to look the other way but also to excuse himself out of it by saying he could not be bothered because the complainant does not speak the same language as he does. The latest update from Swar is that the DCP, Bangalore West (Traffic) went on air on a TV channel accusing Swar of making false allegations and said the onus was on her to prove that she had been sexually harassed and criminally intimidated by a policeman in his department and other offenders. It reminds you of badly done Hindi film scenes where the bad police/lawyer asks a woman who has been raped to prove she has been raped and how. The kind of Hindi film scenes that makes you cringe...
I have signed a petition but I don't know where that will go and what it will lead to http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Legal_action_against_the_traffic_constable_and_bystanders_who_abused_and_assaulted_Swar_Thounaojam_in_Bangalore/?pv=1
It is this not knowing where justice will be found that makes such men in such positions to continue doing what they do. The locations will differ; it will be another woman somewhere but always, she will be the one who will be the topic of discussion...till the next one bears the brunt in another city or town or village. What a modern, developed country we are in all respect!
The story behind the news unfolded during the course of a Heijingpot (a Manipuri pre nuptial ceremony, held at the bride's house) where other friends asked me about the case. I said I had skimmed the news but did not know in any detail. The next thing to hit me was, was it about Swar Thounaojam a very good friend? I said that she was on her way to Imphal to be with family but everyone said that the profile of the unnamed person in the story could only point to her. I called up Swar immediately and found her firm voice saying that yes, it was her who had been subjected to the latest series of public assault on woman/women in public spaces. She told me that she would fight on and I felt helpless sitting so far away from her.
It gets disturbing how things play out. A woman asks a traffic police to do something about a motor cyclist who has not only rammed into your vehicle but is also abusing you and the traffic police shoves you saying, 'but you don't speak my language!' and pushes the woman who won't give up. She takes the picture of the cop and that leads to more heckling. A semi mob gathers and only after a patrol vehicle comes is the group dispersed. Swar's case is not the first and won't be the last in a country that is fast becoming intolerant and smugly at that. At the end of it all, there will be some buzz on social networking sites and a load of comments but the legal bit of punishments or ensuring that such actions do not happen again, never really happen.
In Manipur, the reactions once this news gets on the local news circuit will ONLY focus on the racial discrimination bit. This is NOT to say that racial overtones were not involved in Swar's case but the main point that needs to be acted upon is why action should not be taken against the traffic police. He who is supposed to ensure road safety has taken upon himself to look the other way but also to excuse himself out of it by saying he could not be bothered because the complainant does not speak the same language as he does. The latest update from Swar is that the DCP, Bangalore West (Traffic) went on air on a TV channel accusing Swar of making false allegations and said the onus was on her to prove that she had been sexually harassed and criminally intimidated by a policeman in his department and other offenders. It reminds you of badly done Hindi film scenes where the bad police/lawyer asks a woman who has been raped to prove she has been raped and how. The kind of Hindi film scenes that makes you cringe...
I have signed a petition but I don't know where that will go and what it will lead to http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Legal_action_against_the_traffic_constable_and_bystanders_who_abused_and_assaulted_Swar_Thounaojam_in_Bangalore/?pv=1
It is this not knowing where justice will be found that makes such men in such positions to continue doing what they do. The locations will differ; it will be another woman somewhere but always, she will be the one who will be the topic of discussion...till the next one bears the brunt in another city or town or village. What a modern, developed country we are in all respect!
