Peaking barbarism
Even as the chaos in Kolkata is far from over, yet another allegation of inhuman sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls in Badlapur, Maharashtra, by a member of the cleaning staff—hired on contract—in a school has sent shockwaves through the country. The region has erupted into enraged protests disrupting transport and other services—prompting high-handed response from the police and administration in the form of lathi charge and Internet suspension.
Kolkata is located in the eastern part of India while Maharashtra banks on the western shoreline, yet what they share in common is disheartening—a vulnerable state of women irrespective of their age and socio-economic standing. It is not at all tough to draw the corollary that from north to south, the situation remains more or less the same. In the south, the Hema Committee report has exposed the despicable state of the Malayalam film industry where women are allegedly asked for ‘sexual favours’ to get promoted at work, or get the work itself! It's time to confront the reality that misogyny and toxic patriarchy run deep in Indian societies across the nation.
The glaring irony is: the same BJP which is going full throttle against the West Bengal government, endorsing and partaking in protests, has taken little time in terming the unrest in Maharashtra as ‘political’. The reason is obvious—it is an alliance partner in the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikash Aghadi has called for Maharashtra bandh on August 24. Call it a coincidence, but it exposes the hypocrisy of the leadership and their despicable act of using sexual assaults against women/girls as an opportunity for political brownie points in one case, while downplaying it in the another. The political subjugation and hijacking of women’s genuine vulnerability in society is grossly misappropriate and undermines the chances of justice.
In the first place, it is utterly shameful that even the small kids are not spared! As if the allegation of the gross act was not enough, reports suggest that there was a considerable delay on the part of the police and administration to file an FIR and initiate proceedings. The two girls were allegedly assaulted on August 12-13, and the FIR was filed by the police after a considerable delay of 5-6 days on August 17—sure enough lapse for much of the evidence to be tampered with or rendered irrelevant. The chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) mixed no words in saying, "The school's attitude in this case was insensitive. They tried to suppress the case. The concerned police station did not register an FIR in due time." The commission had decided to send a team for inquiry at the incident spot. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), too, demanded a detailed report from Maharashtra authorities on the incident and the "delay" in filing an FIR in the matter.
And here comes yet another irony: while it took almost a week for the police to file an FIR in the sexual assault, it was far quicker in registering FIRs against 300 persons and arresting 40 protestors, almost promptly. The glaring imbalance in priorities is visible to the naked eyes, wherein safeguarding and furnishing the image of the government takes precedence over the sensitive approach needed to address the vulnerabilities of the victims. With the next assembly elections looming on the horizon, and the situation already becoming volatile in the present case, government authorities have suddenly woken from the slumber—announcing the formation of a Special Investigation Team, fast tracking of the case, establishing Vishaka Committees, implementing a host of safeguards provided under Vishakha guidelines, and whatnot.
The question is: why is the government reminded of preventive measures when forced to give a reactive response in the aftermath of the crime? Crisis management and keeping the image of the government intact are one thing, and dealing with the heinous crime with the degree of sensitivity that is required is another. The fact is, two little kids may have been subjected to the barbarism they did not deserve. Who is accountable?