Originally posted on Facebook on December 19, 2012. Pic courtesy: idiva.com
Himanshu Sharma, 20, is a resident of Rohini. A placard
hanging from his neck demands justice for the victim. Sharma's story is
most interesting -Himanshu lives in Begampur, a village near Rohini, and
is currently looking for a job. Himanshu confesses that he had been an
eve teaser until yesterday. "I was an eve teaser, and I accept it. Mein
aaj yahan apne paap dhone aaya hun." But he swears that he has never
touched a girl. "I have passed comments at girls on the road. I was the
leader of my gang," he adds. But something that happened a few nights
ago changed him. "There was no power in our locality and my elder sister
had not come home. It was a day after I had heard about this incident. I
was so scared for my sister," he says."I decided then that I'd never
indulge in eve teasing again and I will also not let anyone else do it,"
he says. - Rediff.com
The Delhi gang rape has been so horrifying for men,
that for the first time I saw more men protesting on roads for women,
than women themselves. For the first time, men have been genuinely
rattled by this mindless and shocking assault on that girl. For the
first time, men can see the face of their sisters and wives in that girl
who is courageously battling for her life in Safdarjung Hospital. I
have spoken to a lot of my male friends and they are not only shocked
but ashamed by this act. It just make me believe that this gang-rape
will change Indian men forever.
As much as men, this is also a time for women to ponder about a few areas which otherwise are never debated in an open and forthright manner. While we all agree that these rapists need to be punished, jailed, castrated and hanged, we also need to re-look at how women allow themselves to be portrayed in mass media. The growing exploitation of women as a object of sex and desire to sell products and services is a matter of grave concern.
Everyday, viewers (read 'men') are bombarded with item songs, sex chats, online pornography, reality shows, advertising, etc. where women perform erotic acts to attract eyeballs, TRPs and subscription revenues. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of money, the lines of decency between eroticism and vulgarity have blurred. This content is systematically channeled to predominantly young male viewers who are forming opinions about the world around them. These men form a lucrative market as customers, and as the competition for eyeballs hots up, women in movies, TV, web and advertising are getting more and more risque and raunchy in this sexual jamboree.
Bollywood, specially, has not only been quite crass about this depiction, they have even aptly termed these sequences as "item numbers". Top bollywood heroines are vying to be called "item queens". Not only do they perform to vulgar songs and moves in the movie, but also repeat it at awards, private functions and events for hefty fees.
Unfortunately, amongst these viewers are millions of uneducated and mentally sick men who are incapable to comprehend the difference between fiction and reality. The unrestrained portrayal of women as seductive, submissive, vulnerable and buyable commodity across media is creating dangerous perceptions about them amongst such men in the society. Sadly, while these women earn money through organized titillation and live a protected life, it is the common women on the streets that bear the brunt of sexual harassment and rape.
We can argue that these men are wrong to behave the way they do and they should be punished. No questions about that. But to change the attitudes of millions of such 'sick' men or punish them for their misdemeanors looks like an impossible task for law and order in this country. While we do that, it is time women need to debate with some of their own folks about the impact of carelessly allowing themselves to be promoted in vulgar ways for monetary benefits. This needs to be curbed and controlled. I believe some of these women need be trained to control their own exploitation as a mere sexual object of desire and men should be trained to understand the difference between reality and fiction. Laws and punishment can deter men, but cannot stop them. Even if this logic does not hold good, I still feel that women need to rethink the way they allow themselves to be projected in mass media.
No woman goes out of her house with the intention of provoking men to rape her. Not even prostitutes do that. But men who rape are not provoked by women on the streets - they are already provoked by the vulgarity they see on TV, in films, on the web and over the phone. Women on the streets fall easy prey to this media-led provocation. While rape can happen to any woman irrespective of her economic status, most rapists tend to come from economically and educationally poorer backgrounds. Therefore, levels of decency and prevention need to be defined by women themselves and fiercely protected and implemented. A self-censorship mechanism is essential in a world where it is becoming dangerous for a common, working woman, to live and move around fearlessly.
There is a need for an honest debate about this aspect which has been conveniently side-tracked by one and all, mainly due to fear of angry and volatile rebuke from the women community. It is time women in India also question some of their own community's actions and crack the whip.
Check this presentation by Jean Killbourne on objectification of women in media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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