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Table Of Contents

Victim

Illustration By: Melita Stell D'Souza

It was an offer I couldn't refuse. He was right. I couldn't refuse.

And so here I am... on my death bed.

I thought I would pull through. I feel so alive inside my head for long moments of time, absolutely cognizant and aware of every horrible thing, the nightmare I can not wake up from, thoughts and arguments and regrets rushing through the mass transit of my mind, keeping me alive, anger pulsating through my veins, disgust with everyone and everything, keeping me alive, but hurting and tired, so tired, I know I should not look at the light - there really is a light, crazy, right? - but my head hurts and my heart aches and the anger gives way to sadness and despair and the light is so beautiful and not at all too bright but soft and beckoning and peaceful. Instinct tells me not to look at it, because as I stare...

17

JAW DROPPING ENLIGHTENMENT

Some of India's less progressive minds tackle
the problem of rape

"It is sometimes right and sometimes wrong." -
Babulal Gaur, Home Minister Madhya Pradesh
"Boys will be boys, they make mistakes... Will you hang them for rape?" -
Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief
"An alleged rape of a lady who moves with strangers for days together, even beyond middle of the night, is to be treated on a different footing." -
Shantaram Naik, Congress member of parliament
"I support death penalty for the Delhi rapists, but there should also be a law that women should not wear less clothes and roam around with boys who are not their relatives. What is the need for roaming at night with men who are not relatives? This should be stopped." -
Abu Asim Azmi, president Samajwadi Party for state of Maharashtra
"Just because India achieved freedom at midnight does not mean that women can venture out after dark." -
Botsa Satyanarayan, INC legislature from state assembly of Andhra Pradesh
"Rapes take place also because of a woman's clothes, her behavior and her presence at inappropriate places." -
Asha Mirje, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and a member of the Maharashtra Women's Commission
"I'm asking whether couples should be allowed to kiss in public... On the one hand you want to have a promiscuous culture and on the other hand you want a safe and secure environment for the people." -
Satyapal Singh, Mumbai police commissioner at the time of comment
"Be careful about how you dress... Aping the west blindly is eroding our culture and causing such crimes to happen." -
Mamta Sharma, chairwoman of the National Commission of Women (NCW)
"The rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable, but if someone does this to an infant, it is a heinous crime and the offenders should be hanged." -
Ramesh Bais, BJP member of parliament
"When a group of men intend to rape, they will do it... Had the girl simply surrendered when surrounded by six men, she would not have lost her intestine(s). Why was she out with her boyfriend at 10 pm?" -
Dr. Anita Shukla, scientist at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, an agricultural university
"She should have taken God's name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said 'I consider you as my brother', and should have said to the other two 'Brother, I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother.'" -
Asaram Bapu, self-proclaimed "godman" also on trial for sexual exploitation
"To my understanding, consumption of fast food contributes to such incidents. Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance evoking an urge to indulge in such acts." -
Jitendar Chattar, leader of a Khap Panchayat (local council) in Haryana
"Why do housewives and school going girls need mobiles? It encourages them to make futile small talk and get connected with people outside their homes." -
Rajpal Saini, BSP member of parliament
"I have not seen a single incident or example of rape with a respected lady." -
Manohar Lal Sharma, defense lawyer in Delhi Dec 16, 2012 gang rape case
"Obviously, the fault is the girl's. Why did she have to go to that isolated area... Also, she was wearing skimpy clothes... Her body was uncovered. How could he control himself?" -
Chandbibi Sheikh, mother of one of the rapists in the 2013 Mumbai mill gang rape
"If my daughter was having premarital sex and moving around at night with her boyfriend, I would have burnt her alive. I would not have let this situation happen. All parents should adopt such an attitude." -
A P Singh, defense lawyer in Delhi Dec 16, 2012 gang rape case
"A husband and wife are involved in a contract under which the husband has said that you should take care of my house and I will take care of all your needs, I will keep you safe. So, the husband follows the contract terms. Till the time the wife follows the contract, the husband stays with her. If the wife violates the contract he can disown her." -
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of right-wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
"Only when Sitaji crossed the Lakshman rekha, she was kidnapped by Ravan. If Sitaji (woman) crosses the Lakshman rekha, then 'Sitaharan' (crime against them) is bound to take place as Ravans are out there." -
Kailash Vijayvargiya, cabinet minister for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh
"Some women, wearing lipstick and powder, have taken to streets in Mumbai and are abusing politicians, thus spreading dissatisfaction against democracy." -
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, BJP vice-president
"Those who are coming in the name of students in the rallies, sundori, sundori mahila (beautiful women), are highly dented and painted... I have grave doubts whether they're students, because women of that age are generally not students." -
Abhijit Mukherjee, Congress Party member of parliament and son of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

For more read:

Short skirts, bad stars and chow mein: why India's women get raped - Reuters

Political potshots: Why me, asks modern woman - Times of India

Shut up, please! - Newslaundry.com

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