Hathras Rape Victim Dies; Twitter Discusses the Caste Factor in Sexual Violence
India has had a bitter reminder of the infamous Nirbhaya case of 2012 on Tuesday morning, when the 20-year-old victim of a gangrape in Uttar Pradesh died at a hospital in Delhi.
The Dalit girl, who had suffered terrible injuries including multiple fractures that led to paralysis, hailed from Hathras village, about 200km from Delhi. Reportedly, four upper caste men attacked her when she was cutting grass in the fields, two weeks ago. She was later discovered by her mother and brothers, left naked in the field and bleeding.
The victim’s brother had told media that the police didn’t help the victim initially, and took action only four days after the incident. According to NDTV, the UP police maintains that the woman's allegations of rape were not confirmed. "The medical examination did not reveal anything related to rape. We have asked for a forensic report. We have sent the samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Agra and are awaiting a report. It will be available soon," Aligarh police chief Piyush Mordia was quoted as saying. However, Hathras police chief Vikrant Vir has assured swift investigation.
The four accused men have been arrested and charged with charges of gang rape, attempt to murder, and sections of the SC/ST Act.
Unsurprisingly, the incident has caused furore, with multiple incidents of protests on the roads happening today, as well as a huge social media uproar. However, the caste element in the horrible incident has created a divide among the netizens, on whether to view this as a case of sexual violence or caste-based violence.
Journalist Nidhi Suresh was among those who threw light on the caste-based discrimination that decides the lives of many, including the victim:
Her brothers describe how the village still practises untouchbility.Even now when they go to a shop, the shopkeeper sprinkles water on the money they give him.“If by mistake one of us touches a packet of biscuits, we have to buy it and cannot return it,”said the brother. #Hathras
— Nidhi Suresh (@NidhiSuresh_) September 29, 2020
Author and activist Meena Kandasamy pointed to the marriage of caste and toxic masculinity that is the undeniable cause of such incidents:
This is no country for women is a truism—but the bigger national shame is in these incidents (rapes, murders), the most brutal and most victimised routinely are Dalit women. Caste-hindu toxic masculinity must die. Punish these Thakur rapists. #Hathras https://t.co/wOXjSPsEqU
— meena kandasamy || இளவேனில் (@meenakandasamy) September 29, 2020
Screenwriter Atika Chohan (who wrote Chhapaak and Guilty) also called out the patriarchal mould we are entrenched in, even in mourning:
Stop calling Manisha Valmiki gudiya, bitiya, beti in your tweets. Stop assailing her further by again granting her ‘fatherhood’ in the mourning. Or is it because only your patriarchal shield will make the crime legitimate. Men vs Men again or no crime was ever committed?
— Atika Chohan (@atikachohan) September 29, 2020
Sunitha Krishnan, founder of NGO Prajwala and a gang-rape survivor herself, made a strong statement about the noise around such incidents, which often fail to make any grassroot level change:
Our hypocrisy stinks,if it is a rape/gang rape that gets national attention or political attention or catches our fancy, everybody is jumping around, stories told loudly, candles lit, protests held, reliefs proclaimed. U do not fall in above category-go to hell for all I care!
— sunitha krishnan (@sunita_krishnan) September 29, 2020
Actor Richa Chadha too spoke up about the need to recognise the caste element in the incident, as the only way forward for safety and equality.
If the use of the word 'dalit' has triggered you more than the barbarity of rape and violence itself, there's a problem don't you think ? We must act together, build a society where caste becomes immaterial and girls have an actual shot at life. RIP 💔 #JusticeForHathrasVictim
— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) September 29, 2020
Watch this space for more updates.