When a gang of men were raping a vulnerable 23 year old medical student in the moving white line Delhi bus, there was a world outside busy performing fake mannerisms and upholding facades of civilizations. It was an uncanny moment in the truest Freudian sense.
No God, law and morality could hold back the human animal and his demonstration of the Darwinian Theory inside the bus. Delhi being a bluntly honest city, very often exposes human duality. As a result we all live in extreme paranoia, cynicism and fear of our very self, running away from an animal that dwells inside all of us.
It’s in the morning newspapers that we read stories about the unfamiliar act of rapes in familiar parts of our city. We make the story personal by putting our loved ones in the place of the victim and perhaps feel angry. Freud would have us believe that distancing ourselves from perpetrators of the heinous crime is like repressing the unconscious mind.
Research testifies that violence and sex are the key elements that gratify the masculine ego. Rape thus becomes a complex blend of pivotal male instincts. Rape then for some becomes an expression of male dominance. We live in a country where we worship the phallus and wholeheartedly practice patriarchy.
So it happens every day in every part of the country. We rape our own daughters and sisters and anyone we can lay our hands on. The 23 year old rape victim is now on a ventilator where doctor attend to her bruises. It all appears to be a futile exercise as nothing can reinstate her mental composure, perhaps she can never in her life have uninhibited sex…. if at all she pulls through.
Most of the times incidents like these are followed by interesting statements. Most of the times we manage to blame the victim. We manage to say things about her character and attire which makes rape appear a self imposed crime – pretty much like a suicide.
But then it often happens that women are unable to escape the male gaze that scans her.
Thus we try to live a life of denial where in a postlapsarian world we are busy hiding our nakedness with twigs of education, liberalization and gender equality.
One major reason that Delhi finds itself hosting such beastly carnivals is the economic hiatus that this city breeds, where modernity and barbarism co exist. Where an open minded medical student travels in the same bus where a gang of men pursuing odd jobs are hungry for a kind of revenge.
The only place in Delhi which manages gender subversion is the infamous Garstion Bastion road, where the girls have already overcome their biggest fears. Once when I was there I found myself so ashamed and self conscious that I glued my eyes to the floor. I was unable to look at any women around and was honestly threatened. Even with the regular customers, it was the women who dictated the terms. But no matter what, it isn’t a subversion women can be proud of.
Of all the crimes, thus it is rape that possibly shocks us the most. It is that delicate moment where curtains fall for the lousy show of women development. Behind the curtains is the detestable act that we secretly perform.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.