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[For those that aren't aware, DOTW stands for Discussion Of The Week]
In India (especially in the rural areas) rape is much more than just an act of violence. It's also about dignity and family honour. A woman is told that her honour is her most prized possession and if she has sex with someone she isn't married to, she loses it regardless of whether she was a willing participant or was forced into the act. So when a rape takes place it's the victim who pays more than the culprit does. The society doesn't address the physical and mental drawbacks of being raped. The only thing they worry about is the victim's dignity, her family honour and the fact that she wouldn't get any marriage proposals.
Now coming to this show, the DM track portrayed Veerpur's residents having the same regressive mindset that had I mentioned above. Ammaji didn't care what Kalli and Jhumar would go through to have a middle aged, perverted man touching them against their will. And apparently, neither did anyone from Kalli's family or the haveli. Kalli's husband begged Ammaji to save his ghar ki izzat but never said a word about saving his wife from going through a horrible ordeal. Sheela used Jhumar being Saghwan khandaan ki izzat as her weapon to save her daughter. I assume the only reason why Sheela was so terrified was that she feared Jhumar would lose her izzat and hence not get any marriage proposals. I doubt she was worried about her daughter being abused and mentally tormented. Ammaji didn't have any second throughts before presenting both Kalli and Jhumar to DM on a silver platter - until of course, the matter came down to her honour. Then she suddenly had the strength to stand up to DM and ask him to get lost. What appalled me the most was that Ammaji only regretted jeopardizing the honour of the two women - she didn't regret violating their rights by committing such an inhumane act.
These last few episodes of the show got me thinking, why is rape always about honour? Why does the victim have to face humiliation? And how would it bring shame upon the entire family if the sexual act didn't even happen by the victim's consent? Also, is honour so important that you'd compromise your ethics for everything else but that? Isn't it about time the rapists suffered the consequences and not the victims?
What are your thoughts on the subject?
In India (especially in the rural areas) rape is much more than just an act of violence. It's also about dignity and family honour. A woman is told that her honour is her most prized possession and if she has sex with someone she isn't married to, she loses it regardless of whether she was a willing participant or was forced into the act. So when a rape takes place it's the victim who pays more than the culprit does. The society doesn't address the physical and mental drawbacks of being raped. The only thing they worry about is the victim's dignity, her family honour and the fact that she wouldn't get any marriage proposals.
Now coming to this show, the DM track portrayed Veerpur's residents having the same regressive mindset that had I mentioned above. Ammaji didn't care what Kalli and Jhumar would go through to have a middle aged, perverted man touching them against their will. And apparently, neither did anyone from Kalli's family or the haveli. Kalli's husband begged Ammaji to save his ghar ki izzat but never said a word about saving his wife from going through a horrible ordeal. Sheela used Jhumar being Saghwan khandaan ki izzat as her weapon to save her daughter. I assume the only reason why Sheela was so terrified was that she feared Jhumar would lose her izzat and hence not get any marriage proposals. I doubt she was worried about her daughter being abused and mentally tormented. Ammaji didn't have any second throughts before presenting both Kalli and Jhumar to DM on a silver platter - until of course, the matter came down to her honour. Then she suddenly had the strength to stand up to DM and ask him to get lost. What appalled me the most was that Ammaji only regretted jeopardizing the honour of the two women - she didn't regret violating their rights by committing such an inhumane act.
These last few episodes of the show got me thinking, why is rape always about honour? Why does the victim have to face humiliation? And how would it bring shame upon the entire family if the sexual act didn't even happen by the victim's consent? Also, is honour so important that you'd compromise your ethics for everything else but that? Isn't it about time the rapists suffered the consequences and not the victims?
What are your thoughts on the subject?
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