Context: An unnamed young medical student was gang-raped in New Delhi, India's capital, on December 16th. She was also assaulted with an iron bar, and her injuries led to her ultimate death on Saturday, December 29. Her rape was a wake-up call for a country whose response to violence against women has been minimal in past years. There are many signs that this young woman did not die in vain. These past two weeks, thousands of protesters have stood up for this cause; TCA Raghavan, the Indian high commissioner, says that this woman's death "will lead to a better future for all women in India."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Delhi-gang-rape-India-grieves-victims-demise-police-invoke-murder-charges-on-accused/articleshow/17810122.cms
Response: It could be argued that major suffering needs to occur for things to change. This is a connection to many other events in history - for example, the Arab Spring was sparked when a Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire after being humiliated by municipal officials. Due to the many protests in India, I think it is likely that there will be a great push for reform, and hopefully, the rate of violence against women will slow down - or at least, violence against women will be recognized as the serious problem that it is. This woman is, in a sense, a martyr. Of course she did not choose to be raped, but she endured great suffering that will spark a change in her society. She has been made into a martyr by the people of New Delhi and of India as a whole. This is a pattern: when a horrible event occurs, it can prevent many similar events in the future. What do you think? Do you see connections to other current events, when the suffering of one person or of a small group leads to big action?
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Delhi-gang-rape-India-grieves-victims-demise-police-invoke-murder-charges-on-accused/articleshow/17810122.cms
Response: It could be argued that major suffering needs to occur for things to change. This is a connection to many other events in history - for example, the Arab Spring was sparked when a Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire after being humiliated by municipal officials. Due to the many protests in India, I think it is likely that there will be a great push for reform, and hopefully, the rate of violence against women will slow down - or at least, violence against women will be recognized as the serious problem that it is. This woman is, in a sense, a martyr. Of course she did not choose to be raped, but she endured great suffering that will spark a change in her society. She has been made into a martyr by the people of New Delhi and of India as a whole. This is a pattern: when a horrible event occurs, it can prevent many similar events in the future. What do you think? Do you see connections to other current events, when the suffering of one person or of a small group leads to big action?
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point, Meena! It is true that the death of this women spurred an outpouring of sadness and anger. I think the emotions and energies generated by this incident will together help start a constructive course of action. In addition to your comments, I also believe that this incident reveals the inequality between men and women. This is an issue in other parts of the world too. For example, women in many Middle Eastern countries are prohibited from driving or voting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2012/12/29/world/asia/india-rape-victim/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
In this article, I found that reported rape cases in India have increased drastically over the past four decades, from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011. To me, the numbers serve as proof that India has little policy regarding gang rape. Why else would people have the courage to commit such a brutal crime? So I have come to the conclusion that in order to cut down the number and better prevent sexual assault, the government needs to punish the suspects in a more severe manner.
further news on India case:http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/world/asia/india-rape-case/index.html
ReplyDeleteprotests spread to Nepal: http://observers.france24.com/content/20130103-protest-rape-nepal-sita-rai
The events of the 29th have uncovered a horrific aspect of Indian culture that has been deemphasized until now. While the young woman’s death was tragic, the stirrings of cultural change that it prompted are good for the country. Protests have continued, and show no signs of stopping nearly a week after her death. In addition, the men responsible were officially charged of murder, rape, and kidnapping earlier today.
The protests in India have inspired similar uprisings in Nepal. For the past week, Nepali citizens have been protesting outside of the prime minister’s home. While they are specifically angered by the alleged rape and robbery of a maid by immigration officials, they are protesting sexual abuse of women in general. The Nepali movement has assumed the name #OccupyBaluwatar on Twitter, after the “Occupy” movement in the States. However, there seem to be more differences than similarities between these protests and the “Occupy” movements. In India and Nepal, citizens have a clear and common goal – to change the policies against sexual violence in their respective countries. On the other hand, each protester in the “Occupy” movement seemed to have a different understanding of what they were fighting for, thus making the effort unclear and unproductive. While the immediate goal of the Indians and Nepalese is concrete, real change will only be achieved with a shift in culture and common opinion. The fact that six Indian lawmakers are currently facing charges of rape is illustrative of the rampant abuse in the country. Changing this will be difficult, but not impossible. In time, these protests may prove to impact not only laws, but widespread morals as well.
I agree with your argument. This woman's fate was tragic, but it served as a catalyst for change. Your response also made me think: how many martyrs choose to be martyrs? This unfortunate woman certainly did not, but what about the Tunisian street vendor you mentioned? Did he intend to suffer for a common cause, or was his dramatic suicide a spur of the moment protest? Could he have predicted the butterfly effect his actions would cause?
ReplyDeleteMeena, I agree with your point of view completely. So what does it take for India to change its ways? Time and acceptance, in my opinion. It is pointless to force morals onto people and it is up to them to gradually change their perspectives and for the government to enforce it.
ReplyDeleteIndia’s rape problem is already taking an economic toll:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/04/indias-rape-problem-is-already-taking-an-economic-toll/
Rape and murder in Delhi:
http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21569031-horrible-attack-could-prove-turning-point-indias-women-rape-and-murder-delhi
After being exposed to the news of the wrongful and horrifying death of a young woman gang raped on a bus in Delhi, I was shocked to learn how different other countries were compared to United States in terms of gender equality. In America, women’s equality is seen as a natural right as many strides have been taken in history, one of which is the most basic right of freedom to step outside without the risk of being harassed and physically abused. In India, even as newborn babies, males are treated better than females. While many female babies are aborted, causing a distorted sex ratio, the boys are fed well and receive proper education. Women are abused by their husbands, constantly harassed on public transportation, forced to pay dowries, etc. Because of the many rape cases present in New Delhi, it is given the title of being the “rape capital” of the nation where over 560 rape cases have been reported, in which many women commit suicide afterwards, and many more still to uncover.
Consequences of the case have major impacts socially and economically. The incident triggered the issues facing India’s economy. Although India is the second most populated nation in the world, it has one of the poorest per capita. The main contributor to this is the poor attitude women are treated with. Only 35% of women work while the rest of the potential workers stay home, which doesn't contribute to the country’s economy. After the rape case, 82% of Indian women reduced their work hours and left work early to avoid going home in the dark where risk of assault is higher. It’s not just the attitude that is unfair and unjust, but it is negatively affecting entire growth of India and the standard of living of many.
Judging from the large amount of protesters, more people are standing up for their beliefs. The tragic death of the innocent girl ignited a new desire in the citizens of India. As cruel as it may be, many events are sparked by a martyr. To see the extreme spectrum of something is what makes people doubt their policies and push for a change, and people in India have been exposed to the fact that a large amount of work remains ahead to build better relationships in the country. Although there will be imminent downfalls, I believe that progress can be achieved with the help of new laws, and education. If these do not work, then public dissents and unrelenting demands will continue to protest for a new change.
Meena, I think it's great you posted about this tragic situation. I had actually heard about it earlier in the news and also saw a picture of the victim when she was in the hospital, and what i saw was scarring. I think your argument was great and it made me think that she certainly did not die for nothing. Sure she didn't choose for this to happen, and that what she went through must have been beyond brutal, but her death created the start of womens voices being heard in India. It is very shocking to think of how different rights are in different countries.
ReplyDeleteThis event definitely brought a lot of attention to women all over the world, seeing as this innocent woman died for nothing, like Anna said. Now, many women are afriad to walk out into the public alone and potentially risk their lives just because of the possible danger. The amount of sexual assualts and rapes and murders of women has increased rapidly and it is scary to think about how many lives are ended because of them.
ReplyDeleteMyself being a girl, this event has definitely made me more aware and careful of my surroundings when I'm out, even in a somewhat safe town like Lexington. I can't imagine how the women felt, it makes me sick just by thinking about it.
Women in many places now are protesting and standing up for their rights because women are part of this world and women should be treated like anyone else. They shouldn't be looked down upon just because of their gender. It's really horrifying to think about the lives lost from these kinds of events.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/world/asia/india-rape-danger/index.html
This article specifies the thoughts and feelings of the women after the New Delhi event. Most if not all of what the author wrote were tears, scarred minds, and a lifetime of fear. This article also brings together many different victims' stories of what they went through and the injustice of their lives. This kind of thing is not something a person can just leave behind, this is a lifetime of scars and memories of the horrid events.
How can we change this kind of thing from happening in the future? Laws were inforced, protests were made, and yet the number of rapes and deaths keep rising. Our world is so ugly sometimes.
This is truly awful. I agree that in order to progress, you need to hit rock bottom. This story of this innocent woman is truly atrocious. It really puts into perspective the differences of Lexington, even U.S.A, and elsewhere. I really hope that this tragic incident opens the eyes of the government. I believe that the protesting will also help push along the reform. I believe this woman is a martyr, and her story will hopefully really make people realize woman's rights.
ReplyDelete- Janelle Franklin
G Block
It was truly very heartbreaking to hear about the victim raped in New Delhi on December 16th. Having spent most of my life in New Delhi, I feel a close connection with this story. As a child, I was also told to never wander the streets of Delhi alone. The painful truth is that in many parts of India, especially regions like New Delhi women are not treated equal to men and are therefore suppressed and go through much struggle in their day-to-day life. Women are not given the respect they deserve and constantly live in fear. Majority of the women in India are uneducated and are therefore incapable of supporting themselves, they rely heavily on their husbands when it comes to money. Men, feeling superior treat women as property because they know that these helpless women are unable to fend for themselves and will most likely not report the wrongdoings inflicted upon them due to lack of support. Because not enough women are strong enough to stand up for themselves, much of the rape and immoral things that many women face in India or other Middle Eastern countries goes unseen. This is a major issue because men and women must be treated equally. We claim that men and women have the same rights and opportunities, but we fail to understand that there are still many parts of the world where women are not being treated equally. It is truly necessary, that all men must change their mentality and consider women equal to them. We, women have come a long way, constantly fighting over our rights thus no man should be able to threaten our self-respect. I strongly agree with Meena, even though the story of the rape was shattering and an overall negative symbol on society it raised awareness, which was much needed. After hearing about the rape, all of India came together to fight for women’s rights, hence giving women a chance to speak up against the injustice happening over and over again. The woman that was raped acted as a martyr for all of the other women in India as well as the rest of the world. Her death was extremely painful to hear about, but it brought together all of India to fight for women’s rights and to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself ever again in the future. This can be connected back to what we are talking about in history class. Many men can be said to be reactionary because they are against changes in society, they want power over women and are therefore trying to suppress them by not granting women the same rights they themselves enjoy. They don’t want women to become superior in society because they feel insecure of their position as the dominant one. For these reasons, many men in India and other countries don’t raise a voice when it comes to injustice on women because they want to continue to maintain their power and fear that change will take authority away from them. But, after the rape many women are radical, eager for change. They want society to view them equally to women and are therefore protesting. It is significant that women are fighting for change, because it is morally wrong for women to be treated inferior to men. Also, everyone has the same right to life; therefore no one should feel unsafe or insecure about where they are living. When I go back to New Delhi, I want to be able to freely walk the streets of New Delhi no matter when without feeling insecure at any point.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was very touched by this incident and felt a lot of emotions when I heard about it. I am impressed by the responses you all have written here and I appreciate that you chose to take on this issue for this round of the blog assignments. Most importantly, I appreciate that you have emphasized here the positive change that can come out of a horrible incident like this. It's important that we all try to keep this in mind as we hear about various stories in the news about various negative things that can happen in our world. For all of that bad, surely something good can come out of it, although of course you wouldn't want it to be under those circumstances. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. If this event inspires you, think about the ways that you could get involved in these issues locally. Fundraising, walks, and events can raise awareness locally.
ReplyDelete