It’s About Power and Humiliation

It’s About Power and Humiliation

Yogesh Snehi
The Tribune, Sunday, December 8, 2002
Chandigarh, India

ACCORDING to Section 375, a man is said to have committed rape if he has sexual intercourse with a women in circumstances falling under any of the six following descriptions:

· against her will.
· without her consent.
· with her consent when the consent has been obtained by putting her or any person in whom she is interested, in fear of death or hurt.
· with her consent if her consent is given because she believes the man to be her lawfully married husband, when the man knows he is not.
· with her consent if she is unable to recognise 'the nature and consequences' of that to which she gives consent because of intoxication or unsoundness of mind.

. with or without her consent if she is under sixteen years of age.

Rape is not just a legal offence; it is an assault on the dignity of the victims and leaves a permanent scar on their psychology. The fear of rape constitutes a special burden not shared by men. Psychologically, rape devastates many victims. Victims of sexual assault often experience fear, anxiety, and depression in addition to difficulty in sexual relationships and other psychological and physical symptoms that debilitate.

Many women feel that as a wife, they "owe" their husband sex on demand.

"No matter who the people are or what their relationship is—the fault always lies with the person who commits the act." Rape is not sex. Rape is power, aggression, domination, and, always, humiliation. It has to do with all things being unequal. It makes you feel less than human. Just like the family dog." The physical, emotional, and economic scars caused by marital rape can be, and often are, long-lasting and can alter a victim's interpersonal relationships permanently.

Amanpreet, Sourabh, Tajinder and Mool Raj, students of Department of Mass Communication participated in a discussion about reasons for rape.

While Amanpreet felt that separate education for boys and girls creates an atmosphere, which Sourabh further classified as "frustration emerging out of failure to understand women", where men become prone to sexual experimentation.

Tajinder believes that it is the kind of clothes, which women wear these days that incites men, he adds that academic incompetence of boys also leads to incidence of rape. Mool Raj believes that because male attitudes have not been able to cope with the changes in female attitudes, it has led to a rise in frustration levels among men.

Amanpreet think that rapists are men who are not mentally occupied. Tejinder suspects unemployment among men as a reason for this. He also feels that since boys have not been able to control girls these days (which Sourabh remarks as their not been able to dominate female species), it has irked some men.

Mool Raj raises a question about the institution of marriage (if it is a sexual contract). Amanpreet maintains that every woman has a right over her body and consent has to be there, When they were asked if the sexual fantasies amounts to rape, the opinion was shared. Amanpreet felt that thinking of rape is not wrong, but doing it was wrong. Tajinder too accepts this. Amanpreet was of the view that seduction can be allowed.

Mool Raj narrates the case of 65-year-old men raping a teenaged girl and says that rape of minors take place often and that too by known men or guardians.

Sourabh said that law should take its own way. Tajinder emphasises the need for more stringent laws, while Mool Raj believed that males should change their attitudes by demolishing the past dominance.

All of them agreed on the need for enforcement of a sex-education programme and switching over to co-education.