The crime that had no name

 

Column for Mathrubhumi 

 

(Translated in Malayalam)

 

 

For a long time, it was a crime without a name.  Women suffered in silence. They never spoke of it. And they blamed themselves.

 

Now there is a name. I am referring to sexual harassment. And there is a law that deals with sexual harassment at the work place. Yet, despite this, there is generally a silence that continues to surround this crime.

 

The reason is usually because there is inequality in the power balance.  The harasser is powerful, and the one being harassed is powerless.  As a result, even though there is more open discussion today about sexual harassment, and greater awareness about the steps that can be taken by women subjected to it, the majority of cases are still never reported.

 

The reason is that the power balance has not changed. And by and large, society is unwilling to believe the woman who complains. She's always asked: Why now? Why did you not complain when it happened? Did anything really happen, in that were you sexually assaulted? Perhaps you misread the gestures of your superior, etc. In other words, the tables are always turned when the woman complains and she has to justify her actions rather than questions being asked about the motives and the actions of the harasser.

 

When a person with some power and importance gets named, then this dimension of powerlessness hits you in the face. For example, a few months ago, there were complaints about two of the famous Gundecha brothers from the world of Hindustani classical music. Students learning from them in their academy in Bhopal came out with these complaints.

 

As a result, and also due to the publicity that followed, a committee has been formed to look into these complaints.  That is an important step, even though questions have been raised about the composition of the committee.  Yet, it is a beginning because it respects the need for due process to address the problem. 

 

However, each time the names of individuals who also run institutions or head an institution, comes up, there are larger questions that often remain unaddressed.  This is the point that the well-known Carnatic singer T. M. Krishna raised in relation to the Gundecha brothers.  He emphasised that there had to be a change in the very system that allowed for blind obedience to a teacher, or master, to the point that you were afraid to raise questions about his actions even when they contravene the law.

 

The main challenge, I believe, is how we empower our girls, right from when they are in school, to understand their rights.  This is when we can help them grow up to believe that they do not have to accept sexual abuse or sexual harassment, that they are entitled to speak up and demand justice. But sometimes, as in these academies where young people learn the arts, and in our educational institutions, there is too much emphasis on blind obedience. Those who obey without questioning are considered "good" while those who question are seen as "trouble-makers". This attitude is the exact opposite of what is needed to make young people, and especially girls, feel they have the right to raise objections, ask questions and demand their rights.

 

If the law were properly implemented (and it is not), girls and women would feel more confident to speak up about sexual harassment. Unfortunately, that is not enough unless it is also accompanied by a change in societal attitudes and in the way we bring up our young people.  In the long-term, the only way to deal with such crimes is to work towards building a gender just society. It is difficult, I know, but surely not impossible.