http://www.tehelka.com/story_main54.asp?filename=Ne271012Rape.asp
‘The guilty should be punished, but if the boy is not guilty and the girl is known to sleep around with many men, then we do not encourage a police investigation’
Daljit Singh
Sarpanch, Dhani Pirawala village
“Even the khap panchayats have maintained double standards in matters relating to women,” he adds. “While they strictly oppose same gotra marriages, they are at the same time silent when people rape women within their own families. There are only 830 girls for every 1,000 boys here. The skewed sex ratio is certainly one of the reasons for the increasing rapes, but the bigger reason is the social attitude. Women are seen as objects of consumption that are available to be used and silenced if they protest. This situation is convenient for the people here and that is why they won’t let it change.” A very disturbing observation, but one that rings true.
Although Gohana DSP Yashpal Khatana rubbishes all these charges, what he offers as an explanation for the frequency of rapes is deeply disturbing. “Girls are easily influenced these days,” says the DSP. “They wear western clothes, so the number of gangrapes is increasing here.” The chowmein argument somehow begins to make sense now. After all, this is one of the keepers of law talking.
In the past seven years, the number of rape cases in Haryana has almost doubled. From 386 rape cases in 2004, it jumped to 733 cases in 2011, with only 13 percent convictions.
The panchayat leaders are believed to have even met the IGP AS Chawla to get an assurance that “their boy” would not be prosecuted. On being refused, a crowd blocked the Funwara Chowk in Hisar. Later, when Sunil was paraded before the girl in the Test Identification Parade (TIP), she even refused to identify him.
In every panchayat one hears an axiom narrated with pride by the landlords: “If a Jat has not had sex with his siri’s (farm labour’s) wife and daughter, then he is not worthy of calling himself a Jat.” A very telling commentary on the prevailing mindset in the state.
Sai Manish is a Senior Correspondent with Tehelka.
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