Men's sociobiological power: Rape an invented tool to terrorize women's world
Susan Brownmiller, in her celebrated book, "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape" writes that men have invented "rape" as a tool to intimidate and put women under perpetual fear. The very developed fear psychosis is so deeply entrenched that women fall prey to every masculanist demand. Ironically, she further asserts, everybody extracts 'puritanical pleasure' out of rape like episode in which even media too capitalize on by giving sadistic detail to serve masculanist mental pervertness.
The present mayhem going on after Kathua, Unnao or even recent past of Badayun and Nirbhaya is to create only a transit tremor and with passage of weeks things will get settle down as usual. But, only advantageous section would be "political entRAPEneurs after polarizing the society on the line of religion,region ,caste and idiotic ideologies. So much discussion about rape and aftermath mudslinging on each other will only trivialize the graveness of the issue. Sadists will slide away making sexist remarks such as short skirt , late night outing, women are meant for sexual subjugation etc. like leacherous logic.
The sustained fuedal patriarchal mindset and excessive soap opera analysis followed by no fundamental change in either behaviour or attitude will only cause "Banality of evil". Here,Hanna Arendt, a political commentator, cites that such banilty episode trivializes the graveness of crime as there happened reckless persecution of jews by Nazis during interregnum war period without any societal sanction. Therefore, here too, such repeated mindless act of politicization of rape will make the issue weak, and there would be no strong sociopolitical sanction rather patriarchal perverts will cash in the occasion to flex their malicious masculine muscles to sound louder.
The history is self evident and replete with the examples of rape as a tool to tormentize the society and state. Whereas Chengiz khan made it a regular affair during his winning spree of various kingdoms, Tamur left no stone unturned in furthering his brutality by the act of raping hapless fairer sexes. Even, present act of war is not breft of war crimes like military rape where women/ girls in the war zone have been regular"fetish fodders" of terrorists and miltaries.
Cynthia Enloe, a strong feminst voice, in her shrilling account " Banana, Bases and Beaches" has talked about plantation women workers, women at miltary bases, and diplomatic wives who serve mostly forced bodily need of their male counterpart. And, this in turn only institutionalizes the rape culture which is well visible in Afghan war, ISIS act, Middle East crisis and even sporadic reporting from our North -East and J&K insurgent regions where Armed Force Special Power Act ( AFSPA) is sometimes made an alibi to do such inhumane ghastly act.
In fact, the act of rape has been used as a tool not only to tormentize that female individual but also to ransom her whole family as we see it very often on our silver screens when villains do so reflecting our societal reality. The very taboo attached with this bodily sanctity is so high that most of girls/ women bear this outrage in silence. Recent compaign of self confession "Me too" brought this dark story at fore, though it was reflection of minuscle representation.
In last few years high reporting of Dalit rape, Minority rape like cases go beyond the normal criminal act. These are to highlight the biopolitical power of the state( party in power) and its affiliated fringe machinaries which make every effort to discipline the deviating sections like minorities and dalit who have got increased political numeric clout amidst fractious electoral calculus. In this context invoking Michael Foccault would not be unwarranted who has understood well the " biopower" of the state and its legitimate/illegitimate machinaries which try to control the behaviour of the population. In kathua case, it is alleged that police and party( few individuals) at dispensation were involved to do this inhumane dastardly act. They wanted to send a chilling message in the valley to make it tow the line of raucous extrimist fringe group with alleged tacit approval of parent party. And, also the very aftermath of this reflect the underpinned gory picture where there has been further use of state muscle to threaten the concerned guardians and supporters of the victims.
Despite all these cacophonies and media melodramas , the outcome and learning is not going to be very different unless we really stand together to save the humanity honestly. Each such incident should not be responded as others problem but should be seen as if meted out to oneself. I will advocate here for tweaking "Gandhian Talisman"- each action/reaction of ours must be to conform how it would impact us if we were at victim place. True empathy and respect for humanity can only bring behavioural change. And , a sense of stakeholdersip in each event in the society can only bring each of us out of our comfort zone because today's others problem may be tomorrow ours.
Susan Brownmiller, in her celebrated book, "Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape" writes that men have invented "rape" as a tool to intimidate and put women under perpetual fear. The very developed fear psychosis is so deeply entrenched that women fall prey to every masculanist demand. Ironically, she further asserts, everybody extracts 'puritanical pleasure' out of rape like episode in which even media too capitalize on by giving sadistic detail to serve masculanist mental pervertness.
The present mayhem going on after Kathua, Unnao or even recent past of Badayun and Nirbhaya is to create only a transit tremor and with passage of weeks things will get settle down as usual. But, only advantageous section would be "political entRAPEneurs after polarizing the society on the line of religion,region ,caste and idiotic ideologies. So much discussion about rape and aftermath mudslinging on each other will only trivialize the graveness of the issue. Sadists will slide away making sexist remarks such as short skirt , late night outing, women are meant for sexual subjugation etc. like leacherous logic.
The sustained fuedal patriarchal mindset and excessive soap opera analysis followed by no fundamental change in either behaviour or attitude will only cause "Banality of evil". Here,Hanna Arendt, a political commentator, cites that such banilty episode trivializes the graveness of crime as there happened reckless persecution of jews by Nazis during interregnum war period without any societal sanction. Therefore, here too, such repeated mindless act of politicization of rape will make the issue weak, and there would be no strong sociopolitical sanction rather patriarchal perverts will cash in the occasion to flex their malicious masculine muscles to sound louder.
The history is self evident and replete with the examples of rape as a tool to tormentize the society and state. Whereas Chengiz khan made it a regular affair during his winning spree of various kingdoms, Tamur left no stone unturned in furthering his brutality by the act of raping hapless fairer sexes. Even, present act of war is not breft of war crimes like military rape where women/ girls in the war zone have been regular"fetish fodders" of terrorists and miltaries.
Cynthia Enloe, a strong feminst voice, in her shrilling account " Banana, Bases and Beaches" has talked about plantation women workers, women at miltary bases, and diplomatic wives who serve mostly forced bodily need of their male counterpart. And, this in turn only institutionalizes the rape culture which is well visible in Afghan war, ISIS act, Middle East crisis and even sporadic reporting from our North -East and J&K insurgent regions where Armed Force Special Power Act ( AFSPA) is sometimes made an alibi to do such inhumane ghastly act.
In fact, the act of rape has been used as a tool not only to tormentize that female individual but also to ransom her whole family as we see it very often on our silver screens when villains do so reflecting our societal reality. The very taboo attached with this bodily sanctity is so high that most of girls/ women bear this outrage in silence. Recent compaign of self confession "Me too" brought this dark story at fore, though it was reflection of minuscle representation.
In last few years high reporting of Dalit rape, Minority rape like cases go beyond the normal criminal act. These are to highlight the biopolitical power of the state( party in power) and its affiliated fringe machinaries which make every effort to discipline the deviating sections like minorities and dalit who have got increased political numeric clout amidst fractious electoral calculus. In this context invoking Michael Foccault would not be unwarranted who has understood well the " biopower" of the state and its legitimate/illegitimate machinaries which try to control the behaviour of the population. In kathua case, it is alleged that police and party( few individuals) at dispensation were involved to do this inhumane dastardly act. They wanted to send a chilling message in the valley to make it tow the line of raucous extrimist fringe group with alleged tacit approval of parent party. And, also the very aftermath of this reflect the underpinned gory picture where there has been further use of state muscle to threaten the concerned guardians and supporters of the victims.
Despite all these cacophonies and media melodramas , the outcome and learning is not going to be very different unless we really stand together to save the humanity honestly. Each such incident should not be responded as others problem but should be seen as if meted out to oneself. I will advocate here for tweaking "Gandhian Talisman"- each action/reaction of ours must be to conform how it would impact us if we were at victim place. True empathy and respect for humanity can only bring behavioural change. And , a sense of stakeholdersip in each event in the society can only bring each of us out of our comfort zone because today's others problem may be tomorrow ours.
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