SANTA MONICA and KOLKATA, India – Water cannons exploded pressurized water at the crowds who gathered on the streets of Kolkata to march and demand the resignation of a top state minister who, they feel, hasn’t done anything after at 31 year-old doctor was raped and murdered on August 9th.
The protestors covered their eyes as police officers fired tear gas at them. But how can you keep the chemical out of your eyes when it is carried on the wind?
The protestors were led by university students who believe that despite the tougher laws for people who commit sexual violence, nothing has really changed.
Rape is a fact of life in India. There is no denying it. Vidya Krishnan, wrote in The New York Times that, “sexual terrorism is treated as the norm.”
The raping of women in India peaked in 2016 with an estimated 39,000 women forced to endure sexual violence against their will.
A women was raped every 15 minutes across India in 2018 Reuters reports. Which means that approximately 35,000 women were raped in India in 2018.
Many people argue that the fault can be directly connected to the caste system in India. The caste system began around 1500 BC and is still adhered to today. The caste system decides what education you have access to, what job you get, and who you can marry.
Muslims and lower-caste Indians are looked down upon by the upper-caste Hindus who rule the country. Because people are treated differently by birth or religion, many rapists believe they can get away with their crimes, said Rebecca M. John, a senior criminal lawyer who represents rape victims.
Used as a weapon, rape is typically committed against Muslims and lower-caste women. Prime Minister Modi of India has come under attack for what many women in the country see as his government’s unabashed hatred of Muslim women.
The world has a long way to go.
Some referential content and information courtesy of Reuters, The New York Times, The Mint, Hindustan Times, Wikipedia
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