Indian women on Twitter highlight the ridiculous rape culture in Ram Rahim case
_78936_730x419-m.jpg "Twitter")
The Dera Sacha Sauda supporters, blinded by their love for rapist 'godman' Gurmeet Ram Rahim, rioted in Panchkula and other pockets in north India Friday.
Ram Rahim, found guilty of rape by a CBI Special Court, has managed to rally a following that believes he's above punishment for rape. His followers make for a fairly large demographic, and Indian women are horrified at the blatant rape culture.
BJP lawmaker Sakshi Maharaj, in true dystopian fashion, also came out to support the self-styled godman, claiming that Ram Rahim was being “harassed”.
Making matters worse, he said, “One person has complained of rape against Ram Rahim. Crores others believe he is God. Who do you think is right?”
Because a judgement on rape must always factor in majoritarian view? Because Indian women only ever file rape cases to inconvenience men who raped them?
Given Sakshi Maharaj's educated comment, it isn't surprising that he's courted rape cases of his own. In 2000, a college principal had filed a police complaint accusing the MP and his nephews of gang-raping her. Following this, Maharaj languished in Tihar jail for a month, and possibly went and 'washed off' his sins in the Ganges.
All the events that have followed Ram Rahim's just verdict have only aimed a flashlight at the textbook rape culture India thrives on. And Indian women are calling it out on Twitter, collecting online in times of Section 144 CrPC to express their anguish.
Here are some tweets:
Not one Indian protested when infants and babies at Gorakhpur died. Thousands came out for a convicted rapist. What does it say about us?
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) August 25, 2017
We are a funny country, when a rape accused is let free, we burn candles, when a rape accused is nabbed, we burn cities. #RamRahimConvicted
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) August 26, 2017
News channels: stop saying baba and godman, start saying convicted rapist. Let's be real about what's going on here.
— Rega Jha (@RegaJha) August 25, 2017
A woman was raped. Her rapist has been convicted. And not a minute we could spare to even think about that woman,
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) August 25, 2017
If these many people stood up to support rape victims in our country, we would've really been a “developed” nation. #RamRahimSingh
— Priya Sometimes (@PriyaSometimes) August 25, 2017
You know all those lakhs of men rioting in support of a rapist right now?
— Naomi Barton (@naomi0_0barton) August 25, 2017
Imagine if a woman in their family wants to report a rape.
What Sakshi Maharaj said is classic #rapeculture: One woman's rape is trivial, crime is that rapist with millions of bhakts got convicted https://t.co/HjYQOPxs32
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) August 25, 2017
Why was alleged rapist and murderer given Z category security and treated like a god damned VIP? The sickness of political patronage.
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) August 25, 2017
Women, there's an MP who believes a (proven) rape survivor's testimony should be subjected to the majoritarian test. Always remember that.
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) August 25, 2017
Guys! Ram Rahim Rapist will be kept in guest house on jail premises which will be 'considered a jail' because of 'space constraints'.
— Shreya Ila Anasuya (@shreyilaanasuya) August 25, 2017
Lest we lose sight -- the rioters are supporting a rape CONVICT. And we still wonder why this part of India is rape centre?
— Indrani Bagchi (@horror06) August 25, 2017
The special treatment to rapist #RamRahim crossing all limits. Apparently making phone calls now!
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) August 26, 2017
First published: 26 August 2017, 17:57 ISTRequest well-meaning peeps not to compare Dera supporters to JNU Students or to Kashmiri people. We don't defend rape convicts.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) August 26, 2017
