An inhuman incident played out in a Karnataka village when a family stripped a woman, paraded her naked, tied her to a pole and thrashed her after their daughter eloped with the woman’s son. While the police swiftly rescued her and arrested members of the accused family, the incident left the state in shock. It took place on the outskirts of the city of Belagavi, where the legislature is in session. Disrobing women as a form of degradation is common in our country and the Karnataka incident was just one among many. Earlier this year, Kuki women in Manipur were stripped, groped, paraded and raped by a mob during ethnic clashes; a young pregnant woman was stripped and beaten in Rajasthan by her own family; and a woman was beaten, allegedly gang-raped, her head tonsured and paraded on the streets of Delhi. It is disturbing that women themselves often aid and abet such brutalities against other women. The reasons can range from love affairs and property disputes to supposed transgressions by members of a lower caste.
Stripping as a punishment is increasingly becoming regular—even men are not spared. Perpetrators at times garland their victim with shoes, blacken their face, urinate and spit on the person to dominate—a humiliation that can become vigilante frenzy when class, caste and community issues collide. It is seen as instant justice for a perceived wrong and reflects a depraved mindset. It also reflects utter lawlessness and the collective failure of society to stop such savagery. Assault and disrobing of a woman in a public place is punishable with three to seven years of imprisonment, but this does not seem to be a deterrent. We need a system that quickly brings the perpetrators to book and deals stringently with them.
It is tragic that society watches on silently. There is some degree of outrage when such videos go viral on social media, but the incidents are soon forgotten. Political parties step in only when it suits their purpose. It is time to question what ails our society awaken its collective conscience, and also stand up as a people against these shameful crimes. Such incidents bring disgrace to the nation. The authorities must use all means to take action and deliver justice to the assaulted women.
