NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of crime and violence against women, the Delhi court said that the woman has a right to put her grievance at any platform of her choice and even after decades of the trauma.
“The time has come for our society to understand the sexual abuse and sexual harassment and its implications on victims. The society should understand that an abusive person is just like rest of the other person and he too has family and friends. He can also be well respected person of the society,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey said, acquitting journalist Priya Ramani from the criminal defamation case filed by MJ Akbar.
Akbar had taken Ramani to court after she published tweets and an article detailing the sexual harassment which she faced during a job interview in December 1993.“The victims of the sexual abuse not even speak a word about abuse for many years because sometimes she herself have no idea that she is a victim of abuse. Most of the women who suffer abuse do not speak up about it or against it for simple reason ‘The Shame’ or the social stigma attached with the sexual -harassment and abuse.”
Sexual abuse takes away dignity and self-confidence of a woman, the order states. “The attack on the character of sex-abuser or offender by sex abuse victim, is the reaction of self defence after the mental trauma suffered by the victim regarding the shame attached with the crime committed against her.”
“It is shameful that the incidents of crime and violence against women are happening in the country where mega epics such as Mahabarata and Ramayana were written around the theme of respect for women. In Balyamiki Ramayan, the reference of great respect is found, when Prince Laxman was asked to describe about Princesses Sita, he answered that he remembers only her feet as he had never looked beyond that.”
The court went on to refer the Aranaya Kand of Ramcharitmanas and the Sabha Parv of Mahabharata to drive home the fact that how there has been a tradition of respecting the women. “The Indian women are capable, pave the way for them to excel, they only require the freedom and equality. The ‘glass ceiling’ will not prevent the Indian women as a road-lock for their advancement in the society, if equal opportunity and social protection be given to them,” it said.