The Centre's response to a clutch of petitions filed by women's organisations at the Delhi High Court seeking legal steps against marital rape is shocking, to say the least. By coming up with the defence that criminalising marital rape will "destabilise" the institution of marriage and make men vulnerable to exploitative wives.
According to the Narendra Modi government, it all depends on the wife to confirm whether a sexual act constituted a marital rape and that makes it a bit lopsided. It also said India has unique problems of its own because of factors like poverty, lack of economic empowerment, social mindset, literacy, etc. and they make a blind emulation of the West something unwise.
None of the two NDA PMs so far has shown marital engagements; yet the preaching on the institution?
These arguments stand no ground in reality. The NDA so far has been led by two prime ministers both of whom have decided not to engage in marital business. Even though it is those individuals' personal choice but when the government led by their party preaches about 'sanctity' of marriage, it sounds unconvincing. What are the factors that determine the sanctity of the institution called marriage? We believe marital rape is certainly not one among them.
Not empowered woman? It reminds of Rituparno Ghosh's award-winning film 'Dahan'
The government's argument citing lack of empowerment of most women is also ridiculous. If lack of empowerment is a concern, then why not strengthen the laws to protect those women who silently suffer the atrocities of their husbands and in-laws but have very little option to address their grievances?
In this connection, one remembers the award-winning film 'Dahan' by the late director Rituparno Ghosh where a housewife, who had been molested by a group of goons outside a subway in Kolkata, was raped by her own husband who was frustrated with her determination to fight the injustice. The plot has several real-life reflections and the government's disappointing observation makes those helpless women's offenders happy.
India has a high rate of domestic violence
India is among the top 10 countries in terms of domestic violence against women. Marriage continues to be an institution which leaves several defenceless women scarred or dead over factors like dowry, colour of skin or birth of girls. The ugly feudal face of the institution of marriage is becoming prominent even as we turn tech-savvy and modern and it is high time that legal provisions are required to save women from torture, rape and murder.
Unfortunately, the government is thinking more about a lesser issue of men getting exploited by women for it is an easier humanitarian stand to take. The government might feel apprehensive about intruding into the bedrooms fearing a backlash but when it is easily doing so by deciding on people's food habits or curtailing porn-viewing behaviour, it also has the responsibility to do the more important work of saving women from the demons of domestic violence. Intrusion can't be selective.
Manuvadi sentiments galore but even the previous govt was no better
The Modi government's stand reflects Manuvadi sentiments though it will be an oversimplification to link the male-oriented saffronist ideology as the sole reason behind such insensitive stand because the previous Congress-led UPA, too, had not done anything special to address the issue of marital rape. But given the fact that Modi has tried his best to emerge as a new-age leader of India, the expectations are all the more from him to execute key social reforms and uprooting marital rape is one of the foremost among them.
