Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas
Camera: Abhishek Ranjan/Sumit Badola
Six years ago, on 16 December 2012, the gang-rape of a 23-year-old female physiotherapy intern aboard a public bus in Delhi sent shock waves across the country. This had happened in a city known to be among the most unsafe places for women in the world.
The incident awakened people to the urgency of the problem and triggered one of the most and large-scale public protests in India, especially after Nirbhaya, as the victim was called, succumbed to her extreme injuries. What was the demand of people – a death sentence to all the six accused.
One out of the six accused, Ram Singh, died in police custody. The juvenile involved in the gruesome case was sent to a reform facility and was released on December 2015. Recently, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition for immediate execution of the four men convicted in the case.
According to NCRB data, the National Capital accounted for four percent of all crimes against women in India in 2016. This data, which is the most recent, also reveals that Delhi had the highest numbers of attempted rape, sexual harassment, stalking and forceful attempts to disrobe women.
The Quint went out on the streets of Delhi, in the month of December at night – to ask men why rapes happen, who is to blame, what makes someone commit rape.
When we asked people what comes to their mind when they hear the word ‘nirbhaya’, to our surprise, many did not know about the 2012 Delhi rape victim who had been nicknamed ‘Nirbhaya’ by the media.
Nirbhaya means fearless, but a majority of the men we spoke to said they associate the word with ‘Fear’, ‘Anger’, ‘Grief’.
Why Men Rape?
While most men said that it is the fault of dual mindset, violent upbringing and the society, some blamed the women – the length of their skirts, the western influence, late-night outings, etc – and opined that ‘women invite rape’.
Many college-goers also felt that education of the men plays a role. According to them, men who “come from villages” and are less educated are more likely to commit crimes against women.
Some men also believe that certain parts of Delhi are more unsafe for women than the others. Others, however, pointed that it's not the place but the people that makes a surrounding dangerous for women. Some even went ahead to express how they can sense the fear women in general feel while travelling alone at night.
Speaking to men in Delhi, on a winter night not unlike the one in 2012 when Nirbhaya was brutally gang raped in this city, we learn that while there are men who believe boys and girls should get to enjoy the same freedom, there are also – still – many who think that women should dress more 'responsibly' to avoid rape.
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