R G Kar protesters upset with sex offenders in vanguard of justice
Times of India | 22 August 2024
Kolkata: The outcry for justice in the aftermath of the rape-and-murder of the RG Kar PGT doctor has led to several women pointing at the hypocrisy of some prominent figures, who have positioned themselves as the vanguard of the protests, despite being notorious for sexual transgressions or engaging in practices that verge on being implicated in the operation of a casting couch.
The West Bengal Commission for Women on Wednesday called a director, who was part of the ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest, after a molestation complaint by an actress.
Moments after musicians took out a march on Monday, a singer posted online: “My abuser was at the forefront of today’s march. Hogging the spotlight, showing his monstrous face on TV cameras. Pretending to care about women and their fight for respect, recognition, safety, and equal rights. ... my colleagues are aware of his identity, and yet they have continued to associate with him. They let him take part in the march. Not just him, abusers of other female musicians, too. How was I, and my sisters, going to feel safe in the presence of our abusers? Is our abuse not valid? Is a woman deserving of support and justice only in death?”
Corporate trainer and elocutionist Moumita Ghosh on Wednesday denounced at least two elocutionists, who had given a call to protest in front of Academy of Fine Arts. “How can I condone known offenders spearheading protest marches demanding respect and justice for women? I reserve my right to protest and express my revulsion at these individuals, who are exploiting this occasion with the hope that all will be forgiven and forgotten. Not everyone is afflicted with amnesia,” Ghosh said.
Sociologist Ruby Sain described it as “a manifestation of the intrinsic compulsion for perpetrators to exploit their involvement as a ‘shield’ for posterity”. “These opportunistic individuals know society at large is oblivious to their misdeeds and that only their immediate fraternity is aware of it. Since everyone has clandestine transgressions, they trust their fraternity members not to denounce them publicly,” Sain said.
While some women found this conduct amusing, others were infuriated. A survivor told TOI that watching such people at protest marches reopened the wounds. “Abuse, unless physical, means zilch to people. If a survivor is alive and well, people try to gaslight them...” she said.
Women are divided over whether offenders should be barred from such protests or not. “They ought to be more vigilant about choosing their face of protests,” said Ghosh. But women’s rights activist Piya Chakraborty said this was “essentially a people’s movement, led by women”. “Everyone has the right to protest. I do not believe in censorship, which includes the idea of ‘allowing/disallowing’ someone. But allegations of sexual misconduct need to be taken seriously in the context of the feminist movement. While I don’t believe in claiming monopoly and excluding ‘alleged perpetrators’, I should be able to express my objection, discontent and discomfort with their presence in the movement,” she said.