Headline violence and silenced pleasure: contested framings of consensual sex, power and rape in Delhi, India 2011-2014

Figures & data

Box 1 Public figures and 25 rape-related remarks 2012-2014^a

1. Chiranjeet Chakraborty, July 2012, Member Legislative Assembly of West Bengal:	“One of the reasons behind the increase of incidents … is short dresses and short skirts worn by women. This in turn instigates young men.”
2. Jitendar Chattar, Oct 2012, Leader Khap Panchayat of Haryana:	“To my understanding, consumption of fast food contributes to such incidents. Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance evoking an urge to indulge in such acts.”
3. Om Prakash Chautala, October 2012, former Haryana chief minister, agreed with lowering marriageable age of girls to “prevent” rape:	“I’m with the Khaps, this will protect women.”
4. Mamata Banerjee, October 2012, West Bengal Chief minister:	“Earlier if men and women would hold hands they would get caught by parents and reprimanded, but now everything is so open. It’s like an open market with open options. Rapes happen because men and women interact freely.”
5. Abhijit Mukherjee, December 2012, Congress MP (Pranab Mukherjee's son):	…The "sundari, sundari mahila" (pretty, pretty women) "walking on the streets with candle", were not students.
6. Banwari Lal Singhal, Dec 2012, Legislator:	…banned skirts as uniforms in schools: "The intention of this demand is to keep girl students away from men's lustful gazes and for their comfort in hot and cold weather conditions."
7. Mohan Bhagwat, January 2013, RSS chief:	"Such crimes hardly take place in Bharat, but they frequently occur in India. You go to villages and forests of the country and there will be no such incidents of gang-rape… Besides new legislations, Indian ethos and attitude towards women should be revisited in the context of ancient Indian values."
8. Kailash Vijayvargiya, January 2013, BJP Minister Madhya Pradesh, referencing Ramayana:	“Just like Sita was abducted by Ravana, a woman will be punished if she crosses her limits.”
9. T Thiagarajan, January 2013, Puducherry Education Minister:	…suggested that girl students should be made to wear overcoats to prevent men from lusting after them. [note: Puducherry is a tropical city]
10. Asaram Bapu, January 2013, self-proclaimed godman:	“She [Delhi gangrape victim] should have taken God’s name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said ‘I consider you as my brother’, and should have said to the other two ‘Brother I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother."
11. Nanki Ram Kanwar, January 2013, Former Chhattisgarh Home Minister:	“Harm can come on a person if the stars are in adverse positions. We have no answer to this, only an astrologer can predict rape.”
12. Ramesh Bais, January 2013, MP:	"The rape of grown-up girls and women might be understandable but if someone does this to an infant, it is a heinous crime and the offenders should be hanged (barabari ya bade logo ke sath balatkar samajh me ata hai, lekin nabalig bachhiyo ke sath is tarah ka jaghanya apradh karma. Inko to fasi par latka dena chahiye)."
13. Babulal Gaur, January 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader:	“Western culture is not good for India. Women in foreign countries wear jeans and t-shirts, dance with other men and even drink liquor, but that is their culture. It’s good for them, but not for India, where only our traditions and culture are OK.”
14. Nusrat Ali, January 2013, Jamaat-E-Islami Hind Secretary General:	“Co-education should be abolished and proper education facilities meant exclusively for women should be available at all levels of education. Educational institutions should prescribe sober and dignified dress for girls.”
15. Satyadev Katare, April 2013, Congress leader MP:	"No man will harass a woman till she looks at him in a suggestive manner (Jab tak mahila tirchi najar se nahi dekhegi, tab tak purush use nahi chedega).”
16. Ranjit Sinha, November 2013, Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):	“Ranjit Sinha, on Tuesday made out a case for legalising betting in sports, arguing ‘if you can’t prevent rape, enjoy it’.”
17. Asha Mirje, January 2014, National Congress Party (NCP) leader:	“Girls should be very careful what they wear and what time they move out in the city. Their body language should not invite the attention of potential rapists lurking around in the streets.” “Did Nirbhaya really have to go to watch a movie at 11 in the night with her friend?" "Rapes take place also because of a woman's clothes, her behaviour and her presence at inappropriate places."
18. Mulayam Singh Yadav April 2014, Party leader:	"Boys will be boys" they "make mistakes" "Rape accused should not be hanged. Men make mistakes." "When their friendship ends, the girl complains she has been raped."
19. Abu Azmi, April 2014, Samajwadi party leader:	"Rape is punishable by hanging in Islam. But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty." "Solution is this: any woman if, whether married or unmarried, goes along with a man, with or without her consent, should be hanged. Both should be hanged. It shouldn't be allowed even if a woman goes by consent."
20. Tapas Pal, May 2014, Minister, to opposition CPM workers:	"Earlier, you guys have bullied me on various occasions. If you insult the mothers and daughters of Trinamool workers. Then I won't spare you. I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will commit rape. I will teach each of you a lesson."
21. Babulal Gaur, June 2014, Home minister of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh:	“It [rape] is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it’s right and sometimes it’s wrong.”
22. Ramsewak Paikra, June 2014, Chhattisgarh home minister:	“No one commits rape intentionally. It happens by mistake (koi jan bujhkar nahi karta, dhoke se ho jata hai dushkarm).”
23. Murali Mohan Maganti, August 2014, Telugu Desam Party MP, in the context of a Lok Sabha discussion on atrocities against women:	“Women should dress decently and in a 'dignified' manner” and added that “women should uphold Indian culture.”
24. Mathe Mahadevi, October 2014, Lingayat spiritual head:	“Girls working in MNCs [multinational companies] and at late nights wear tight westernized clothes which attracts male attention and leads to crime,” and "As long as women continue to wear revealing clothes, rapes will happen. Women, especially girls, should give up western clothes and wear costumes that reflect their culture and tradition. I see a strong vacuum of cultural values among the young generation."
25. Meenakshi Lekhi, December 2014, BJP MP:	"I have lived in Delhi for a very long time and I have seen the changes happen. These days, you see more women occupy the public space as compared to then. But it is not 100 per cent safe. With the advent of technology, with more women being on roads and with more women challenging men, the onslaught is also higher."

a Media sources cited in Appendix