March8th, 2015

Dear Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto

Happy International Womens Day !!

 

I am writing to you to ask you why are you supporting  the patriarchal “Daughters of India” campaign ?

 

Historically patriarchy has sought to enslave women in roles of motherhood, sisterhood, and daughterhood as ways of legitimising the restrictions put upon them.

If  a  Campaign to stop violence against women is meant to bring about change continues to work within the patriarchal framework it seeks to annihilate, it defeats its own purpose. Isnt it ?

 

The anti rape movement after the decemeber gang rape in 2012 was a large spontaneous upsurge,  which was very creatively  mobilised with students, activistsm feminists together .

It systematically challenged and rejected the patriarchal protectionism that only offers “daughters”“wives or sisters  protection in that capacity rather than as human beings who  assert themselves and resist attacks on their bodies and rights. The  movement evolved and raised the demand for ‘unconditional freedom for women’.

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Some of the popular slogans during the protest following the December 16, 2012 rape were, “We want freedom from fathers and brothers”. The protesters said, “Don’t call us ‘daughters’ and offer us ‘safety’ in exchange for freedom.” The title of the documentary does not reflect this quest for autonomy.  India’s Daughter actually locates the ugly rape culture mindset in the rapists and their defence lawyers, it does not show how the same mindset is shared by those who are within the legal and judicial system . The anti rape movement also  rejected voices that were ready to imprison and control women and girls under the garb of ‘safety’, instead of ensuring their freedom as equal participants in society and their right to a life free of perpetual threats of sexual assault, both inside and outside their homes.

 

The students came out with posters saying, ‘don’t teach us how to dress – teach men not to rape’ and others saying, ‘your gaze is the problem so why should I cover myself up’. This anger had clearly stopped being about this one rape case and punishment.Now this was  not being directed at the one incident, it was actually raising larger questions about why a woman is put in the dock every time there is a case of sexual violence and why is there a discussion on what she could have done to avoid it. The discourse was out of this comfort zone of patriarchy. So it was important to realise that it was not enough to oppose rape but to oppose it in ways that challenge rather than reassure patriarchy.

Sexual assault occurs with frightening regularity in the world and in India . Most of the global violence against women happens within relationships: worldwide, almost one third (30%) of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by their husband or partner.  Morethan 70 % of indian women  are subject of domestic violence, and a crime is committed against women in the country every three minutes. According to the India National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), for example, incest rape cases have increased by 36.7 per cent from 392 cases in 2012 to 536 cases in 2013. Of these, 20.1 per cent were registered in Maharashtra (108 of 536 cases), wherein 117 cases of rape by blood relatives were reported. 97.7 per cent of all sexual violence in India, as per the DHS survey used in the UN Women database, is perpetrated by husbands.  The rapes by strangers  forms a very small proportion of reported rapes.  So’ Indias daughter cannot be a representative picture for a global campaign, anyways.

The anti rape movement  argued that justice be demanded for all, and fought to get the definition of rape broadened, in our slogans we challenged patriarchy, we demanded that we wanted azaadi  (freedom) not merely from rapists who are strangers, but from the dictates of the Khaps ( Kangaroo Courts)  and also our fathers, and brothers, and husbands, who seek to control our bodies and agency.The film has no  engagement with rape as a structural problem.

 

I  would like to  give you glimpse of some rape cases in India which go beyond the mindset of the Rapist  , as the documentary  India’s Daughter”  has attempted.  A glimpse  when rape is used as a mean of domination by upper caste, by the army or the police, and  its actually not even punished. Adivasi and dalit women and those working in the unorganised sector, women with disabilities, hijras, kothis, trans people and sex workers are especially targeted with impunity .The Indian army and the police are using rape as a weapon against people in places like Chattishgarh , Kashmir  and  Manipur. It is legitimately being used, as there are laws that protect them when they do it.

 

  1. Manorama Rape Case

 

  1. Neelofer and Asiya – Kashmir – Shopian Rape case –

 

  1.  Kashmir – Kunan Poshpora

 

 

  1. The Case of Soni Sori= Amnesty International declared her prioress o conscience

sonisori1sonisori

 

Statement of Protest and demand of Withdrawal of Gallantry Award

 

 

kalluri

 

The Rapist Cop S R P Kalluri , INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICERAIPUR,CHHATTISGARH  , another rapist cop, whose reputation surpases that of S P Ankit Garg has been decorated with a gallantry award  for Jan 26, 2013, the 64th Republic day of India

Gallantry award to the Rapist Cop

What “India’s Daughter” has done is that it has reduced  it to one incident, however horrific it was, one set of parents, or even one city – the capital of India, New Delhi. There are women in Manipur, in Kashmir, in Chhattisgarh who face the violence of the state. There are Dalit women across India who face the violence of the upper castes.

 Drawing your attention to Some uncomfortable issues coming up   about the film 

The Filmmaker has claimed that the parents of the Rape victim were fully in support of the film,but the  parents have actually gone to court against her.

Rape Victims parents are going to court against the Film Maker

, “”He [Mukesh] has said this in the court also in the past, but making a documentary while he is in the jail — this sort of permission should not be granted,” Asha Devi, the victim’s mother, told CBC News. “So who made the documentary and why, I can’t say about that. But this should not be allowed while he is lodged in the jail.”

The news that Mukesh singh, rape convict was paid Rs 40,000

The news  that The original indian collaborator Anjali Bhushan is missing from credits

The Indian Co Producer Anjali Bhushan SPEAKS OUT

As  a feminist concerned with gendeR I also do not want to see Indian men demonised , at a time when racism is rampant  and the name of the campaign comes from a film which has succeeded in doing so,  If you  think the

 ‘demonisation’ of Indian males  is irrelevant , please read  German Professor apologises for rape problem email to indian student

 

We Indian women do not want to be seen as India’s daughters , nor do we want to be seen as mothers, wives, aunts, nieces or grandmothers. 

We are not reproducing Machines 

We want equality as  human beings . 

We demand respect as human beings. 

The truth of the “Daughters of India” campaign is that it is undoing, what the anti rape movement has been trying to do since dec 2012 .  If we moved a step forward in our campaign on gender violence, Daughters of india  is going to drag it 5 steps back. That’s what the film India’s Daughter will do for awareness on gender violence.

 

SO DO STOP  !AND THINK !!

in Solidarity

Feminist , part of the Anti Rape movement in India

Kamayani  Bali Mahabal

Refuse to be part of  Indias Daughter campaign