Restricted to big cities, #MeToo not a small-town scenario, say residents

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 14

An ex-serviceman was arrested for raping a 16-month-old girl in Nurmahal on August 25, on September 8, a man was arrested for trying to rape a 10-month-old girl near the Gazi Gulla locality in the city and on October 10, a Kapurthala woman was gang-raped by a group of men and then gang-raped again when she called on an acquaintance to seek refuge.

While the MeToo movement has taken the country by storm, even as pressure is now mounting on a Union Minister to resign, the storm is yet to permeate the hinterland. Incidents of sexual abuse with women on streets, workers or even female employees at the workplace in smaller cities is largely going unreported, with many women yet to speak up. Only a miniscule number of incidents of gang rape or abuse make it out.

Jasbir Jassi, an activist of the Istri Jagriti Manch, said: “What is the most positive part is that through the social media, many women are venting their ire and are being taken seriously. Many of these would not have otherwise spoken up but the movement is giving them the courage to do so. However, it would be fair to say that MeToo is so far an elitist movement. The lives of women in cities or towns have not changed much. There is no let-up in incidents of rape, nor has the police adopted a more proactive approach on the issue. In the Nurmahal case, while we demanded an FIR against the minor’s mother for bringing the child to her husband, the family of the victim itself backed off. Due to societal and police apathy, many people lack the courage to come out and aggressively take up the cases. Sexual abuse is largely going unreported. The steady reportage of rape cases goes to prove the administration is not doing enough and society, at large, has failed women and hasn’t ensured their safety.”

Sukhdev Singh Randhawa, general secretary of the PCCTU, here, who had recently sought action against a teacher said: “With us so far a complaint has come from a Hoshiarpur-based teacher who has alleged sexual abuse. Her case was also recently taken up by the PCCTU with the Panjab University VC during a recent meeting in Chandigarh that her charges should be probed. Barring this, no other case has so far been reported. While many women, especially young appointees, are also scared of coming out, we are so far satisfied with the way the investigation on this case has been progressing.”

Sexual abuse cases in city, peripheral areas

• A man raped woman working as domestic help on March 16. 
• Domestic help, who was raped as per police, was found in fields in Shahkot on May 29.
• In Shahkot, 25-year-old was ‘gang-raped’ by five men on July 14.
• Retired Army man held on Aug 26 on charges of raping a one-year-old girl at village in Nurmahal. Was booked under POCSO Act.
• Woman raped in Adampur in September. Accused arrested.
• Youth arrested for allegedly attempting to rape his friend’s 10-month-old daughter near Gazi Gulla locality on Sept 7
• DC’s report on Sept 14 claimed that a mentally challenged woman raped at Pingla Ghar. Police said they were waiting for woman’s delivery to carry DNA tests of baby and penalise culprit. No arrest yet.
• A 24-year-old woman gang-raped by 10 men on two different instances on the same night of October 10 in Kapurthala.