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Kerala MLA PC George uses abusive language against the Kerala nun who has alleged rape by a Bishop. It’s indeed the usual show of political power and dominance against any woman who dares to speak up.
I wonder what is more horrifying – a physical assault or the humiliating consequences one has to undergo after that. In the case of the nun from Kerala, both have been very severe.
A recent news article reported about the mental state the nun was in due to MLA PC George’s highly insensitive and insulting comments in a press conference. This ‘outspoken’ politician is often in the news for using abusive language and shaming the victims. He has done it many times before, even in the case of the Malayalam actress assaulted in a moving car, and now he does it again.
It’s hard to understand what joy these men get by shaming the victims. Though a criminal case has been registered against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, he is using his political and financial power to sweep the case under the carpet. Men don’t just get to commit to the brutal crimes they make. On top of that they have other men like PC George with a similar ego and sense of superiority supporting them.
It appears as though they use victim shaming as their protective shields. It’s their strongest weapon to impose their power and dominate over those trying to raise their voices against them. This is exactly what happened in the case of the nun; after listening to PC George’s comments, the nun had no will to come forward at the press meet organised for her.
It’s really heartbreaking to know all that these women have to undergo, especially the mental trauma after various kinds of emotional harassment. Hard-hearted and self-centered men like these get away with their behaviour precisely because they have other men supporting them.
It’s society and the male-centric upbringing that has led to the existence of such inhuman beings in this world. It’s very hard to change these systems and the entire society overnight, and we can only hope that it will happen over time. At the moment, it is women who need to be strong to face such men. It is only natural that a survivor like the Kerala nun feels shame in front of this victim-blaming society – it is now more than ever that she needs our support, to be strong.
The onus again falls on us as women, to come up with our own strategies to fight back against victim shaming or any other means that such men use to shut us down.
Apart from being the Associate Editor at Women's Web, where I get to read,
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