Behind every action, there is an emotion, and emotions play a determining role in influencing the kind of action taken. The action could be the outcome of a single emotion or an interplay of myriad emotions. Therefore I feel emotions translating into action is more important to examine than the outcome. This is because for the same emotion two different individuals can evoke separate actions or an individual can perform two completely different actions drawing form a particular emotion. Do systems have emotion? Well, if the system comprises individuals like you and me, that system can never be devoid of emotion.
We often refer to the government by its structural namesake, ‘the system’. The system is corrupt! The system is wrong! The system is unjust! The system is broken! All these mean that individuals who make that system have indulged in those actions, which then translated into the action of the system. A political representative elected by the people is a people’s representative, whom we refer to as a ‘public servant’. They form the primary unit of representative democracy. Hence this individual is part of the system and represents the system. Their emotions, when translated into action, symbolises the action of the system.
By this time you must have guessed whom I am talking about. I am speaking about the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Bangarmau, Unnao District, Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The infamous Unnao rape case has been generating many shocking headlines. However, I shall not go into the details of the case here. That has been attempted a number of times before me. What struck me is the emotion of fear that a system can experience by forcing it to take any action beyond the ‘norms’ of civilisation to address it. Yes, unfortunately, people like Kuldeep Singh Sengar ARE the system. And this system is afraid, scared and horrified by the determination of a single woman.
There are two ways of looking at the interconnection between fear, its associated action, and the system. Firstly, at the level of emotion. And secondly at the level of action.
If the system if scared, it means we still can expect light at the end of the tunnel. The objective with which the system was built was to serve the people. The system should and must be subservient to the people and never be the other way round. This will keep the system in check and reign in its actions. Hence, I strongly feel that the fact that the mere presence of a woman or the demand for justice could be too much to handle for the system, speaks volumes about the limited capacity in which the system is trained to respond. The system is afraid, and we still can feel optimistic about the supremacy of people over the system.
The heinous problem arises when the system begins to take untoward action, and take the law in its own hands. The mysterious custodial death of the father, the accusation against her uncle, more recently the accident which led to the deaths of her relatives and the severe injuries of the lawyer and the rape survivor herself. Both of them, though in critical states, are struggling to keep their hopes alive. All for the sake of demanding justice.
Rape has more often than not been associated with toxic masculinity and power relations. I feel the power of men over women and the manifestation of strength in the vilest fashion ever imaginable sums up the background of rape. The mere presence of a woman instigates them to start acting and direct their outcome on her. A woman’s ‘honor’ and ‘dignity’ have always been labeled as ‘core qualities’ that she possesses just for being a woman. This has been over-rated to such an extent that a man feels dishonoring a woman would be enough to weaken her for life.
Thus I feel when, the rape survivor, when she ‘should’ have kept quiet, began to pursue her struggle for justice against the all-mighty system, those in the system probably could not take it anymore. The woman, who society expects should have cried, begged and spent the rest of her life accusing her fate, had the audacity to challenge the system which nurtures men like Sengar. An investigation is on to ascertain if Sengar was involved in the accident and if it was an act of retribution.
That fury must have changed into fear when the very system of which people like him are a part of began to act against him. Fear of what might happen, the fear that one might lose their seat, and fear of staying in anticipation of what the woman might do to get justice. Violence is indeed the weapon of the weak, it seems.
The woman could have lost courage after all that has happened in her pursuit of justice. Other people might be afraid to come forward to lend her assistance. Amidst all this hopelessness, what is noticeable is that a determined will is sometimes enough to challenge even the mightiest of system. It is important that the state and the system remain fearful, for whatever the reasons may be. As of now, the most important ones appear to be losing face before the public and the media.
Sengar has been expelled from the political party to which he belongs, the judiciary has stepped in demanding time-bound speedy justice and the people are outraged. The system has eventually bowed down. What we are waiting for now, is justice. Although how satisfying this justice would be, is difficult to measure, after the loss of so many innocent lives. Still the very fact, that courage outmaneuvered fear and pushed it into the dark corners calls for hope amidst the wave of toxicity!