Rape.
So much is being written about it
these days that the crime seems to have joined the league of the daily weather
reports in the media.
Let’s try and analyse this act:
No, we will not dwell on the
Indian Penal Code’s section 375, 376 & its subsequent amendments, what is
considered as rape, what is the punishment, exceptions on marital rape, what
percentage of accused finally get what they deserve etc.. Let’s focus more on
the mechanics or kinetics of rape.
It is a natural phenomenon that a
man gets attracted to a woman. The intensity of attraction may range from just
giving a second glance to staring, stalking, stripping with the eyes to the
worst possible reaction, rape.
A lot depends on the behaviour on
background of the man in question. If he has had a good upbringing he may just
stop at the “second glance”. People with troubled past or with criminal
intensions while go on till the last step.
What exactly is happening here?
It is the simple response to stimuli: Man sees a woman; the testosterone &
androstenediaone harmones get secreted. More importantly the LH (luteinising
harmone is secreted by pituitary gland. This harmone is strongly linked to desire.
So it boils down to how successful you are in handling your harmones. It becomes
all the more difficult when the “stimuli” is more attractive – say more beautiful, or scantily
clad – in which case the woman gets her mission of attracting attention
accomplished, but also invites trouble as complimentary. The tussle between the
harmones & the mind continues for some time – the mind trying to subdue the
desire ready to be unleashed. It is only those few moments that determine whether
the desire concludes in a rape or otherwise.
The environment also plays a
major role here. Say, the place is deserted. The desire takes the upper hand
considering the possibility of “doing it
& getting away with it”. Say you are in a gang outnumbering the woman
& her accomplices. Again you see a possibility of a clear “win”.
The above holds true for the weak
minded, or chronically ill in the brain or for someone who has a certified criminal
record. But rape is not limited to this. How come celebrities, politicians, “happily
married” people end up in a rape accusation?
Reema Kagti, director of “Talaash”
says in an interview. Men go to prostitutes to get what they don’t from their
wives. So apart from the instant reaction to the hormonal surge, there is also
one more factor acting on men – unfulfilled sexual desires. Say, husband wants
to try out something different – that amazing posture he watched in a porn movie
- & the wife is not in the mood for games… Lo! There’s something missing in
his life which he tries to seek elsewhere: he may resort to more pornography; he
may invest in a prostitute; he may try finding an accommodating friend of the opposite sex, all of which are harmless
(atleast from the rape perspective). If all of the above options fail to
materialize, he has ventured into the high risk zone of incumbent rape.
Unfulfilled desire is a dangerous
thing: An infant tries to cry its way to fulfilling its desire. A juvenile can get
into depression when the desirous results don’t turn up in exams. It is only
natural for the others to act against the mind.
Of course, we have the third
category of sick-in-the-head people who plan rapes just for the heck of it.
They get their kicks in overpowering their victims. They can go after anything
with a hole – this is the category where you hear news about children or
elderly women getting raped or the episodes of brutal sexual violence. There are
no causative effects here like the earlier two cases – it’s a plain simple insane
act of showing your power over the victim; that sadistic pleasure in getting
the victim to wither under your control.
We all know what runs in the mind
of rape victims. But what exactly happens in the minds of rapists after they
are through with their job? Well, the first category guys may develop fear
about the entire incident which happened accidentally, & will try to flee
from everything. The second category would have a feeling of satisfaction, but
also will nurture guilt as he realizes everything was fine except for this wild
fantasy remaining unfulfilled. As for the third category, well, there is
nothing happening in there as there is no mind at all for the purpose of
thinking.
Having understood the above,
knowing very well that all kinds of people are out there & also that you
cannot fully rely on the existing security system of the law, nor can you
expect the potential tormentor to have undergone a “mind control session” by
Deepak Chopra, it makes sense in taking
that extra precaution like learning self defence, avoiding deserted areas or
nights, avoiding provocative clothes… Ultimately, it is one act where you would
not like to look back into & nor look forward to seeking justice or solace.
