The difference between Europe and India is that in Europe propagators of taharrush were imported while in India they are home grown. On both the places it is the liberals who are at the receiving end
Sandeep Singh
‘I told a policeman what had happened to us that night but he said it was not worth making a complaint because I could not name any of the attackers.’ (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3684302/1-200-German-women-sexually-assaulted-New-Year-s-Eve-Cologne-elsewhere.html)
Despite women going through a horrid time, no cases of molestation have been registered with the Bengaluru police as of now (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bengaluru-nightmare-women-molested-police-present-new-year-eve-no-cases-filed-yet/1/847632.html)
The first news is from Germany while the second one is from India. Interestingly the occasion and reason were similar except the year. A leaked report has revealed a staggering 1,200 were sexually abused in German cities during New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Victim, who did not want to be identified, told Euronews: ‘We were fondled, I was groped between my legs. My friends were also fondled.—This happened in Germany
The maximum was that even if she was suffocated and someone was trying to pick her up, there would be lots of people trying to grab her. (The Guardian)—This happened in India (Bengaluru) The German federal police compared the attacks to “taharrush gamea (collective sexual harassment in crowds),” a practice they said existed in Arab countries, as reported by the media during the Egyptian revolution.
The mass sexual assault of women in public has been documented in Egypt since 2005. Typically acting under the protective cover of large gatherings, assailants encircle a woman while outer rings of men deter rescuers. The
attackers regularly pretend to be there to help the women, adding to the confusion. Women have reported being groped, stripped, beaten, bitten, penetrated with fingers and raped. The attacks have been described in Egypt as the “circle of hell.”
This is what exactly happened in Bengaluru. The Guardian reported: “There were inhuman acts,” said Sammy, who asked for his surname to be withheld. “People were acting like they were helping the women, but actually they were molesting them, insulting them,…(https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/02/mass-molestation-bangalore-blamed-on-indians-
copying-west)
“The phenomenon ‘taharrush gamea’ has arrived in Germany,” made international news. In case of India (Bengaluru) also the news made international headline, but slightly differently. The Guardian reported it as
“Mass molestation’ in Bengaluru blamed on Indians ‘copying’ west” (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/02/mass-molestation-bangalore-blamed-on-indians-
copying-west)
The same Guardian in case of Germany had reported “Cologne inquiry into ‘coordinated’ New Year’s Eve sex attacks”. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/05/germany-crisis-cologne-new-years-eve-sex-attacks)
This difference in headline may be because of the difference in response from the government. Following are two quotes from Guardian.
For the incidence in Germany: The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, called Reker to express her outrage, according to a statement from her office. She called for authorities to find the perpetrators as “quickly and comprehensively as possible and to punish them without regard to their origin or background.”
In India, law and order is a state subject. Let’s see the response of Karnataka Government.
For the incidence is in India: G Parmeshwara, the Home Minister for Karnataka state, appeared to brush aside the incident on Monday in comments to the news agency ANI. “[On] events like new year’s … there are women who are harassed or treated badly,” he said. “These kinds of things do happen.” He said the problem was that the young people who had gathered in the city’s streets “were almost like westerners”. “They tried to copy the westerners, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing,” he said. “So some
disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kinds of things do happen.” He added that he could not “force people to dress like Kannadigas”–people belonging to the Kannada cultural group that dominates the state.
With the promptness Congress Government and its allies have come to defend the attackers and blame the women and western culture is clear indication that it was an organised crime with political backing of government in power. As per news reports there were 60 cameras. It won’t be difficult to identify the culprit and punish them. But instead of doing that Congress Government is trying to make both the groups, the propagators of taharrush and conservative view happy. Main line media is busy giving propagators of taharrush cover firing by bashing
hardliner conservatives.
The logical conclusion will be to constitute a judicial enquiry under direct observation of Supreme Court. If it is not done then in the coming years it will be replicated in other cities of India. It has a precedence. The news coverage of molestation in Germany, prompted a leak to a Swedish newspaper that similar attacks had taken place in Stockholm in 2014 and 2015 during We Are Sthlm, a music festival for teenagers. The attacks were not publicised at the time for fear of stirring up racism.
The difference between Europe and India is that in Europe propagators of taharrush were imported while in India they are home grown. On both the places it is the liberals who are at the receiving end. Only time will tell, liberals and governments of which place will learn it fast.
(The writer is a founder of www.swastik.net.in)
