Female tourists abused in Rajasthan

machadinha

Some cheerier reports by female members of late:

http://www.indiamike.com/india/india...hlight=finally
India : Total Ripoff !
http://www.indiamike.com/india/mumba...ied-to-t49388/

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karuna

It's important to keep perspective on these things. 1 tourist was raped out of how many thousands in the region at the time? Yes it's one too many, but I don't think the risk of it happening to you now is any higher than it was last week or last month, i.e. not very high at all.

I can't see what you could do to take concerns into consideration? Avoid Udaipur? Avoid guesthouses?
If you were planning some risky behaviour like frequently travelling alone with strange men at night through unpopulated areas, well that was a bad idea one week ago and it's still as bad an idea as now.

Any decent (and sensible) man should not have sex with a drunk, drugged and emotionally distraught woman. How could she possibly have given meaningful consent? Sex without meaningful consent is rape. He does not have to have physically forced her. I don't know the legal definition in India, but certainly that's the case in Britain.

Her previous history with Indian men is not important, and his European girlfriend is equally unimportant. It doesn't matter either if he left immediately or they woke up together in the morning: it still could be rape. But you are right, it is still only an alleged rape and he may be innocent.

Sorry machadinha for being all serious again after you tried to lighten things up.

machadinha

Not at all; I think you're spot-on as usual.

vyakti

a little bit of advice for anyone female or male who travels alone, apart from the obvious caution when going out at night also use a door stopper when your in your room at night, its a useful item that will stop unwanted intrusions.
After having discussed this issue with my partner (who is Indian) I think part of the problem is cultural, Indian women and I'm generalising, would not travel alone, expose themselves or allow themselves be approached by a man, they would very possibly slap any man who approached them. The trouble is western women tend to be friendlier, don't mind being approached, dancing etc my personal opinion is that "some" Indian men may misinterpret the friendly openness of western woman as being consent to something that actually was not meant. I don't think this excuses their appalling behaviour they still know right from wrong it doesn't matter what the cultural differences are, some people are predators it doesnt matter where they live. Being aware just like you are in your home country and do your homework, learn the customs of the country your visiting will help you be safe when travelling.

Aishah

Machadinha and Karuna - Thank you for these very sensible posts!
I refrained from saying that if you are in a locked room by yourself or with your travelling partner, how will you get raped.. this is in reference to one desertrose previously mentioned. Women will be safe here if they are sensible and this is a maxim applicable to any country in the world. India is no more 'dangerous' (if anything I think safer) than you own home country. A few highlighted incidents should be put into proportion. Today I am reading two rape cases against tourists in Goa were filed this last week - one last night. This would not put me off going to Goa. If this sort of thing caused me any tension I would not even be going back to New Zealand or Australia - daily rape cases are reported in the newspapers.

And as others have posted, no matter how a woman is, dress, behaviour, drugged, drunk etc. rape is always rape and no excuse for it.

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PeakXV

The trouble with that mentality is that you are in a different country with different customs, different rules, different diet & a different climate.

India is a very safe country to travel in but a too laid-back attitude coupled with extra partying, hot temperatures & not staying properly hydrated are characteristics that could well impair the judgements of the most street-savvy person and quickly 'even' the playing field of attracting inappropriate attention - no matter what country(along with their statistics) you are from.

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Aishah

I did say 'if they are sensible' Peak - thought that covered all those situations you are mentioning after 'but' (don't know how to put the underline). I am certainly not encouraging a 'laid-back' attitude, and one would hope that travellers do some homework first as to all the other aspects you list - customs, rules, food,etc.

Nick-H

True; like a sink plug, it adds very little to the baggage. Most guesthouse rooms I've stayed in have bolts on the inside anyway.
Depends on the approach, I suppose, but yes, this is a huge generalism. I never got slapped for asking directions!

Yep! Rape is not really to do with an uncontrollable reaction to seeing a bit more female flesh than usual, or even some crazy imagination that women from some particularly country are 'up for it'. It is just as much to do with mental attitudes.

Sama

I am in Madurai right now and read an article in The Hindu this morning about female tourists being molested in Rajasthan. I can tell you that the article made me sick and so fighting mad I could have spit nails!

The article's headline stated that it is due to the increase of tourists that the problems of rape and other molestation is on the rise. that's right, your typical attitude of BLAME THE VICTIM.

The attitude was that women are to blame for their own problems. There was not one mention, not one IOTA of blame put on the men involved. I wish I had the article in front of me right now because I would quote where it said that women tourists who run into problems do not follow the "guidelines" of appropriate behavior! WTF!

in the same paper there was another article about the "molestations" that happened in Mumbai and other places on new years eve citing the patriarchal attitudes in india, i.e., "boys will be boys", but also mentioning that the perpetrators were of the "lower classes." the writer asked, why are class and caste mentioned because ANY man can molest a woman, it's not something that only "low class" men do.

frankly, I am totally sick of hearing that women -- foreign and otherwise -- create their own problems by how they dress in india. I don't care if a woman walks down the street naked, anywhere in the world -- that does not give any man the "right" to rape or touch her.

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Nick-H

That is very strange.

Most of the coverage of the New Year stuff has been quite different. It is interesting, and a positive development, that the media have been using the word 'molestation', rather than that 'eve-teasing' crap. What's more, I have not seen any suggestion that the victims in Mumbai were 'improperly' dressed.

Nick-H

<later>

Can't find it. Can you quote the headline?

However, the full front page article of today's The Hindu 'Magazine' section carries an article An Assault on Dignity which seems to express your very pointsThe writer goes on to talk of other crimes against women that occurred during the same period, and how they didn't make front-page headlines. She says that millions of Indian women are not safe, anywhere, not even in their own homes, and she concludes that the problem is not in the hands of women;

jivan

Just had a lovely day & the only thing I have to say is I completely agree with all your statements. Its just not my day to fight, I just had a nice bottle of rum & a very nice book to go by, so off from my side.

Nick-H

Happy Pongal --- enjoy your day!

Just to add to the coverage, The New Indian Express also has a full page article covering the same ground in the same way, and another article inside.

Pity really; if the two newspapers had published these sections on different days it would have had more impact.

Even I skimmed the Express article.

Between the two of them, though, they are soundly taking to task any suggestion that colour, class or caste should be any reason or excuse. There was some suggestion that local papers have trivialised the issue, and that attitude has been attacked.

In fact, India's patriarchy should feel kicked in the shin today. Unfortunately it is an institution somewhat immune to attack.

jaat

guess I was wrong about rajasthan and the north Indian region..it has begun to happen all over the countryhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...ow/2696345.cms

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fajitanumerouno

The incident mentioned above from The Hindu - The Assault on Dignity reminds me of an incident in New York that occurred maybe 8 years ago. It was just after the Puerto Rican Day parade, just inside Central Park near the Plaza Hotel. Broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon in June. A group of out of control mostly Puerto Rican men (the park and nearby area was packed with parade goers, its a big event everyone had some drinks/were in high spirits) sexually assaulted several women in front of all the others in the park. There was video of parts due to someone there having a camera. Very scary. It was a warm day so folks were dressed in shorts etc but there was no excuse on the part of the men, they were undeniably at fault. As they should be in India as well. Now this was not on tourists but it is no doubt a highly touristed area, it is interesting to see that it is the same kind of mob mentality with others nearby (men and women) were not totally helpful either. Someone eventually got the cops in there but I cannot remember the timing now, were some very scary moments as I recall. I am part Puerto Rican and I am not saying this in a negative way about the parade or Puerto Ricans, simply that this kind of thing can occur anywhere and there are certain situations where other people nearby will not help. I wonder if carrying some kind of pepper spray would help put back a crowd?

There is always a risk to travellers everywhere, as there is a risk in your own neighborhood of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. However as a traveller I would never let that stop me, alone or with others just take precautions and hope you don't find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I will say the way some men looked at me in India did make me feel uncomfortable though. Whether I was out alone or with my family. Its very different from the USA in that way (though not always ; )

Maybe this whole thing in Rajasthan is growing sensational by the media, things tend to get that way here and it sounds ultimately far worse then it really is.