Just An Ordinary Girl

Photo By: Elin Chow

Driving down the road from the rice terraces of Tegalalang, we stopped at Luwak Coffee Plantation where we have the opportunity to sample a great variety of local teas and coffees, including the highly prized Luwak coffee (also known as Kopi Luwak).

Photo Credit: India's Daughter

"Her name is Jyoti Singh. By revealing her name, we hope that it will give courage to other women who have survived these attacks."

India's Daughter is a documentary directed by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin and is part of the BBC's ongoing Storyville series. The film is based on the infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23 year-old young woman. who was a physiotherapy student. The victim, Jyoti Singh, widely known as Nirbhaya (which means fearless in Hindi), boarded a privately run bus with a male friend home after watching a movie. That was where she was assaulted, brutally raped and violated with a metal rod by six men before throwing both of them out on the streets.

Both of them were taken to the hospital where Jyoti received emergency treatment including multiple surgeries in India and Singapore. Despite her horrific injuries, she somehow still managed to survive 13 days even when she was expected not to live through a few hours. However, no matter how much she wanted to live on, she still died 13 days later from her injuries.

The Ban

The documentary was originally planned to be broadcasted on International Women 's Day, 8 March in India on NDTV 24x7 and in UK BBC Four. However, the India government block the broadcast of the documentary in India with a court order obtained.  BBC complied and the documentary was not air in the country.

BBC, on the other hand, brought forward its broadcast and air the documentary on the 8th March in UK. After the broadcast, the film was also uploaded on Youtube and has been circulated around the various social media and sharing websites.

Indian government agencies has ordered Youtube to remove access to the film after BBC made it available on the Storyville website. Unfortunately, Youtube has complied with the order and taken steps to block access to the film in India upon the government's request.

A more severe global ban was launched shortly after that as the BBC proceeded to ask Google to remove all copies of the documentary that are viewable on Youtube, anywhere in the world. However, I have managed to obtain a copy of the documentary before it was completely removed from the internet.

However, India's efforts to suppress the film has backfired as it will be viewed by more people than if the Indian government has allowed it to be screened. India's efforts to ban the film has inadvertently spur greater interest online and helps to generate more publicity for it, which in fact, contributed greatly to its international success.

Why did I say so? Well, when a film is banned, it immediately makes people interested and curious to know why they have being stopped from watching it. I am sure that most of the people will attempt to find a copy of the film to see and find out the reason why it was banned from screening.



With great angst, helplessness and tears in my tears, I watched the whole documentary. Filled with emotions, I sat down and started typing my thoughts on the computer. This is not my effort to review the documentary. Rather, I am just sharing my thoughts on various issues raised throughout the film. By doing this, I am hoping to raise awareness about the rape culture in India.

The film began with a few dramatized scene shot in the dark with voice-over narration that provide a brief overview of the incident before it shifted to Jyoti's home, focusing on her grieving and heartbroken parents.














" A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. A girl is far more responsible than a boy."

On the camera, Mukesh has shown no slightest remorse and claimed that "a girl is far more responsible for a rape than a boy." He aggressively blamed that it was Jyoti's fault for being out on the streets late at night. If she was a "good" woman, she would not be roaming the streets at 9 o'clock at night.


"When being raped, she shouldn't fight back. She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they'd dropped her off after 'doing' her and only hit the boy."

So, if the women are not "good", men have the right to ''teach them a lesson'' by raping them. He also said that "when women are being raped, they should just be silent and allow the rape. Those who resisted rape, as Jyoti did, might be killed by "accident".

"The death penalty will make things even dangerous for girls. Now when they rape, they won't leave the girl like we did. They will kill her."
Apart from that, he also argued that the death penalty imposed on them will actually cause more girls to be killed.

As I quietly listen to what the rapist murderer has to say, I feel powerless, angry and utterly disgusted. I wonder why this monster was given the chance to justify and defend himself. Why should we listen to what a rapist has to say?

I could not imagine how much pain Jyoti has went through. That will be indescribable.


" They had no fear in their eyes, no shame"

There was no guilt or fear in his eyes. He does not even flinch when the list of gruesome injuries which Jyoti has sustained was read out to him. From bite marks, to kicks, to the fatal pulling out of Jyoti's intestines. He appeared to be a little annoyed and simply do not understand why people are making such a big fuss about such small thing like rape.

It was not a surprise that Mukesh's comments in the documentary has grabbed international headlines and sparked instant outrage on the internet. Many people have actually questioned whether it is right to give the convict a platform to express his views.

But no, the interview does not make him a celebrity. On the other hand, it actually helped us to see and understand the real roots of India's rape culture. That is the deep-rooted gender inequality in the society.




One of the most disturbing interview was with the wife of convicted rapist, Akshay Thakur, who completely denies that her husband would do such a thing. She even asked why her husband was punished when there are other criminals at large,

"If a husband is not there to protect his wife, then for who does she live? I will have to strangle my son. What else can I do?"

She even explained how she no longer wanted to live and will have to strangle her son if her husband is hanged. But who cares whether she or her son live or not. That does not matter very much to me. But there is one thing I can be sure of, that is as long as women in India continue to hold similar views as Akshay's wife, who think they are useless without a man in their life, the battle for gender equality will not end.

I wish I could slap her hard in her face. Even so, I believe she would never wake up or understand the pains which Jyoti went through. She was expecting the viewers to sympathize her. I am not sure how many of you would feel sorry for her. But at least I know, I would not.


Personally, I feel that death penalty might not be harsh enough to punish the rapists and definitely, will not be the ultimate solution to rape. Rather, I believe life imprisonment without possibility of parole with caning would cause much more suffering for the offender than a quick and painless death after a short imprisonment.

Perhaps, some would argue that chemical or physical castration would be the better way to punish the offender. But it does not prevent them from committing the same crime again. A person can be castrated and still have an intact penis. Although castrated men will experience a much-diminished sex drive, they are still capable of sexual activity.

Furthermore, rape is not always motivated by sexual desires. Sometimes, it is purely about control, power and violence.

Thus, the thought of having to spend the rest of your life in solitary confinement in a small prison cell actually makes it worst than death itself. Life imprisonment without possibility of parole with caning might be a better way to punish those who committed a rape and murder.



















"If my daughter or sister engaged in pre-marital activities or disgraced herself or allowed herself to lose face and character by doing such things, I would most certainly take this sort or sister or daughter to my farmhouse, and in front of my whole family, I will put petrol on her and set her alight."

AP Singh, the other lawyer who defended the rapists also made similar sexist comments about women in India's society. When asked whether he still stand by his views today. he said yes.

Certainly, the sexist and inhumane comments made by both the lawyers have caused a huge public outrage. How can a person with such mindset still be a lawyer, whose job is to deliver justice and truth. I wish that they will be punished and have their licenses revoked. They should be deemed unfit to practice law as they clearly lack of ethics, morality and respect for human life. Can you imagine having such lawyers to represent you in court should you ever need one? I could not and I definitely would not want any one of them to defend me.

The rape and murder of Jyoti has sparked national protests and riots, with hundreds of thousands of Indians - both male and female - marching onto the streets across the country holding candlelight vigils and rallies demanding for strict laws and reforms. Even so, any changes are expected to come slow in a patriarchal society.

In the documentary, there are other voices - police, judiciary, historian and varied experts, but their comments were not significant enough for me to mention.

It was a difficult documentary to watch. I have to pause the film several time to digest whatever I have seen and heard. But for sure, India's daughter is not a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of India. There was nothing fabricated in the film. The government decision to ban the broadcast of India's Daughter was in fact, more damaging on India's reputation than the film itself.

Even though the documentary was banned and removed from Youtube, I believe there are still numerous copies of it on the internet. So, if you managed to get a copy of of the documentary, I would really recommend you to watch it.

However, the film title might be inappropriate. It actually feels like an insult to the victim, Jyoti. India's daughter? No, She was not India's daughter. Jyoti was a strong and determined girl with a big dream. She wanted to help the poor and dreamed of building a hospital in her hometown. But what did India give her? Nothing. The country gave her nothing but pain and suffering. Her achievements were given by her parents. She was her parents' daughter.

How many of us have such a big dream like her? I felt infuriated that she was robbed of a promising future that she had worked so hard for. She was just a step away from success. I wish I have the ability to help her build a hospital in her hometown.

Jyoti represents hope for the future. I hope that she will be the inspiration for the next generation of women to demand for freedom, equality and respect in modern India.  Her life has been sacrificed to tell the world that rapes and violence towards women will no longer to be tolerated. The society has to stop devaluing women.

"A girl can do anything."

Jyoti used to believe that a girl can do anything. What a boy can do, a girl can do it too. The biggest problem in India is mentality. If majority of the population are taught from birth to devalue girls, then they will grow up not knowing how to respect girls.

Imposing strict laws and death penalty are not the solutions to rape. I hope this incident is enough to shame and wake India up. Perhaps, it is time for the government to confront the deep-rooted issue that men in India do not respect women.

It is great that the film has helped to explore the issue of gender violence and reflect the collective mindset of the people of India. Without the interviews, would you see a highly successful and educated lawyers making such sexist remarks as M.L Sharma or AP Singh did. I believe you would not.

So, until and unless the mentality of the population changes, this rape epidemic will not end. However, the question is "How? How can we change the mindset of the population?"

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!

"My Name is Elena and I used to be a human being. Now I am a sex slave. If you are reading this diary, then I am either dead or I have managed to escape."

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave by Sibel Hodge. This is the first time I have finished an entire book in just one sitting. This is a 96 pages novella, written in the form of diary entries.

Having stumbled upon this novella by accident while checking on other books on Amazon, I clicked on the first page to read using the "Look inside" feature. Immediately, the very first sentence of the novella got me deeply engaged and within minutes, I could not get my eyes off the book.

Plot

Elena, a 22 year-old widow have been promised of a well-paying job at a Casino by her best friend. Lured by the prospect of earning good money, she left her elderly mother and four year-old daughter, Liliana for Italy in the hopes of a better life. However, never would she have expected that a much more brutal hell awaits her.

Betrayed by her best friend, she was kidnapped, sold, beaten and used brutally as a sex slave by the men who own her. Held captive in a brothel, the traffickers had threatened to kill her family if she ever try to escape. She was utterly broken and hurt, but for safety of her elderly mother and daughter, she had to stay strong as she waited for her chance to escape.

My Thoughts

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave, a fictional novella created by Sibel Hodge to increase awareness of the sex trafficking industry throughout the world. Inspired by real victims' accounts and research into the sex trafficking industry, Sibel Hodge has successfully put together a very powerful novella that will definitely move the hearts of thousands or even millions in the world.

I started reading this novella with the impression of a true story. But it turns out to be fictional. Nevertheless, it is still a very gripping and heart-breaking story that could easily becomes the story of the thousands of women who have been trafficked around the globe every year.

Although the subject is highly sensitive and devastating, this is actually a very well-written and straightforward story. I really love Hodge's approach of choosing to write this novella in the form of a diary, which enables me to relate to Elena easily.

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave is a diary secretly kept by Elena, a young woman who was not very much educated but was taught a little English by her father. I really think that Hodge did a great job in keeping everything written in the novella simple but honest. Instead of trying to impress her readers with her amazing language skills, she have chosen to keep the focus on the subject itself and wrote in the most basic English. It was a very easy and emotional read.

Everything written in the novella feels so realistic. I could relate to Elena easily. As Hodge narrates, I could picture every images in my mind as though I was Elena. I could feel her anxiety, her distress, her worries, her hopelessness and her fears while reading through the pages. Pages after pages I flipped, I find myself starting to care and pray for Elena. It was stupid but I just could not help.

I like the main character, Elena. She never loses hope and faith despite all the horrific ordeals she had been through. Her daughter, Liliana is her source of strength and the only reason why she is still alive. Her love for her family is the only thing that kept her life going.

"I am one of the lucky ones who have managed to escape. There are thousands out there who have not."

I am glad that this novella actually ends with a happy ending. Eventually, Elena was able to regain her freedom, reunite with Liliana, and start a brand new life. However, in reality, how many of the others who have been trafficked are able to escape and enjoy a happy ending like Elena. I believe there are not many.

"Now, when I look into the mirror, I have dead eyes too."

Many of the victims died, either from beatings, abuses, suicides or even sex diseases. For others who may have survived, they are left all broken. A happy ending? I believe most of them would have forgotten what it is like to be happy. Their souls were dead, their body were stained and their life were completely ruined. It became a scar of their life that will never heal forever. I feel extremely disgusted, heart-broken and angry with the traffickers who have destroyed the victims. What gives them the right to take away and control another's life? I hope the law will punish them severely.

Why Sex Trafficking Happens?

Some of you might ask why does sex trafficking happens in the first place? Well, I would say the basic economics theories of demand and supply applies here. Just like drugs and arms trafficking, sex slavery would not have existed if the demand for it is not present.

Where there is demand, there will always be supply. This is especially true when sex trafficking remains a high-profit, low risk underworld business across the globe.

Human trafficking, despite being the second largest and fast-growing criminal illicit industry in the world, has a relatively lower risk of getting caught and prosecuted. Hundred of thousands of young women of young women vanished every year and find themselves forced by violence into the multi-billion industry of modern slavery. Yet, unlike drugs or arms trafficking, human trafficking are rarely seen reported in new due to a number of factors.

"He told me that he assume I was a willing participant who enjoy sex - that I chose this profession. He thought I was earning most of the money that the massage parlor charged, which is £50 for half an hour, or maybe I was attracted by the lure of good money."

Yes, one of the reason why human trafficking remains unreported is partly due to the assumptions that the people usually made about others. We assumed that we know what the others are thinking and doing all the time. Too often, we tend to judge others based on the assumptions we made. It may not be true, but still, we chose to believe what we thought it should be.

Just like what it was narrated in Elena's diary where one of her client, Jamie, has always assumed that she was a willing participant in the sex industry. Jamie has seen her as a woman who either enjoy having sex with dozen of different men everyday or was just attracted to the idea of earning quick money.

If everyone make similar assumption like Jamie's, I believe none of them will have notice the pain behind the victims' smile. No help will ever be offered to the victims if the communities are unaware that sex slavery actually exist in the form of human trafficking in today's society. Some of the people could not be bothered to care because it is just none of their business. All they wanted is to have some 'fun', even at the expense of others' misery.

As a result, most of the victims would be reluctant to discuss about their horrific ordeals with their customers or to anyone who wish to help them. Instead of speaking up and fight for themselves, they would have chosen to suffer silently in pain as they fear that it might bring them greater horrors. Many of them have been threatened, tortured, abused and beaten when the traffickers discovered that they have spoken to someone about their plight. They have no one to trust and could not trust anyone because they have been once betrayed.

Some of you might ask why the law enforcement agencies have failed to detect human traffickers' movement and activities in their countries and across borders. This is largely due to the presence of corruption in the law enforcement and legal systems.

"The older police in the group glanced at me with mild amusement, and I could see from the look on his face they were not here to help us"

The stench of corruption in the human trafficking industry, it really anger me. If the border police and police officers are not bribed and have chosen to turn a blind eye on the victims, human trafficking could be stopped. Even though they knew what was going on, but they just could not care more about it. Even worst, some of them also took their turns to exploit the victims. What if such horror happens to their daughters too? Would they feel happy too?

So. when there are people who are willing to pay for such commercial sex acts, this became an incentive for the traffickers to go against the laws and make the profits they desired. Even though the cost of sleeping with a sex slave is relatively low, sex trafficking remains a highly profitable business as the traffickers do not have to pay their slaves a single cent. This would mean that all the income generated from the business will go directly to their profits.

A business with just revenues but no cost. Isn't human trafficking a very lucrative business for most businessmen?

What Could Be Done?

We ask ourselves what we could do to stop human trafficking. Well, we could not unless the demand for sexual exploitation against the women is no longer present.

However, we could help to increase the awareness of human trafficking in our communities by writing a book, articles, posters or even songs. Campaigns could be held to educate the public on the dangers and indicators of human trafficking. This would warn the public, especially the young women not to trust and fall into the trap of the traffickers easily.

Petitions could also be signed to request for stricter laws to be implemented to prosecute the traffickers. More stronger and completed safety nets could also be built to track down and combat human trafficking activities across countries. With stricter law enforcement, human trafficking will no longer remain a high-profit, low risk business.

An increased awareness in the public would also mean that more young women could be saved before everything is too late. Your strength might be small, but together, I believe we could make a difference. Just like what Sibel Hodge has done and for that, I sincerely gave her all my applauds.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!

Photo credit: Caravan Magazine


Introduction: Prostitution as Tradition within the Bedia Caste

The Bedia caste, one of the lowest member in the India caste system, is an exception among the many castes in the male-dominated society. Against the traditions of the majority Indian communities, the Bedia viewed prostitution as a family business that is passed down from their ancestors for generations after generations. Daughters who are born to Bedia families are obliged to enter the sex trade once they have reached their puberty, with their fathers and brothers (the males) usually acting as the pimps. Unlike in other cultures and societies where the men are normally the sole breadwinner, the women are the one who are responsible for the subsistence of the whole family. The  Bedia men, on the other hand, usually do not engage in any paid employment in any part of their life as it is their tradition to rely on the income derived from the women sex work. 

Preference of Babies Girls to Boys

Unlike the traditional Indian communities which generally celebrate the birth of sons, Bedia community prefer the birth of daughters more as girls are seen as a potential source of income for the family. Often, young girls in the Bedia community are taught their future profession by their mothers even before they reached puberty. Oxytocin injection, or in some case, known as the love hormone,  is said to be commonly used in the Bedia community to help speed up the maturity in young girls, making them desire for love and sex and also look like a woman.

Virginity Auction

In India, similar to many traditional Asian cultures, virginity of a girl is still highly valued where men believe that having sex with a virgin will help to purify and cleanse their soul. Thus, most of them are usually willing to pay a premium in order to 'break' a virgin. 

However, different from many other castes in India where thousands of young girls are raped and sold into sex slavery, a Bedia girl can only enter the sex trade after she has her first period. The virginity of the young girl will then be auctioned where the highest bidder will get to visit her as many times as he wants in the next few days or weeks. After her first client left, a lavish party will be held where guests from all nearby Bedia villages are invited. The young girl will also be adorned with new jewellery and clothes during the party. This is so because the Bedia community traditionally believe that keeping the money from the auction  sale is inauspicious. Usually, at the party, alcohol is served and a goat is slaughtered to celebrate this happy "event''.

Besides the party, a ceremony called "nanthi utarna" which literally means "taking off the nose ring" is held to signify the girl is ready  to enter the sex trade. 

Marriage

Bedia women rarely get married. Bedia women who got married are not permitted to stay in the sex trade. This would mean that the family will lose a source of their income. For years after years, the Bedia community is being treated as an outcast which makes them incapable to secure any paid jobs anywhere in India.

The Bedia men, however, do get married. The norm within the Bedia community is to pay a large bride price to marry someone from outside the community. The women who are married to Bedia men are exempted from the sex trade. However, their daughters who are born to them will have to continue the community's centuries old tradition.

Besides that, there is another 'rule' in the Bedia community. That is Bedia men are prohibited to marry or engage in any sexual activities with women from their own community.

Respectable within Own Community

Unlike other prostitutes who came from other caste systems, Bedia women are highly respected within their own community. They tend to enjoy a highly social status than women who are married in from other community. This is because they are the sole-breadwinner of their family. Without them, the Bedia community would not have survived. 

My Thoughts

I feel quite shameful for myself after learning about these. I feel shameful for whining about my life every now and then. I feel shameful for not knowing how to appreciate life. I feel shameful for me not knowing to feel contended with what I have. I saw how beautiful these Bedia women are. How they are sacrificing for their family. Although they may not be very willing and have complained about their fate, they still understand that they have to accept that this is life and the only way for survival. It is her love for her family that gave her strength and courage.

Many would have sarcastically say that they could have gone for a change. This is the 21st century! Initially, I have thought so too. However, I realized how difficult it is for the Bedia community in India to change. Here are a few reasons.

Financial

Frankly speaking, I believe no women in the world would like to be a prostitute when there are other alternative jobs available which could generate a decent amount of income for the household. However, in India, well-paying jobs are scarce. The income which the majority of the population is earning is barely enough to support themselves, not to mention to feed a whole family. Thus, prostitution became the only choice for the Bedia women where it is said that they could earn 4-10 times the amount which most unskilled earned in India.

Resistance to Changes

For centuries, Bedia people have been taught to live in this way for generations after generations. The Bedia men have long been accustomed to their "comfortable" living. They are used to hold no responsibility for anyone in their life since they traditionally do not get employed for any paid jobs. It will be difficult for them to give their ''comfortable'' up and work day and night to support an entire household.

The Bedia women, on the other hand, may not be willing to give up their highly respected social status in their community due to their financial capabilities.

Education

Majority of the Bedia population are uneducated. This makes the women becomes easy targets for various crimes. I believe education will have the power to bring about significant changes to the traditional Indian communities.

Resignation to Fate

Many of the Bedia women have accepted and resigned to their fate. They have a deep misconception in their mind telling them that prostitution is what they are supposed to do. It is their destiny. Even those who do not have such misconception thought that it is too late for a change now. They believe that the damages are done and what is the point of changing now.

Although the Indian government and social workers has done many to educate and help the Bedia community, changes are still slow. It will probably takes them many more decades to change the traditions that exist within the society. 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!