The entire global scenario was alerted on 19th December after troves of Epstein Files were released, with possibly a million more to follow. Even now the Governments around the world are closely monitoring its developments. While several countries have announced inquiries, its ‘partial’ release and ‘blacked out’ information has also drawn angry reactions from the survivors' group and the lawmakers.
Even if there weren’t any verified accusations of direct involvement of India, there were mentions of high profile Indian figures in emails and documents. But what is surprising is the absolute silence in our mainstream media. I think I know why.
Remember the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case that gave birth to a fearless moniker called ‘Nirbhaya’? Remember how we were all fearlessly united in our angst and in our demand of an issue previously left in the shadows- violence against women? Remember the nationwide protests and the media that helped spark it?
Yes, we all do because even if it did not directly change a government through elections, it definitely served as a watershed moment. It not only galvanized an unprecedented national movement for women's safety, it also forced the existing government to enact stringent new anti-rape laws. Sadly all that is but a distant memory now.
I don’t know when it began but slowly we started taking an unprecedented path where ‘New Files’ were opened in a ‘New India’. It’s a little hard to believe that in a country where women are worshiped as Goddesses, there are some sections who also accept rapists wholeheartedly into the society.
This altered memorandum- from ‘Hang the Rapists’ to ‘Garland the Rapists’, sends out a dangerous message. Welcoming convicted offenders with open arms, offering them sweets and garlanding their salacious necks, doesn’t just blur the line that separates decent from foul. It also frees the society of any shame or guilt to look within.
Whenever India is labeled as a rape capital, collective arms of denial always spring up, alleging international conspiracies. But how long can we keep ignoring the truth? Even if these events are not widely covered by the media anymore, they are still heavily criticized by women's rights activists, legal experts, and large segments of the public.
Why?
Because fortunately some of us view them as a failure of the justice system and a reflection of a deep-seated rape culture in parts of our society. Tweets and Protests often follow these incidents, with calls for judicial reform and societal change. And yet even if some innocents keep languishing in jails for crimes they never committed, a chosen few, especially those with political affiliations somehow manage to get away even with murder. But what is amusing is that even if they are convicted, bail or interim relief is also granted. This includes stretches of parole and furloughs so infinite that often it feels like the convicts spend more time out of jail, than in them.
The criminals, apart from politicians, also include the self-proclaimed filthy rich Babas and the Swamis, who in the name of religion have completely lost their moral moorings. These spiritual gurus and flaky conmen are filthy rich with their ashrams spread over different cities and countries, enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle on properties valued in crores. Safely ensconced in the amniotic fluid of patronage by politicians and businessmen, they also keep hobnobbing with the high and mighty, attending social functions of Business tycoons, Netas and Abhinetas.
These Gurus are also great at playing the collective psyche by handing out ‘miracles’. Since the human brain is genetically programmed to believe in esoteric and religious mumbo jumbo, even at the expense of rationality and sound judgment, it is the fairer sex that swoons over their magnetic charm.
One can see the Gurus literally milking their devotees for every last drop of applause endowing them with an undeserved halo of godliness. As a result, many of these preachers actually start seeing themselves as Agents or Messengers of God. Politicians throw their weight behind them asking them to influence their devotees to vote for a certain political outfit. In return, these spiritual gurus are assured of protection so that they can use religion to build their illicit empires, feather their own nests and carry out their nefarious activities.
-Asaram Bapu is serving life imprisonment for the rape of a minor and a female disciple.
-Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted and sentenced to 20 years in jail for the rape of two female followers and who also faces convictions in murder cases.
-Narayan Sai (Gurmeet’s son) also arrested and convicted of raping a woman disciple over several years.
-Paramhamsa Nityananda- a conman who fled India after being charged with rape and kidnapping and later declared a fictional country called ‘Kailasa’.
-Falahari Maharaj- A self-styled godman arrested in 2017 for the alleged rape of a 21-year-old law student.
-Ichchadhari Bhimanand-another self-styled godman who has been repeatedly arrested for various criminal activities, primarily running a high-profile sex racket , who was booked for rape and unnatural sex and orchestrating financial frauds.
-Siva Sankar Baba- arrested by the CB-CID under POSCO act on charges of sexually abusing girls of a residential school he founded.
-‘Prophet Bajinder Singh’- Sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and sexual harassment.
The above are but a few names from a long list in our very own ‘sacred’ Files.
The latest in the bandwagon is Kuldip Singh Sengar who was handed a ‘Get Out Of Jail Free Card. The judgment sparked a controversy because it was not only legally flawed but also problematic. It was awkward in so many ways because it wasn’t based on ‘innocence’ but on a hyper-technical view that we common women fail to follow; perhaps because it ignores and trivializes the gravity of the offence while following a textual interpretation of the word ‘public servant’.
For those of us willing to see, the case has a clear pattern of victim intimidation, where official powers were abused and the victim and her family members were threatened and systematically targeted with alleged attempts to silence witnesses. This abuse of power and demonstrable history of intimidation raises troubling questions. Isn’t it high time we saw through the knavery and hypocrisy of such criminals and view them for what they are- rank opportunists, impostors, rapists and hedonists.
So the bottom line is- why should we even bother about Jeffery and his sleazy files? Why even worry when we have more colourful portraits to hang in our own Wall of Shame. Why even be concerned when we can boast of equally sordid, squalid and disgusting files of our own- The RapEstein Files!
Nargis Natarajan is a commentator on social issues. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.