If you are not angry, you're not paying attention.

While I was upset by the molestation of two women on new years eve in Mumbai, supposedly the safest city for women in India, this new development is just the icing on the cake.

I am including text of two articles below, the first describing the molestation, and the second the recent comments by the Chief Justice of Karnataka (a state in India)

MUMBAI: Two women were allegedly molested by a group of men on New Year outside a five-star hotel here.

Police said no complaint has been filed yet in this connection, but the local edition of a leading English daily published a series of photographs on the incident.

"No such complaint has been registered with us. We had adequate security arrangements outside the hotel, where personnel from the State Reserve Police Force were posted and closed circuit cameras installed," Additional Commissioner of Police Archna Tyagi said.

The incident took place at around 0145 hrs(local time) on Tuesday when the women, along with their male friends, were heading towards Juhu beach from a hotel in the suburbs.

A mob of 70-80 men reportedly tore up the women's clothes, molested and groped them while their male companions, overpowered by the crowd, watched helplessly.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2671478.cms

**And the other...**

Shame on Indian MCPs!
Protest Against Regressive Statements on Women
Dear all,

INDIA On the 9th of February 2008, remarks by two emminent
judiciary members the
Chief Justice of Karnataka, Cyriac Joseph and State Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice S.R.Nayak, stating that immodest
dressing was the cause of increasing crimes against women were reported in the press. (the
clippings are pasted below with links).

The Hon'ble Chief Justice further elaborated his statement by mentioning that "*Nowadays, women wear such kind of dresses even in temples and churches that when we go to places of worship, instead of meditating on God,
we end up meditating on the person before us*" and that the provocative
dresses that women wear in buses*" put the "*men travelling in the buses*" in awkward situations and hence "*women must dress
modestly*."

The Chairperson SHRC, speaking on 'Human Rights and the Lawyers Role", gave his opinion on the Mumbai New years eve molestation
issue by saying "*Yes, men are bad", ''But who asked them (the women) to venture out in the
night,'' ''Women should not have gone out in the night and when they do, there is no point in complaining that men touched them and hit them. Youth are destroying our culture for momentary satisfaction.''*

Thousands of crimes like molestation, domestic violence, rape etc go unreported in the country because the patriarchal
society we dwell in refuses women the space to report violence.Where it
should be the prerogative of the seat of law to protect the
privileges of the vulnerable
and the victims of any violence, we have seen the perpetration of
subjugative regressive ideology.

As people who believe in systems of Justice and the value of equity, please join us in raising a voice for the cause of women in the country and sign the petition below:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petiti on/indiawomen2008/

Do share the petition with as many people as possible.

With warm regards,
Arpita Joshi, Harminder Kaur, Gitanjali Mahanti,
Bhargavi S Rao, Dolly
Kalita
Source: http://www.justicewomen.com/guestbook/guestbook.php


Many people cite reasons such as manner of dress, being out late at night, etc. in order to blame a woman for her own rape or attack. But in this instance, these women, two NRIs - non-resident Indians - from California, accompanied by their husbands, were celebrating new years eve at the club of a 5-star hotel. Are women not allowed to go out in public? Not allowed to celebrate new years eve with their husbands? Are women not also passengers on the bus, and worshipers in the temples? Or are we merely second class citizens, who need to make sure we don't distract men from prayers to their gods, dress modestly in the buses to avoid harassment, not go out at night, with or without the company of a man, even on new years eve?

I have no tolerance for those who tell me that feminism, and the women's movement, is dead, unnecessary, outdated. The fact that these kind of things happen in the world, and furthermore that politicians will then defend this behavior and blame the victims for their roles in the attacks, is proof to me that we have a long way to go. If you are not angry, you're not paying attention. If you are not aware of this reality, then maybe you should do some research and see how the world treats the rest of it's citizens. Try finding out what it is like for the majority of the women in the world. Do that, and then just try and tell me there is no need for a women's movement.