Why the Asaram verdict matters
His conviction will encourage other abuse victims to speak up
AJodhpur court on Wednesday handed life imprisonment to 79-year-old Asaram, a selfstyled godman, for raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan. The conviction and adequate sentencing (imprisonment till the end of a person’s natural life) could not have come at a more critical time: In the last few months, a plethora of rape cases, including of several minors, has been reported in India. The conviction and sentencing of a powerful, socially and politically connected man such as Asaram should encourage more victims of sexual abuse to overcome the fear of social stigma and concerns about a slow investigative and legal process and give them the courage to report their cases to the police.
Even though social, legal and media support for victims of sexual abuse have increased noticeably after the December 16, 2012, gang rape case, an analysis of the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey done by the newspaper Mint shows that an estimated 99.1% of sexual violence cases are still not reported, and, in most such instances, the perpetrator is the husband of the victim. Even if one excludes marital rape and assault from the analysis, only about 15% of sexual violence committed by others (someone other than the husband) is reported to the police.
Asaram’s sentencing is also a warning to those who use their powerful positions to harass and intimidate others. Such harassment is not limited to a certain social or economic segment of society; it is far more widespread than many think. A couple of months ago, a ‘#metoo’ campaign rocked the academic world. On Tuesday, senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury claimed that even Parliament is not immune to such harassment. Many actors have spoken out against the film industry’s open secret: “casting couch”, a euphemism for sexual harassment. One of the main reasons why self-styled godmen such as Asaram, Nirmal Baba, Rampal and Ram Rahim Singh get the courage to abuse women and indulge in other illegal activities is because they think that they can get away with it, thanks to political patronage and huge bases of followers. It is high time for political leaders across party lines to keep their distance from such men.