When Karnataka's survivors of sexual violence broke their silence, sought justice

On a balmy February afternoon in Bengaluru, Lavanya (name changed on request), a bonded labourer from Karnataka’s Mandya district, spoke about sexual assaults faced by her and her daughter while working in a granite stone quarry. An audience of around 1,000 people listening to her was left stunned and saddened by the ‘horror’ experienced by the mother-daughter duo.

When she took to the podium, Lavanya was wearing a mask to cover her face as she was “scared” to reveal her identity. She has been fighting a case against the perpetrators of crimes committed against her and her daughter.

Sowmya (who goes by her first name only), a women’s rights activist from Mandya, who is helping Lavanya fight her case, told The Federal the accused are powerful people. “Her life is under threat so we don’t want to divulge too many details about the case.”

However, in the middle of her speech, Lavanya removed her mask. She revealed her face. “It was a powerful gesture. I got goosebumps. By removing the mask, Lavanya confronted her fear. But her battle for justice and survival continues,” says Sowmya.

Despite insurmountable obstacles, Lavanya is determined to get justice. “I am fighting for justice and want your help,” she tells the audience.

It is not often that we hear survivors of sexual violence, especially those who are poor and belong to marginalised castes and religions, speaking in public forums and demanding justice. The reasons for silence are many in a patriarchal society like India where class, caste, religion and gender play a big role in justice and accountability.

Lavanya and other survivors of sexual violence shared their stories and struggle at a public dialogue on “The politics of rape: justice, accountability and healing” in Bengaluru recently. The discussion was conducted by Karnataka Against Sexual Violence — a campaign started last year to break the silence around rape and sex crimes.

The members of the network — consisting of women, sexual minorities and human rights groups — say the campaign was a response to the release and felicitation of 11 convicted rapists in the Bilkis Bano case on August 16, 2022, and a series of rapes and sexual assaults reported from Karnataka.

Last year, as a part of the campaign, Bengaluru and 15 other districts of Karnataka saw protests against the remission granted to convicts in the 2002 gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of her seven family members during the Gujarat riots.

“Along with demanding justice, the movement questions and highlights the impunity enjoyed by accused and convicts like in the case of Bilkis, who is fighting for more than two decades now. We want accountability from the government and the judiciary in crimes against women. We want the healing of the survivors and their family members,” says Manohar Elavarthi, a Bengaluru-based activist, who is a part of the campaign.

Around 55,000 signatures were collected by members of the campaign group from across Karnataka “to put Bilkis Bano’s rapists back in jail for life”. The signatures were sent to the Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud.

Recalling the times when campaign members were going door to door to garner support from the public for Bilkis Bano, Mamatha Yajaman, a member of Gamana Mahila Samuha — an NGO, which works with survivors of violence, told The Federal it was a mixed reaction of support, opposition and ignorance.

“Once in Bengaluru, a man was upset about our visit. He refused to support our signature campaign and told us not to come to his locality.

“A few days later, I met the same man in a different place. This time, he changed his mind. He gave us a patient hearing and decided to stand in support of Bilkis Bano and other victims of sexual violence,” adds Yajaman.

Lauding the initiative taken by Karnataka, Vrinda Grover, senior advocate and activist, says, “Nothing has changed in the country because of the magnanimity of the courts. All changes have happened because of the activism on the streets. Today, we are witnessing the weaponisation of sexual violence, like in the Bilkis Bano case.

“In some cases, rapists are sentenced to death, while in others there is remission. In such a scenario, the safety of women is not the central focus. Therefore, women’s discourse on sexual violence should be distinct from the discourse that is being forwarded by the state.”

Grover’s observations stemmed from the fact that day after day, we hear gruesome cases of sexual violence against women and children — leading to the death of victims in many cases.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, India registered 31,677 cases of rape in 2021 — which means around 86 cases daily. Activists working in the field to protect women from violence say the cases reported so far are just the tip of the iceberg.

The NCRB’s “Crime in India 2021” report stated the number of rape cases in 2020 was 28,046, while it was 32,033 in 2019.

There has also been a steady increase in the number of cases reported under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which deals specifically with child sexual abuse, every year nationwide with Karnataka recording one of the highest numbers (2,813) in 2021.

The latest report released by the NCRB shows that 1,49,404 cases of crime against children were registered in 2021 of which 53,874 — 36.05 per cent — were under the POCSO Act.

Last year in Karnataka, the issue of sexual exploitation of women and girls by religious heads in Ramachandra Mutt and Muruga Mutt made quite a stir.

“Religion legitimises sexual violence against women. In the Ramachandra Mutt (of the powerful Havyaka Brahmin community) case, in which a woman was repeatedly raped by the mutt head, the judiciary has been unable to deliver justice, so much so that 10 judges have recused themselves from the case. It clearly indicates the helplessness of the state when powerful religious organisations indulge in sexual violence,” says Meenaxi Bali of Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Janavadi Sanghatane.

“More than 200 women and girls were sexually abused by Muruga mutt head. Although the accused is at last in a prison, little justice and help have been given to the women. The accused continues to enjoy political protection,” adds Stanley KV, an activist from Mysuru.

At the Karnataka Against Sexual Violence discussion, sexual violence faced by Dalits, sex workers, domestic workers, sexual minorities and Muslims was discussed at length as women belonging to these groups are “double marginalised” because of their caste, class, sexuality and religion.

Geeta (who goes by her first name only), coordinator, Sadhana Mahila Sangha, an organisation working with sex workers, says it has become common practice to sexually abuse sex workers. She adds many times private and intimate videos of sex workers are uploaded on the internet.

“In general, women working in the informal sector, like domestic workers, have very little legal protection. Sexual violence faced by them in their workplace hardly comes to light,” says Geeta Menon, who has been fighting for the rights of domestic workers for more than three decades.

Jyoti Hitnal, a social activist, and Ishrath Nissar, an educationist, spoke about sexual violence faced by Dalit and Muslim women “as we are witnessing the rise in caste-based violence and islamophobia all around us”.