Can we really say that it was the physical injuries alone that caused the recent death of the Kuki gang-rape victim? Anti-rape activist Yogita Bhayana says the worst, most lasting damage is in the mind
Yogita Bhayana (left) has been talking about the rights of rape victims for a few years
News of the 20-year-old Kuki gang rape victim breathing her last on January 10 — still waiting for justice more than two years after the horrific assault amid raging ethnic clashes in Manipur — has stayed with us. She succumbed to illness allegedly linked to the trauma, which included multiple injuries to her vital organs. But the worst damage was invisible.
Her mother, Lhingnei Haokip, told the media, “For the last two years, she lived in constant fear.” The 20-year-old’s tether to life began to fray as she started vocalising the shame that survivors go through. “She used to tell me that she did not want to live anymore. Once, she told me that everyone knew what had happened to her and that she felt extremely vulnerable because of it,” added the grieving mother.
Less than a fortnight before the Manipur victim’s death, yet another survivor of a brutal gang rape fought for justice at the Supreme Court. One of her assailants, former BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar sought suspension of his sentence in the case related to — also convicted for the custodial death of her father — sought suspension of his sentence in the death case. The SC refused to provide this relief to the former lawmaker.
Seen protesting with the Unnao rape survivor outside the top court was anti-rape activist Yogita Bhayana, who is the founder of People Against Rape in India (PARI). The fact that this is the first time India has been introduced to the term “anti-rape activist” is telling of the times.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an average of 81 rapes take place every day in India.
Survivors’ trauma extends far beyond physical pain, says Bhayana, “Ninety per cent of the problems are psychosomatic, because victims have no outlet to vent. We have worked with victims of sexual violence who recovered physically, but could never go back to their old selves. But with the right support, they can heal more.”
NCRB data from 2018-19 also shows that only 30 per cent of rape accused are convicted. This percentage has not changed a lot through the years — a fact Bhayana is very aware of.
For the Unnao rape survivor, seeing the men back out on the streets — Sengar was briefly granted bail, while his co-accused was acquitted — caused severe trauma, says Bhayana.
“The first trauma is the assault itself. But even after you heal from that, the mental trauma remains in our memory like a fresh wound. The major issue is that most can’t share it with anyone and let it out of the system. Sharing the pain helps a lot,” she adds.
Loved ones and well-wishers can feel helpless and not understand what they can do. Bhayana explains, “Actually, you don’t have ‘do’ much, apart from actively listening to the survivor, that in itself is considered healing.”
Bhayana recently started the PARI helpline for women and children to call in if they face any sexual abuse. “There are no government-run helplines, so I started one. But I am unable to promote it because of lack of money and resources,” she says. Right now the helpline is manned by just women. “They are not counsellors. We don’t currently want experts. My team is there to just listen to you,” she says.
Children form a considerable chunk of the callers, says Bhayana, adding, “If a child is telling me about abuse, I have to go above and beyond. We have the responsibility to report it to the police.”
Bhayana hopes to hire someone to look into the legal side of these calls soon.
At the moment, they get 15-20 calls per day, on average. They sometimes also have to weed out fake calls. “In some cases, the woman wants the man to be punished for not marrying them. But I don’t want what I am doing to be diluted, so we go case by case and follow our instinct,” she adds.
It is harder to assure the survivors of justice when Bhayana herself is going through a crisis of faith in the judiciary. “Personally, I don’t have faith in the system. So it’s hard for me to convince someone else, but I do my best,” she says with a wry chuckle.
The most crucial thing is to give survivors support. “Encourage them. Say that you are there for them. Tell them they have your full backing. They need reassurance to rebuild their confidence, and that’s what we give them through the helpline.”
People Against Rape in India
Call them:
+91 9871119188
+91 7800000265
(Time 10 am to 8 pm)
Email them: yogitapariindia@gmail.com
parihelp88@gmail.com
office@yogitabhayana.com
15
Average number of calls the PARI helpline gets daily from women and children
81
Avg no. of rapes in India every day *Source: National Crime Records Bureau
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