An interesting, one-step-backward one-step-forward story from India.
The women had been rounded up in the park with their male dates. It was part of a police operation named “Operation Romeo,” which was supposedly aimed at discouraging the sexual harassment of women.
The police conducted the operation in full view of television cameras for nearly two hours. About eight women were rounded up, some of them by male police officers, but the slapping and punching was done by female officers.
Across India, many people saw the action as something quite different, and expressions of condemnation poured in from legislators and women activists. […]
Brinda Karat, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a prominent supporter of women’s rights, expressed her outrage at what she described as misplaced priorities.
“How dare they do it? They cannot take any action against the criminals who are raping women, the extent of violence against women in nonconsensual assault is so huge, on that they don’t want to take any action, and on young couples who are spending some time together in a public place…. They want to beat up those women. We will never accept it,” she said.
In Meerut City, students held angry street protests, and burnt effigies of police officers.
The students denounced attempts by the police to turn Uttar Pradesh into what they called a “Taleban” style region.
In the face of such anger, police officials quickly distanced themselves from the operation, blaming lower-level officers and calling it a shameful incident. Two women police officers were suspended and an inquiry was promised.
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//In the face of such anger, police officials quickly distanced themselves from the operation, blaming lower-level officers and calling it a shameful incident. Two women police officers were suspended and an inquiry was promised.//
wtf
I think feminist organisations will have to really take stands here. The problem with feminism in India is that it can take polar sides and not really understand the concept of patriarchy. In that sense – It moulds itself into a patriarchal structure – and instead of breaking power equations – it just seeks to balance it in its favour. It prefers to go pro-women and not necessarily anti-patriarchy. Patriarchy in India sees manifestations in not just less opportunities for women – but less opportunities for certain minority communities and excessive moral policing.
This particular incident for instance is seeing feminists distance themselves because they don’t want to diss two female police officers who abused their position of power. So we have very watery reactions. The police force in India is essentially a figure of patriarchal government authority. It may have women in the force – but they play by the same rules.
Oh, and btw – Both men and women were beaten up by the police. And THAT is very very important to remember.
OK, I really don’t get this. How does kicking and slapping people have anything to do with any plausible motive on the part of the police, let alone something to do with “discouraging sexual harrassment”? Is it just me, or is there a complete disconnect between the police’s actions and the operation?
pdf23ds: The disconnect is as follows: The reason why the police comes across heavily on eve teasers/ sexual harassers is that it believes it is a matter of “moral turpitude”. (i.e. Not a matter of a woman’s right to be not harassed). When the police reasons moral values to discourage men from harassing women on the streets, they look at anything from a moral angle. So to speak, even public display of affection then comes under a moral scanner. Which is pretty screwed up. Accordingly to their limited and irrational thought process they are fighting anything that represents moral corruption.
The fundamental disconnect is therefore the intention behind the initial drive to reduce harassment on the streets.
the police are pretty messed up in india, probably even corrupt
Talibans police are corrupt, they just want to inject fear in women, women won’t uprise against them that is why feminist organizations must take a stand against these abuses of natural right base on the Philosophy of John Locke!