Raipur Kendriya Vidyalaya Teacher’s Comment 'Rape Was Nirbhaya's Mistake’ is More Shocking Than Eight-Month-Old Raped by Cousin in Delhi

The country woke up to the news of an eight-month-old girl getting raped by her 27-year-old cousin brother in the national capital. Yes, Delhi is shamed again. In the present times when rape cases are reduced to news reports and statistics in the country - No heinous act against women is shocking anymore instead they are shameful, very shameful. Words are not enough to describe the pain of the child who is battling for her life after undergoing three-hour-long surgery. However, things get more appalling when you come across brainfart statements made on rape victims. The most recent incident is of a female teacher in Raipur’s Kendriya Vidyalaya who reportedly told girls of her school that if they wear short dresses and lipstick; they would get raped ‘just like Nirbhaya.’

According to TOI reports, Snehlata Shankhwar, a biology teacher is accused of preaching objectionable ideologies to her class. She told girls to not wear revealing outfits and lipstick as it ‘incites crimes like that of the Nirbhaya gangrape’. The lady slammed the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim saying it was ‘Nirbhaya's mistake and not the boys’. She is reportedly heard saying in an audio clip, "Girls who face such incidents are cursed and it's a punishment for them." My heart bleeds writing – ‘Nirbhaya's mistake and not the boys’!

Cautioning the girls to not invite Nirbhaya type rape, she allegedly said, "Girls expose their body only when they don't have beautiful faces. Girls have become so shameless, why did Nirbhaya go out so late at night with a boy who wasn't her husband? It's difficult to understand why an issue was made of this. Such incidents happen with girls in remote areas frequently. Nirbhaya's mother shouldn't have allowed her to go out so late at night."

The teacher believed that if a girl wears a skimpy outfit, boys think she is asking for it. Such girls are characterless. She further added that when boys see girls "doing it" with an individual they assume the girl would "do it" with others as well! What’s worse was she delivered her outlandish opinion about girls in front of their male peers.

Shankhwar’s counselling sessions for female students continued for days before some girls of Class IX and XI secretly recorded her vile comments and presented to the principal as proof of the 'mental harassment'. The enraged parents filed a complaint against the teacher after meeting school’s principal Bhagwan Das Ahire who has informed officials of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. While the enraged parents have given the principal to take an action against the teacher in 24 hours, the bigger question remains that India is not devoid of rape victim-blamers like Snehlata Shankhwar.

There’s a common pattern to how we react to a rape case. From ‘breaking news’ it moves down to what was she wearing? What was the length of her skirt? What was the time? Who was she hanging out with? Was she drunk? Was she looking promiscuous? The list of endless questions can run our office printer out of ink.

I just have few questions for Mrs Snehlata and everyone sharing a similar mindset – What was the Delhi toddler’s mistake? As an eight-month-old, what ‘wrong’ did she do to face such a horror? Was she wearing a lipstick or a short skirt? NOPE. Was she hanging out with a boy who was not her husband? NOPE. She is a child – for god’s sake a tiny tot who is yet to speak her first word or still learning how to walk instead she faced the wrath of a brother who could not control his hormones. Rape is never a victim’s (irrespective of her age, clothes, time and umpteen factors) fault.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2018 02:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).