Disclaimer : This article was written on 7th a September, one day before the arrest of Rhea Chakraborty. The writer doesn’t intend to defend the person taken into custody nor propagate anything against her. This is an opinionated take on oppressed women, and is written based on facts collected on the 7th.
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“Quick to judge, quick to anger,
Slow to understand.
Ignorance and prejudice and fear,
Walk hand in hand”
- Anonymous
At a time when as a nation, we find ourselves amidst deplorable scrutiny, I believe it is time to retrospect on the representation of women in the media, or in society—when involved in controversy. No, I am not defending actor Rhea Chakraborty, the prime accused in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, nor am I trying to justify any crime. If proven guilty, necessary actions must be taken. However, I think the treatment she has gone through—whether on Twitter or news channels, is the stuff of nightmares. Each person has the right to free and fair trials, not ones conducted by propagandist media and newfound fans. Whether it be the Arushi Talwar case, or the Salem witch trials of 1692-93—the way society and television have portrayed controversial cases is a nasty reminder of how far behind we are when it comes to believing in true equality. Whether it be reporters charging onto Chakraborty (infringing all social distancing rules, mind you) or some ladies who were convicted as witches and hung based on evidence given by little children—here's my list of 5 times society seemed to be at its lowest, based on what they did to women.
The Salem Witch Trials
In the late 1600s, the village of Salem in Massachusetts faced harsh winters and a famine. As a result, two little girls started having convulsions and started acting strangely. Based on some evidence they gave, they were influenced by three outcast women who they claimed were practicing witchcraft. These women—Sarah Osbourne, Sarah Good, and Tituba—were arrested. While one was freed because she made a false confession of practicing witchery, the others were executed for standing by their word. Many other women and men were convicted of practicing sorcery. However, these three women faced the worst—beatings and badmouthing. Today, psychology suggests that this could have been a result of mental health problems or diseases caused by the tepid conditions of Salem at that time. The evidence wasn’t proper, or enough—yet so many bore the brunt of it.
Juana Inés de la Cruz
Outspoken, rebellious, courageous—these words might define Juana Inés de la Cruz. However, she was much more than this. An intellectual, she fought for women's rights. She quashed patriarchal hypocrisy and double standards through her literature. As an author, her work received as much flak and hate as it did love. She was pathbreaking. Unfortunately, male egos in the mid-1600s were unable to handle it. She was boycotted and hated to the point where she decided to become a nun and make the church a haven of knowledge. Even over there, one of her critiques of a sermon was leaked by a fellow worker, who tried to defame and shut her down. She continued to persevere; until she died of a disease she contracted while helping her fellow nuns battle it. While not exactly a witch-hunt, de la Cruz’s story is a timely reminder that very little has changed—especially the size of male egos that cannot handle an opinionated woman.
Arushi and Nupur Talwar
The 2008 Noida double murder incident is a horrific reminder of what was a media trial, lynching, and prejudice—not quite different from Rhea Chakraborty’s case. Aarushi Talwar was found murdered—what followed was a sensational, unfair trial by the media. The parents lost their daughter. The media served them a double death, and they were convicted then acquitted due to a lack of evidence. As mentioned in the documentary, Behind Closed Doors, they were the real victims. I am not defending them. However, Nupur Talwar’s infamous interview went viral because she didn’t cry. People branded her as fake and declared her as a murderer right then. Pardon me for juxtaposing, but in Rhea Chakraborty’s “sensationalized” interview, her tears were called that of a crocodile and her crying was declared as fake. The truth is that people have a problem with everything. Nupur’s husband Rajesh Talwar was attacked by a knife and they went through a horrific period in jail. The treatment—of both Aarushi and Nupur—is an example of a time when we were at our collective lowest. I believe this case is something that will haunt us forever.
Gauri Lankesh
On 5th September 2017, three unidentified men shot Gauri Lankesh to death. The latest claims suggest that the assailants were told that she was anti-national and therefore didn't deserve to live. Lankesh is an example of yet another powerful, female voice silenced by sick bigots. Lankesh, left-winged, had been embroiled in a tiff with people of the ruling party. She received a lot of hate when alive, for her articles and points of view. Unfortunately, this continued even after she passed since many accounts followed by the prime minister posted hateful tweets about her and her death—as reported by The New York Times. We still don’t know who did it, who conspired against her. Maybe we never will. All we know is that she was a woman with a voice—which might have been her biggest mistake in the eyes of many.
Rhea Chakroborty
A teary-eyed woman walks into the police station. She is mobbed by media personnel. Cameras are literally hitting her, she’s holding her hands up to avoid injuries. NO, I AM NOT GLORIFYING A PERSON WHO HAS ADMITTED (ACCORDING TO NEWS CHANNELS) THAT SHE HAS SOME CONNECTION TO DRUGS. I am just trying to describe someone entering a police station, without her right to privacy and social distancing—mobbed, torn apart, hunted. This case is not black and white. Yet, we are doing what was done in Salem so many years ago. As written by actor Swara Bhasker, “The people of Salem in the 17th century acted in ignorance and due to religious fanaticism. What in 2020 is our excuse?”
This is another reminder of our collective lowest, the vilification of a girl that began just with the judgment that a woman with a partner who is more successful will misuse him/her.” We all deserve a fair chance, and so does Rhea—a fair trial will make things simpler. We don’t realize that by tweeting, making conspiracy theories, and endorsing those who sensationalize and exploit, we are repeating history. I repeat, she should be put behind bars if found guilty. Until then, at least according to the law, you are innocent until proven guilty—not the other way round.