A massacre happened about a month back in a village just 800 kms away from Bombay. A Dalit woman was gang-raped and then brutally killed by the villagers who then proceeded to kill her three children. In a great post. Greatbong pointed out how such stories receive little media attention because the victims are poor and marginalized. Finally, the wheels of justice have begun to move and hopefully the perpetrators of such a dastardly crime will be brought to justice. The heightened media and blog attention can only help the cause.
But in this frenzy of bringing attention to this crime, we should be careful to respect victim rights. Shivam Vij has posted the photographs of the victims on his blog. One of them is not only gruesome but clearly crosses all lines of ethical behavior towards the dead. Shivam admits that even Tehelka refused to publish the photograph yet he chose to publish it on his blog. Why?
I suppose Shivam’s answer would be to bring attention to brutality of the crime. But anyone who has read the account and is yet unmoved, would a photograph matter to him? And in case you don’t believe me, I quote the details of the case.
They were then taken to a crude open-air theatre stage where, according to villagers, people yelled to the sarpanch to let them sexually assault the women. Meanwhile, Priyanka’s brothers, 21-year-old Sudhir and 19-year-old Roshan, were murdered. After Priyanka and her mother were raped, they too were murdered.
Does one need photographs after this? One which shows the victim’s half naked body? With all her dignity stripped off? In that case, every woman who is raped should have her photographs splashed in the newspapers. So we can all ”understand” the enormity of the crime. Or when Santosh Singh was freed in 1999, newspapers should have published Priyadarshini’s mutilated body! Did Shivam publish them?
So why would Shivam publish such a photograph? I will tell you why: because they are Dalits. Just like their dignity and sanctity of their lives was lost on the murderous mob, so is their dignity immaterial to Shivam. Because they are easy victims who can be exploited and used to advance one’s agenda.
This behavior is despicable and should be completely unacceptable.
Shameful!
Filed under: Media/Blog watch, Rants
Dude,
Stop saying upper caste vs/ lower caste. Dalits are outside the caste system – this was a lower caste on Dalit violence.
Actually, that would be another way to divvy up the nation and I think would be a better way to go. So, we would have North and South, and parts designated for Dalits and MBCs, tribals. Muslims would go with Pakistan I guess. Interesting idea.
You know, I do not deny any of what you are saying. But the problem is you are not the first genius to figure it out. Dr. Ambedkar wrote the f’ing consti. Get that dude. Some OBCs killed some Dalits in a podunk. Not my f’ing problem.
http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/priyanka-bhotmanges-story-of-khairlanji-brings-tears-in-sonia-gandhis-eyes/
at last!!!!!
Yet that line between exploitation and depiction of reality can be a hair’s breadth of opinion
AND hair’s breadth of opinion should respect the dead; exploitation is easy for sensationalism – true service will lie in serving the cause and not exploting it. If posting the pictures has created so much debate….one wonders what happened to the cause of promoting social justice and equality. Should we not be discussing that.
May God have mercy on the vicitims and family.