How culture of impunity is responsible for weaponisation of rape in a political conflict

In recent years, due to vigilant media reportage, the country has become increasingly aware of the interconnection between politics and violence, be it in Kerala or West Bengal or now Manipur. This brutal nexus often incorporates sexual violence. However, despite this growing awareness amongst the public, this violence doesn’t stop. It has been reported in the media that in the recently concluded Panchayat Elections in Bengal, a female candidate from the BJP was stripped naked and molested allegedly by TMC workers. In the conflict-ridden border state of Manipur, there has been unprecedented access to arms fueling a deadly clash between the Kukis and Meiteis for the last two months. This week, on the first day of the monsoon session of parliament a video from early May showed the brutal assault and gang rape of two Kuki women. It is alleged that it was an act of retribution in light of rumours of the rape of a Meitei woman, which later proved false. Whilst the timing of the release of the video seems to be directed at the first day of parliament, what is undeniable is that the sickening brutality has shaken the nation’s conscience. Political violence is a broad term encompassing any form of violence within political conflicts between political entities or communities fighting for dominance. Often, it’s used to maintain power, spread fear, silence dissent, or manipulate socio-political narratives. In these situations, sexual assault becomes a weapon of war, a strategy of terror, and a tool for the degradation and dehumanisation of certain groups. And it is being used with alarming regularity. The weaponisation of rape has been distressingly evident in numerous conflicts. The horrific mass rapes during the Bosnian War in the 1990s were a chilling demonstration of this. In Rwanda, during the genocide of 1994, up to half a million women were raped, often with the explicit intention of spreading HIV. Similarly, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often dubbed the “rape capital of the world”, sexual violence has been used as a military strategy for decades. Moreover, the brutal episodes of mass rape in Myanmar’s Rakhine state against Rohingya women and girls underscore the continued use of rape as a weapon of war. In India, political violence has thrown up numerous instances in the recent past of the rape and degradation of women. The perpetrators in these cases are often protected by impunity, sometimes even actively encouraged by political structures, making it difficult for victims to seek justice and recover from their experiences. Unlike in Manipur where the perpetrators and victims are from battling sections of society, in West Bengal the victim in the most recent report is a political worker, who is accusing the cadre of the ruling party of assault. For most of us, it is unimaginable to think of the weaponisation of rape as a tool used outside of wartime conflict and is in complete contravention of democratic principles. However as we have found, sexual violence, including rape, is frequently employed in political conflicts and this is the case for several reasons. Firstly, it instills fear within communities, breaking down social structures and creating an environment conducive to the establishment or maintenance of power. It also serves as a form of ethnic cleansing in some contexts, with systematic rape used to alter the ethnic composition of a population. This was most glaringly witnessed in the case of Kashmiri Pandit women (post-1989) who were targeted and raped amidst other brutality, which led to the exodus of the community from the Kashmir valley. Efforts to combat political violence and sexual assault require a multi-faceted, intersectional approach. Primarily, there is a need to strengthen national legislations that deal with sexual violence in conflict situations. Specific laws that deal with this impunity and disarm the reductionist “context” of conflict – social or political. Our lawmakers rather than scoring political points, should be discussing laws and the path to justice for victims of these assaults. Because “normalcy” may be restored with time, but the occurrence of these crimes perpetuates discord within society that can last decades, on a subliminal and overt level, if justice is not delivered and accountability is not set. The eradication of a culture of impunity is essential. This includes the prosecution of perpetrators at all levels, from individuals to state actors. And there should be laws whose ambit covers all these players. The weaponisation of rape is a profound violation of human rights. Addressing it requires urgent, collective, and comprehensive efforts at various levels – and especially in parliament in light of the incidents in West Bengal and Manipur. Politicians must shed politics and come together to provide an effective legal framework, with specificities that deal with this horrendous crime. Anything less will be a betrayal of the women of this country. The writer is a best-selling novelist and award-winning screenwriter. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.