A recent report comment by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament, Prasun Banerjee, in response to a gangrape case involving law students has caused public outcry and sparked a national debate about victim blaming, gender sensitivity, and the role of public figures. The comment “Girls should check who they go out with,” about the alleged gangrape of a young woman by law students in West Bengal. Despite Mr.Banerjee later clarifying his comment, the damage was done, as many interpreted the comment as deflecting blame onto the victim and not the accused.
Context
The case is about the alleged gangrape of a college girl by a group of law students in Kolkata. It is reported that the victim was out with friends after a social gathering. Police investigations have been initiated into the crime, and at least four suspects have been arrested. Violence against women remains a serious concern in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded over 31,000 rapes in 2021 alone. In cases, the survivors knew the perpetrators and highlighted a worrying trend that further undermines assumptions of “stranger danger.”
The Controversial Statement
The online and across-media backlash within minutes of TMC MP Prasun Banerjee’s remark that “girls should check who they are going out with” was quick. The remark was criticized as “victim-blaming,” in which the onus shifted from the accused to the survivor or victim.
Banerjee later clarified that he intended to warn young people to be careful rather than intending to blame the victim; the harm was already resonating significantly with the initial soundbite.
This is not a one-time thing. There are some instances in Indian political history in which the leaders issued statements that appeared to be backward, even dangerous, due to the rhetoric of crimes against women. In 2014, a previous Chief Minister declared that a woman must not dress in “provocative” clothing so that a man would not think he could attack her. Such statements reinforce gender behaviour stereotypes and divert our attention from punishing the individual who committed the crime.
Implication
1 Public Official’s responsibility
Members of Parliament and elected officials have a tremendous amount of influence. While their statements reflect their own opinion, they often influence public opinion as well. It is even more tenuous in a case like this, and words matter. The focus then should be entirely on denouncing the offenders and supporting justice for the victim.
2 Victim-Blaming culture
Banerjee’s comment speaks to a larger societal issue of victim-blaming. A 2023 Oxfam India study found that 63% of surveyed young women said they feared being blamed or shamed if they reported a sexual assault. The sort of statements made by the MP contribute to this fear and discourage survivors from coming forward to seek justice.
3 Impact of Legal and Social Processes
When high-profile people make comments that appear to excuse or minimize sexual violence, the effects can chill survivors and embolden perpetrators. In addition, this undermines the legal process by creating a biased cyanide cyanide-laden atmosphere for the pursuit of justice, which may, in turn, affect the case’s outcome, public opinion, or the actions of law enforcement officials.
Multiple viewpoints
- Women’s Rights Activists have protested against the MP’s statement, urging leaders to create safe spaces and not tell women how to act.
- TMC Party Leadership has been silent about the incident, which raises concerns about accountability.
- Legal Experts have noted that public discourse needs to be sensitive to the backdrop that these statements can imply moral policing, instead of acting in a constricting way to help people.
The gangrape case itself is a tragic situation that illustrates the need to regard sexual violence with such urgency and thoughtfulness. The TMC MP’s comment, while perhaps in good faith, exemplifies a disturbing tendency of public figures to place the responsibility on women to take steps to avoid being victimized, which does not do justice to the victim or society.
For India to move forward, the dialogue must shift from instructing women on how to be safe to what the appropriate punishment is for those who commit such crimes and ensuring that they occur quickly. Public officials, especially those elected, must be informed and held to a higher standard in speaking about such crimes.
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