The alleged rape and murder of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor, in Ernakulam district of Kerala, is rare regarding the sheer brutality of the attack, but it is also one of several hundred cases of violence against women in the southern state.
Official figures show that the number of rape cases lodged in Kerala doubled in five years from 2010. That year, a little over 600 cases of rape were reported. But by 2015, the number of reported rapes jumped to 1,263. In 2015, 250 cases of sexual harassment were also reported. And as per current data, on an average, four women file complaints of rape in Kerala every day.
The rise in the number of rape complaints, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that there are suddenly more rapists in the state, but that more women have mustered the courage to report rape, which weren’t earlier reported due to the fear of social stigma.
So, what brought about this change?
Media growth
The spurt in reporting rape complaints is attributed largely to greater awareness amongst Malayalee women thanks to the proliferation of Malayalam television channels, said observers. In the race for ratings, these channels have kept focused on women’s safety and other related issues.
The Malayalam media has been highlighting the cases of abuse against women in a big way,” said Joseph Fernandez, a senior crime journalist in Trivandrum. “Even in this law student case, the incident got attention only because the Malayalam media reported it… nearly a week after the incident took place.”
He added: “If the media had not been vigilant, this issue would have been buried quietly. Moreover it is poll season. This can reflect in a big way in the election.”
The Perumbavoor rape and murder has indeed become an election issue days before Kerala goes to the polls on May 16. While public anger at the incident is evident, politicians have rushed to capitalise on the issue. The Left has accused the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front of being unable to maintain law and order, while Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has hit back at attempts to politicise the incident.
Talk shows, phone-in shows on Malayalam channels and websites have attempted to tap the anger at the Perumbavoor rape and morder, giving people a platform to voice their outrage, grief and concerns over the issue of women’s safety.
Women’s issues get play
At least 12 Malayalam General Entertainment Channels as well as 10 local news channels vie for space in the state.
Dan Kurien, a senior journalist working with a Malayalam news channel, said that the proliferation of regional language television news had led to growth in women-centric programming. “The number of news channels has increased in Kerala,” said Kurien. “Due to this, the number of women journalists too has increased… so discussions about problems faced by women also has increased.”
Onninum Edamilla, a program on popular Malayalam channel Manorama News, is a popular show that discusses women’s issues. A similar women-centric show is She News on Mathrubhumi News.
Kurien added that news channels and newspapers have made women more aware of the laws that protect them, and this was why more women were coming forward to report rape and other abuse. “When women see an incident of abuse against women on TV channels, they tend to register a complaint when such a thing happens to them,” said Kurien.
Though the Malayalam media has also come under severe criticism for sensationalising rape cases, the impact on awareness that aggressive reporting has had on their audiences is undeniable.
“Women in Kerala have changed now,” said Joyceline, a student at Cochin University, who participated in protests asking for justice for the Dalit student. “Earlier women never used to report such abuse because they felt that they had to protect their family’s honour,” said Joyceline. “Or they would commit suicide. But now their views have changed. Now they go and report the crime and want to get the offender punished.”
