Muhammed Farhad is a name that has evoked both revulsion and support on social media in Kerala in the past few days. The man who identified himself as a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, claimed had been pursuing a minor schoolgirl he was sexually attracted to.
On Friday, Farhad wrote on his Facebook wall (translated from Malayalam):
“According to me all types of sexual activities are normal because you are feeling it when you do so. What is abnormal is when you restrict my sexual activity according to your interests. Now every day I am seeing a girl studying in the fifth grade and I am sexually attracted to her. I have even been buying ‘Munch’ [a chocolate] for her every day. I am enjoying every moment of the love that she expresses for me. I think this is just normal.”
The post was ostensibly in support of Catholic priest Robin Vadakumcherry, who was arrested in the state on February 27 on charges of raping a 16-year-old girl and getting her pregnant. The vicar of St Sebastien’s Church, in Kannur district, is also alleged to have attempted to buy her family’s silence to cover up his crime.
Farhad’s post led to an outcry and a police investigation – but it also found a number of supporters and sparked a virtual war between the two sides. The post as well as his profile has since been taken down. Farhad reportedly told some of his supporters that his account had been hacked and the profile taken down.
Justifying paedophilia
Some of the posts that seemed to back Farhad drew parallels with homosexuality and seemed to fail to see the difference between sex between consenting adults and that involving children . There was one that asked, “Who gave you the right to ask a child to deny it pleasure?”
Another profile, with the name Abhinand Kishore, offered, “While all rapists are heterosexuals, we do not consider heterosexuals as mentally ill. In the same way, why should one consider paedophilia as mental sickness just because it involves children?”
He went on to say, “Rape is a crime because it is done without consent but in paedophilia, how can an adult ask consent to a child who does not understand its meaning? So how do you call it a crime?”
Among the supporters, a few had a different reason for backing Farhad, and Kishore too. They said they were not advocating paedophilia but questioning the “mobocracy” they alleged had taken over social platforms like Facebook.
“In Farhad’s case, none of us support paedophilia and I don’t think even he does,” wrote Asmita Kabeer. “But when someone is coming out in the open with an issue, you should give him a chance to speak at least. This intolerance is the problem.”
Kabeer said she was targeted by the moral police a few days ago at the University College in Thiruvananthapuram for spending time with a male friend.
Outrage and action
On the other side of the fence, Sujith Chandran, a journalist with a news channel, sent a complaint to the state police chief and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan – a move that he said was a spontaneous response to a stand to legitimise a crime.
“Facebook is accessed by very young children too,” Chandran said. “If his [Farhad’s] writings can actually influence them, see what kind of a dangerous situation we are creating for our youngsters? I am not against discussion on paedophilia in a closed group if it helps you take steps to do away with it. But you can’t glorify it on a public forum.”
The matter has also reached the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which has sought a detailed report from Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behra. “This is a shocking incident where a young man has claimed that he is engaged in paedophilia over the social media and a section is out to support him,” Shobha Koshy, the commission’s chairperson, told Scroll.in. “The state police chief has been asked to investigate this. We need to understand that your freedom over the social media cannot infringe on anyone else’s rights, especially on children.”
The police have by now received over 10 complaints against Farhad, and their IT department is trying to dig out his details. “We have passed all details of the case to the high tech cell of the force, and as soon as their reports come we will consider filing cases,” said Behra. “At the moment I can tell you this much, that no one who supports paedophilia would be spared.”
The child rights commission said that since Farhad’s Facebook post, it had kept a close watch on all such interactions on social media and found that it had become a platform for justifying a crime. This had prompted the commission to seek police intervention in the case.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), has also approached the chief minister’s office to intervene in the matter. “This is a huge challenge for our children who are getting exposed to such thoughts, which are completely criminal in nature,” said IP Binu, a leader of the organisation. “We need to draw the line and ensure that this is stopped immediately. Not just those who propagate it, but those who support it also should be booked immediately.”
Psychologists worried
In the midst of this debate, psychologists spoke of the deeper implications of Farhad’s post.
“There is no doubt that whoever has written in support of paedophilia lacks a sound mind and needs to be counselled immediately,” said Kala Shibhu, a child counsellor with a top school in the city. “It is also a wake-up call to parents to see what is lurking in their neighbourhood.”
Shibhu said paedophilia is a crime and what has been witnessed on social media in the past few days is a challenge to society’s efforts to prevent violence against children as well as women.