Dubai: Nine out of 10 Indian women are "raped at some point in their married life". Statistical fact? No.
But Indian actor Irrfan Khan said this when tabloid! asked him to comment on the fact that Bollywood star Shiney Ahuja is in police custody on a charge of raping his 18-year-old housemaid.
"...I think 90 per cent of married Indian women are raped at some point in their married life. You know what I mean," Khan said.
Is India a nation of rapists? Well, this statement would have the world believe so.
According to a 2001 census in India, there were 220,389,861 married couples in the country.
Mrinaltai Gore, a well-known social worker from Mumbai, placed things in perspective for Gulf News.
"Ninety per cent! I don't think there is anything like that happening in India," she said.
However, Gore, 80, who has been helping women in India find a voice for nearly 60 years, agreed that a problem does exist.
"In our country, where there is limited social freedom for interaction between men and women, marriage is the path most couples take for conjugal relations.
"It is a fact not spoken about but something men and women understand. In cases of forced marriages, yes rape takes place, but it is not 90 per cent."
Instead, Gore placed the figure at 10 per cent.
"India has changed over the decades ...women have a better idea of their rights, but there are those who have still not grasped the idea that marriage does not mean spending the rest of their lives doing their husband's bidding," she said.
A total of 185,312 crimes against women were reported in India in 2007, up from 164,765 in 2006. As per India's National Family Health Survey between 2005 and 2006 that covered 28,139 married women, more than one third reported suffering physical violence at the hands of their husbands. Of this, 7.7 per cent reported sexual abuse, too.
Domestic violence has always been an issue in the country with a population of over a billion, with a focus on bride burning and torture.
A recent Reuters report quoting an Indian government survey stated that "54 per cent of women, against 51 per cent of men, say wife-beating is justified in some circumstances".
Audrey D'Mello, deputy director of the Legal Centre at Majlis, a non-governmental legal aid body based in Mumbai that utilises the judiciary and policy-level intervention to champion women's rights, said that the statement by the Indian actor was unfortunate and conveyed the wrong image of India to a world audience.
She said: "He [Khan] has worked with our centre and is quite sensitive and aware. We would not, as a body react to the statement, as we work within the judiciary and rather follow that path to help women."
D'Mello added that "90 per cent" is a general figure that people use in statements, but not a "pure statistic".
On the issue of marital rape, she said the "state does not recognise it as an offence.
"In 2006 the Domestic Violence Act came into force that covers all forms of violence in domestic relationships, including forced intercourse. But it is difficult to prove. Only when it is a separated couple can a criminal case be filed."
D'Mello said that this was the reason there are no clear statistics on marital rape, especially as it is highly under-reported.
"Women have to stand in front of a magistrate court, which also tries other petty criminal offences, and talk about the abuse - an extremely humiliating experience, so women do not report it."
She said that the difficulty in proving marital rape or adultery, even when it is blatant, forces them to suffer in silence.
"It is an issue in the community - when we speak to the women they do tell us about it. The option to encourage women to report would be perhaps an in-camera trial."
What do you think of Irfan Khan's comment? Do such comments raise awareness?
Your comments
I agree with Irfan.. I have noticed that in India men have more rights and they abuse their wives. Women do not have the right to stop their husbands from doing any harm to them. Irfan had the courage to say the truth in public. I hope someday women will be treated with respect in India.
Patel Sharma
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 16:04
It sound like a blunt but correct statment.
Ask from the 90% of the indian women and they will tel you yess if you dont disclose their identity.
Mutlu Kutlu
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 15:58
This guy is wrong. Just bluffing some thing to get attentioned on head lines .May be he has calculated the girls in Cinema.
Shameel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 15:20
Lets accept the fact. Irfan Khan is absolutly right. This is what is hapening in India but people don't take about it in open. He has addressed the problem and it is your duty as an Indian to find a solution to it instead of denying it. Giving Excuses will not solve the problem, you will encourage the worng doers. You have guts Mr. Khan!
Sajan
Mumbai,India
Posted: June 18, 2009, 14:38
Some lovely reactions in here, people simply explode on hearing an actor give an incorrect statistic which is an opinion of his. I wish we indians could tell the difference between fact and opinion before we blow ourselves up.
Avinash J
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 14:06
this is the negtive side of inda and it should be adressed to the nation after all speking the truth hurts but face the music i do believe indians do act badly when it comes to their wives and to all womens.
Hassan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 14:05
Mr. Irfan has shown to the nation that actors are not what they are on screen. This is a totally wrong statement
Rajesh P. Shinkre
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:53
I don't know him personally, but his image is of responsible person, so may be he made a comment because he wanted to tell that in India many of the time husband forces wife to have sex with him whether she want to have that time or not, because the definition of the rape is this only â??forced to do sexâ??. Is India a nation of rapists? This sentence is used as putting salt
Pankaj S.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:51
This gentleman's 90% assessment may be applicable to bolly wood family and not the public community of India. Seems that he is in an attempt to generalise his colleague's character exposed. I Condemn it!
Madhu
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:42
what irfan khan has said is true. this is a Intolerateable reality.
Ajay
Chinnai,India
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:22
Rape can be in 2 ways
1. sexual intercourse without female counter part's corncern.
2. Sexual inter course with a minor even if its with her concern.
According to my opinion what Mr. Khan meant was 90% of married women are forced to have an inter course with her husband. I think its clear to everybody now.
Mohammad Shameer
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:22
Its a disgusting statement from an iconic figure like Khan, now after showcasing Indian Poverty in bad light(Slumdog Millionaire) will he portray rapes and married women lives of India.
Shreya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 13:16
its better that you do not generalise your view and spoil the reputation of India, this is Ridiculous and Khan should be penalised for this by the Indian Government,
Atul
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 12:20
Is he out of mind to give such a silly statement. India is a civilized country and have rich culture of it's own where in the world none of the country has got that.
Shrinivas H.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 12:20
i m not agree with the statement given by Mr.Irfan.I think the percentage figure he given only about the people of film industry
Shamshir
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 12:18
Ridiculous,I think these type of people are taking undue advantage of liberty in India.These man is mentally sick and should undergo medical treatment.
Shashank Dhabe
Nagpur,India
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:56
Like many people i have had a phase of watching Bollywood movies and I thought the same. It seems to me after watching these movies all Indians are rapists. Look at what happened just last week, when Indian Army raped two women in Kashmir. It is a very bold comment from Irfan, I hope it has more than a tabloid reaction.
Kamran
London,UK
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:48
Try to understand him, what he is saying is right. Logically, if a woman does not want to have sex and her husbend force her to do it, it is also rape. I think he is trying to tell us that women do not have the saying in the relationships and when they want sex and when they dont want.
Rana Moon
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:47
May be Mr. Khan is expressing his own experience
Prasad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:46
Its a stupid comment aimed to get into the limelight.How dare he can give a comment like this. After all he is not a social worker.He might've think about his collegues.I agree its rare to see a good relation between husband and wife in Bollywood.I am really sad to hear these words from an Indian like Irfan Khan.Shame on You...
Sudhir
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:46
i dont agree with mr irfan the fact is yes woman are being ill treated in india but rape is something else .india is not that week now where women cannot say their voice . sexual abuse and forced sex by the husband is prevailing all over the world . its india where ppl are so liberal and democratic thats why their voice comes out . no where in the world except america where media is so open like india all comes out in open . so mr. khan think twice before u gv any statement on behalf of such a big country ,INDIA IS VERY STRONG and their females are strong too
Mona
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:43
Just a question to Irfan, So do you belong to the 10% non rapist men? or is it that only a selective group of men rape all the women? Or should we allow women like Sutapa Sikdar to comment on their lives. Do not make public statements just for the sake of getting headlines. Act responsibly and speak rationally. I hope to see Indian women coming out to such a statement.Or men saying "I've been raped too".
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:38
yes it raises awareness. the facts percentage can differ, thats OK but the vast majority do not report the crime and thats what the actor is saying. even slumdog millionaire raised awareness about poverty in india.
David
Buckinghamshire,UK
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:36
I think illiterates can only bring such numbers. Does he know math? How stupid of him to say open up his mouth and start uttering whatever he feels like just because he is a star. I oppose it. A person commenting about the situation should ask his wife.very sad
Ansari
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:26
The statement from Mr. Khan is absolutely untrue and far from reality. He has got no idea what he is talking about. In my opinion there is nothing like 90% women are raped in their married life, totally absurd.
Manoj Agarwala
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:26
I totally agree with Irfan Khan.He is absolutly right basically he showed the true picture thats why some person not digest this true.
Parashant Jani
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 11:24
after reading the story i felt very sadened that women should have to feel that this situation is the norm as being forced into doing it against your will IS rape regardless of marriage or country. No women should be told or led to believe that it is a mans given right as a man or her husband to take advantage of her in this way. I was very distrurbed to learn that the state does not recognise rape as an offence?!, maybe the state could recomend what they class it as?. I strongly agree with giving women the right and the courage to stand up and talk about it, of course telling your ordeal to a room of strangers is more enbarrising but no one should be made to suffer in silence and if women don't speak out about their case awareness will never be raised. My thoughts are with any women in an abusive marriage.
From A Reader
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 09:48
Khan,here means the force made by the husbands on their wives and in their marrital relation ship.
Heba
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 09:41
Ridiculous! That would have to be the first reaction any married Indian woman would have to that! Firstly, Irfan Khan may have worked with whatsoever institute to be making such comments, but I totally disagree and condemn him for making such a statement in such a situation. Married women being raped in India is probably an issue we do have, and must deal with separately. What in the world is the connection between married women being raped and Shiney Ahuja's accusation?
Whether or not the maid has been raped is the issue here. Either way if its a rape or consensual sex, Ahujas act is disgusting and horrendous! He is a married man with a child! What was he thinking! If proven guilty he needs to be strictly punished. However, if found innocent, the maid definitely needs to be taken to task. Apart from all this if you have famous personalities like Irfan Khan spicing the debate up with such comments as "90% of Indian married women are raped at some point in their life", I don't see how such issues can be resolved.
Jisy Ranjan Mathew
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 09:10
I believe that Mr. Khan should have done his homework well before putting up such a high figure of rape cases in India. I am an Indian, married and enjoying a stable marital relationship, much like a lot of women I am aware of.To say that we would come in the fortunate 10% sounds a bit unbelievable, more so for the reason that times have changed immensley since the days when women had to be accompanied by the father, brother or husband if they wanted to go out. Indian women have reached every height of social and financial levels of life and it would be stupid to presume that India is still a land of rape walkers and snake charmers.
Laxmi Nair
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 18, 2009, 08:55
