This from today’s DNA:

A 24-year-old undertrial in Orissa has married a teenage girl whom he allegedly raped and got pregnant a few years ago. The traditional tribal wedding between Padmini Murmu, 16, and Khaira Hansda was solemnised at the Circle Jail at Baripada, the district headquarters of Mayurbhanj, 250 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, where Khaira is lodged on charges of rape, a jail official said.

I suppose that kissing someone in public, or marrying outside one’s religion is against ‘Indian culture’ but getting married to the man who raped you is very much part of our culture. Afterall, the guy has redeemed the girls’ reputation by filling her forehead with sindoor. By the way, the girl is underage even now, which means that she was even more underage when she got raped. And the jail authorities organised this marriage ? ….. Isn’t there something about upholding the law that is a must for our civil servants? Before we pooh pooh this and say that the victim was a tribal, and possibly uneducated and these things happen there (where ever there is supposed to be) let’s not forget that our esteemed judges have offered the victim the prospect of matrimony with the, rapist a fair few times in cities no less. I wonder where are the morchas, or the protests or the spontaneous expression of our outrage - surely raping, harming, killing someone is against our culture - much more than kissing and cuddling and making independent choices.

Tags: Discrimination, Gender Issues, India, Women's rights