How does India tradition value may lead to the sexual violence behavior?

How does India traditional values may lead to sexually violent behavior?

Wu Wai I (Lilian)

University of Saint Joseph

How does India tradition value may lead to the sexual violence behavior? 2

Abstract

New Delhi is the capital of India but also known as its rape capital. Many rape cases
are reported every day. In India, tradition and values are hard to change. In this paper,
I will discuss the circumstances of society in India and why the caste system is the
main cause of sexual violent behavior.

Key Words:
India, Caste System, Untouchable
How does India tradition value may lead to the sexual violence behavior? 3

How does India tradition value may lead to the sexual violence behavior?

Introduction
India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the
second-most populous country. India is one of the world’s four ancient civilizations.
But in 2014, Delhi has alone reported more than 2000 rapes. In India, one rape
occurs every 22 minutes. From 1971 to 2012, there was AN INCREASE OF 8.7 in the
number of rape cases. The capital of India, New Delhi has been called “the rape
capital”. Why are there so many rapes in India? It was because the caste system in
India. Around 1500BC, the original Aryan people who lived in central Asia went to the
South Asian subcontinent. They conquered the natives and established the slavery
and the caste system. Under the caste system, there are four main levels – Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. There are certain groups known as Dalits, some
people will call them untouchables. Brahmins is the highest level. They are mainly
the monk aristocracy. The second level is the Kshatriya. Most of them are mainly
military aristocracy and administrative nobility. Third level is the Vaishyas, they are
engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting and so on. The lowest
level is the Shudras. They are indigenous people who have been conquered. But
actually there are some people who were excluded outside were called the Dalits.
They have the lowest social status. They are most discriminated against. They are
mostly the criminals, prisoners of war or the descendant’s marriage across caste
composition. They can’t be educated and NOR wear shoes. They can only engage in
very menial jobs such as cleaning the filth or funeral. Because the Untouchables have
no social status, some untouchables were beaten and even killed because they have
touched the people who have higher level than them. The hereditary caste is not
easy to change. Although India has abolished the caste system since independence, it
has been difficult to change the caste system in the Indian’s subconscious because it
has been run for thousands of years INSERT CITATION. This phenomenon is still very
serious in India especially in the rural area. They were the victims of violence.
How does India tradition value may lead to the sexual violence behavior? 4

Literature Review
The world is developing everyday and we are in the civilization. But there were
unfair treatment in India. The caste system destroyed the untouchables’ life. They
wanted to change but the traditional values were difficult to change. The upper
castes have power to decide the lower caste’s life. They treat them as slave and they
can decide the lower caste can survive or dead.

Discussion
THE EVERYDAY VIOLENCE OF CASTE

Although the untouchability was constitutionally abolished in 1950 (Loomba, A.

2016), people still can’t change their traditional values. They are still discriminated in
different forms. They have the worst life and their children inherit their society social
status. There were governmental policies to guarantee them but they still can’t work
in the country’s businesses, educational establishments, judicial services and
bureaucracy. Because of the lowest society state of the untouchable, they need to
experience much violence like rape and murder. It is a very serious, especially in the
countryside (Loomba, A. 2016). The Vedas, Smritis and Shastras were the top of caste.
Although all the people was equal in the law, but they have powers that you can’t
imagine in the real life. The laws have no significance. It is hard to change a
traditional value of a country. It is in their mind since they were born. It is a war
between the upper caste and lower caste. The lower caste wants to change their
situation but they can’t. The upper caste to keep their situation and state so they
continue to bully the lower caste. They think that they can keep it through this
method. (Loomba, A. 2016)

Two sisters sentenced to be raped in India after their brother ran off with a married
woman.
In 2015, there were two girls targeted to be raped because their brother ran off
with a woman from an upper caste. This decision was made by an unelected all-male
council. The girls were aged 23 and 15 respectively. They are punished by the council
because they are untouchable and their brother has run off with a girl from a higher
caste. The girl’s family who was from a higher caste said that” you have dishonored
us and now we will dishonor you.” They are capable of anything because they have
upper caste status. We can see that the untouchables have a lower status, especially
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women. They can do nothing. They can only run away if the people in upper caste
want to do something to them. The sexual violence problem is a very serious
problem in India especially in the countryside. This was reported because the two
girls had run away. I believe that many cases happen in India and aren’t reported.
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Conclusion

There were many rapes cases happened in India every day. The caste system affected
the India people especially the Untouchable women. They have no power and even
can’t protect themselves. It was the main cause of the sexual violence. It was
because the upper caste think what they have done is naturally. The untouchable
were hard to change their situation. The caste system has existed for thousands of
years.
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References

Loomba, A.(2016).The everyday violence of caste. College Literature. Wntr, 2016, Vol.
43 Issue 1, p220, 6 p. ( THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT APPEAR IN YOUR IN-TEXT CITATIONS)

Bunmi Adigun. :”Two Sisters Sentenced to Be Raped in India after Their Brother Ran
off with Married Woman.” (2015) from
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/601440/Sisters-rape-India