Written by Nayana Motamma
In a world where he could have been anything, why did Prajwal Revanna, an incumbent Member of Parliament from Hassan in Karnataka, and the grandson of a former Prime Minister of India, become an alleged sexual predator? With his perverse acts, India is probably facing one of the biggest sexual abuse cases in its recent history. I must admit that I saw some of the videos and photos and my immediate reaction was one of horror.
Before I venture to express my opinion about Prajwal, let me reiterate that I am disturbed by the plight of all the women in the videos. I cannot fathom what they must be going through — the shame, their mental agony and that of their families and friends. These are women of different ages, professions and backgrounds caught in an unspeakable situation. Permanent damage has been inflicted on them. I, as a woman, a legislator (not just a woman legislator), first want to seek justice for these women in a manner that will give strength to them and their families. I do not want my words to sound hollow but our primary concern should be to find ways for these women to live with dignity after this incident. I lay stress on this because our politics and a section of our media will only end up chasing Prajwal for political mileage and headline-making material, forgetting the plight of the hundreds of women who became victims of an individual’s perversion.
We will have to raise our voices to ensure speedy justice to all.
Prajwal used his political position and influential family background to allegedly lure some of these women and, in some cases, coerce them. I leave the criminality of his offences to be determined by the Special Investigation Team set up by the Karnataka government. But I must point out that it is a crime to use a democratically elected position to abuse women in the manner that he did. He was elected to make the lives of the public better. Furthermore, if the allegations that Prajwal himself recorded these videos are correct, he is guilty of a double violation.
What needs to be also discussed is the moral bankruptcy of political parties. It appears that while Prajwal was seeking a Lok Sabha ticket for the second term to represent the BJP– JD(S) alliance, the top brass of both parties were aware of the recordings. However, they chose to ignore them despite a BJP leader from his district writing a letter to the party’s state and national presidents expressing his dissent against Prajwal’s candidature. Many were aware that Prajwal had sought the court’s intervention months ago against the publication of the videos. This is where I seek answers from these political parties: Are their slogans of nari shakti, “Beti Bachao Beti Padao,” empty political posturing? Is the dignity of the women in the videos of no relevance before an alliance partner perceived to be politically beneficial? I shudder to attempt an answer because I already know the answer.
Prajwal has reportedly fled the country. His family — it comprises a former prime minister, a former chief minister and a former minister — has reportedly distanced itself from him. But they are not addressing the real issue. What is also distressing is the fact that none of the leaders from the BJP, including its women leaders, have spoken up. The “elephant in the room” is not being addressed by the Prime Minister or the Union Minister of Women and Child Development.
Even though I represent the Congress and am currently an elected legislator under the party symbol, I urge every political party to not show selective outrage in cases of abuse against women involving a member of your party, especially when such a person is in a democratically-elected post. The moral onus on an elected representative is much more than that of an average citizen. It’s upon us to ask why the former wrestling federation head still remains unpunished and to ensure that the women of Sandeshkhali get justice.
I wait to raise my voice in the Assembly which may soon go into session after the Lok Sabha elections. That’s my platform to speak up, to question the political parties and their leadership, who turned a blind eye towards Prajwal’s heinous acts. But you, as a citizen of this country, need to be outraged as your elected Member of Parliament has blatantly misused all the powers you entrusted him with. You need to outrage for all the women who have been left vulnerable due to one man’s perversion. Speak up, India, before it’s too late. Speak up for your women — I am here to speak up with you.
The writer is a Congress MLA from Karnataka