India Wants To Globally Ban A Documentary. Sigh.

Note: This entry contains mildly-NSFW content, including the accounting of rape and murder.

In 2012, a physical therapy student (Her name cannot be released, as Indian law states that the names of rape victims cannot be revealed. However, her father did state that her first name was Jyoti, hoping it would empower the women of India to take action.) was on her way home from the theater with a male friend of hers.

While on the bus, six drunken men (one; only a teenager) attacked them, then took turns raping her. During the vicious two-hour-long assault, the girl was repetitively violated with a metal rod before her and her friend were discarded on the side of a road near Delhi's airport. She died of her injuries two weeks later.

A new controversial documentary on the subject has been released by BBC called India's Daughter. The documentary includes an interview with one of the attackers, Mukesh Singh. The interview reveals that Singh blames the victim for the rape, saying women are more responsible for men in situations of sexual assault.

During the trial, Singh stated;

"When being raped, she shouldn't fight back. She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they'd have dropped her off after 'doing her' and only hit the boy."

India's government has asked that the film be internationally banned after putting a (rather ineffective) ban on the film within their own borders.

"We can ban the documentary in India but there is a conspiracy to defame India and the documentary can be telecast outside," India's Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said.

This documentary deals with the injustices and mistreatment of women. This subject matter (which is a notoriously touchy subject for India) led the government to ask YouTube to pull the movie and all its links from their website.

I would like to propose that if the government of India does not like its citizens protesting and speaking out on the injustices of women, it could, perhaps, work to fix the injustices it places on them socially and politically. Naturally, there is a path (or, more appropriately, there's a desire for one) toward this kind of debate. However, the issue is not being handled swiftly enough and has reignited the demonstrations that sparked up following the rape of the victim.

I put my whole-hearted support toward BBC's documentary, the citizens of India attempting to push change, and the family of the victim who is, no doubt, disgusted at the treatment of the issue.

Also, to whomever it may concern, banning any film is the greatest way to ensure that it will be watched by every person in the world.\

Jyoti was 23 years old.

"The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." -Kino's Journey