The Daily Star Lebonon
written by AFP staff
Tuesday January 8, 2013
NEW DELHI - A popular Indian spiritual guru sparked a backlash Tuesday after saying a 23-year-old student could have averted a murderous gang-rape by begging for mercy from her attackers.
Self-styled godman Asharam, known to his followers as "Bapu" or father, told his devotees that blame for the assault on a moving bus in New Delhi on December 16 should not just rest with her attackers.
"This tragedy would not have happened if she had chanted God's name and fallen at the feet of the attackers. The error was not committed by just one side," he said in video footage which has been widely circulated on the Internet.
The 71-year-old's remarks -- the latest in a series of gaffes by public figures blaming women for the country's rape epidemic -- drew a chorus of condemnation.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, spokesman for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the statement was "deeply disturbing and painful".
"For him to make the statement in relation to a crime which has shocked the conscience of the country is not only unfortunate but deeply regrettable," he told reporters.
The Hindu newspaper said it was "a disgrace when a man of religion stoops so low".
"Asharam deserves to be condemned in the strongest words," the daily added in an editorial.
The editorial also criticised politicians from the ruling Congress party as well as the BJP for their sexist commentary on the Delhi rape and the need for Indian women to stay home and make traditional choices.
"Their notions of... an ideal society appear rooted in the very prejudices that have engendered a culture of violence against women, the Delhi incident being its most recent and horrific manifestation," the newspaper said.
Abhijit Mukherjee, the son of India's president who is a Congress lawmaker, landed himself in hot water last month after comparing women who took part in protests over the gang-rape to patched up second-hand cars.
Five men have been charged with rape and murder in the December 16 attack on the young student. A sixth accused, who is 17, is to be tried in a separate court for juveniles.
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Hindustan Times
written by Staff
Tuesday January 8, 2013
A day after blaming the Delhi gangrape victim for the henious crime, Asaram Bapu on Tuesday justified his comments calling those opposing his views as 'barking dogs'. "The media has created a controversy but what wrong did I say? A man complained to me that his wife fights with him; I told him you can't clap with one hand," he said.
"One dog barked and more dogs (the media) joined in. Dogs will bark but they can't harm an elephant's dignity. I didn't intend to harm anybody; I wish the well being of all.."
On the other hand, the family of 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim has taken a strong exception to Asaram Bapu's controversial statement on the girl, terming it as "illogical". "It is an absolutely illogical statement least expected from him," the family said. "We had immense respect for Asaram Bapu and also have many books related to him but as soon as we get back to Delhi we would put them on fire," the brother of the deceased said terming the statement as "very cheap and downgrade."
"Godman or saints can never say anything of this sort... It only exposes his mentality," the family said.
Asaram Bapu had on Monday said that the rape and murder would not have happened if the victim had called the rapist killers her brothers.
"Only 5-6 people are not the culprits. The victim daughter is as guilty as her rapists... She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop... This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don't think so," media reports quoted Asaram Bapu, as saying.
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