Balrampur Backlash: Sexual assault cases in villages may curtail rural women’s education and employment

In rural India, the ripple effect of sexual assault is felt by other girls. Following the sexual assault and dealth of a woman in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, girls in her Gaisari village are certain their freedom will be snatched.

Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh.

The September 29 case of sexual assault and subsequent death of a 22-year-old woman working in a non-profit in Gaisari village, Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, has left girls in the area deeply shaken. She came home dishevelled in a rickshaw and died en route to hospital. This village is 550 kilometres away from Hathras, which witnessed a similar brutal attack on a young Dalit woman.

While young girls and women in Gaisari mourn the demise of their friend, they also fear realise that their future and desire for an education is at stake too. They fear they will be pulled out of school or college and married off early. “Now, girls will not be educated to give them a future, but to just ensure they are eligible for marriage,” rued the 20-year-old sister of the Balrampur rape victim. She wondered what kind of new restrictions the girls would have to face in future.

Whenever such incidents of sexual assault take place, be it the Nirbhaya case or the ones in Hathras, Kathua and Balrampur, there is immense public outrage. Protests and demonstrations denounce the assault and there are heated debates on television. But, little thought goes into how these incidents affect the hard-earned freedom of girls in rural India. “I do not know how long the panic of my sister’s assault will last. No one will easily agree to send their sisters and daughters to study or look for a job,” asserted the victim’s sister.

Psychologist Neha Anand said the aftermath of incidents of rape are very traumatising for girls in rural areas. “New restrictions are imposed upon them. Their freedom is compromised and their movement is curtailed. This frustrates them and, sometimes, breeds self-hate,” she explained.

After such incidents, daughters are married off early, and education is discontinued. “When one girl is raped, it impacts the lives of others like her very deeply and impedes their physical and mental development,” she added.

Sister of Balrampur rape victim. Pic: Gaon Connection

Girls in Gaisari village hardly get to leave the periphery of their homes, the local residents said. “After this, they will restrict us some more. This incident will be cited as an example to prevent us from stepping out,” the victim’s sister said. “When I go out, I will be referred to as the sister of the girl who was raped. We will be judged and our freedom curtailed,” she added.

About 300 metres from the victim’s home, 20-year-old Jyoti Yadav looked at passers-by from behind the door, worry and uncertainty all over her face. “The victim was my senior in college. She was cheerful, clever and always said she would do something different. When she started going out for a job, I was inspired,” she said.

Now, Yadav’s parents do not let her step out of the house. “Since the tragedy, I stay awake at night, wondering how this happened. What happened to her is terrible. Now, everyone is pointing fingers at her family, saying this is the result of letting girls study and get a job,” she said.

Thirty-five-year-old Parmavati Devi lives 200 metres away from the victim’s house. She has four daughters, who are studying. “So far, we have heard of such incidents in big cities such as Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai. Today, this has reached our village. How will I educate my daughters now? If something untoward happens, I will be blamed and accused of not learning anything from this incident,” she said.

The fear has percolated down to the children too. Twelve-year-old Lakshmi sits on a cot near her grandmother. She admits she is afraid to go out. “I fear I will not be allowed to study further. Who knows, they might even marry me off,” she said, the fear palpable in her voice.