Sub-Culture in the Indian Sub-Continent

"They told our father, 'Change the statement -- they are about to join the army ... their lives will be ruined'. What about our lives? Can men like these protect our country?"
Pooja, 19, Rohtak, India

"One of the boys started touching my sister and making kissing gestures. I told him to go away or I would teach him a lesson. Then he called another boy saying that we have to beat up two girls. And then the other boy got on the bus."
Arati, 22, Rohtak, India

Hitting back: Sisters Pooja, 19, left, and Aarti, 22, right, were filmed beating up a group of men who were verbally and physically abusing them on a bus in Rohtak, a district in the northern state of Haryana

Such a firestorm of public protest erupted in 2012 when mindlessly brutal Indian thugs gang-raped and tortured a young woman on a moving bus. A horrific atrocity that brought  thousands of Indian men and women out to protest, and to move the government to amend rape laws. Even in the wake of that dreadful event, and after the young woman died of her injuries, gang-rape and murders continued to be reported, usually targeting low-caste, vulnerable girls and women.

This is termed India's 'culture of rape', that men feel entitled to harass girls and women even in public, and feel no compunction over abducting and raping them, knowing full well that shame will inhibit most victims from publicly calling for justice. Police rarely took action when a rape was reported; it was just too commonplace, and after all, men will be boys.

Even the families of girls who had been raped counselled the victims to remain quiet; to reveal what had happened would bring shame to the family and would ensure that the woman would never find a husband. Besides which, lodging a complaint in and of itself would represent a trial and tribulation equal in aggravation and torment as the brutal assault that brought it on.

Although society disapproves of violence against women, and the protests vehemently shouted to the rooftops, the very heavens, that they must stop, the perpetrators must be brought to justice -- when two young women in northern India were physically and verbally assaulted on a bus, full of other passengers, none among those present moved to come to their aid.

Still captured from video

The sisters themselves responded to the three young thugs who felt entitled to prey upon them, publicly without restraint or shame. A video of what transpired was filmed by another bus passenger, who seemed, like all others present, capable of feeling that what was happening was wrong, but was not motivated to act to prevent it.

Identified by their first names only, Arati and Pooja hit out at their assaulters, after having suffered their off-colour insults, followed by physical manipulation. The video illustrates the manner in which they fought back, by punching and beating at the men with a belt, shouting at them. Imagine, two young women being assaulted and aware that no one present would make an effort to aid them.

They attempted to contact a women's help line but there was no response. "A complaint was received Friday evening and a case was registered", Gajender Singh, a police inspector in Rohtak Sadar informed the Indian Express. Before the government crack-down on unresponsive police no such case would have been registered. This does speak of some kind of progress.

Two days later, police arrested the three men, identified as Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak all from the same village who reported they were planning to join the Indian Army. "There is no place for such men in the Indian army", sources from within the army declared. Particularly if, placed on trial and found guilty, since there is ample evidence, they will be convicted felons.