[INDOLOGY] Gender, Power, and Rape when Conducting Research

Fri Apr 27 17:23:36 UTC 2018

Speaking for myself, I was grateful for Audrey Truschke's link. Teaching at
a small liberal arts college, I have many students ask about study and
travel in India. Articles such as this are far more useful than the
reflections I can offer on my own student experiences, as a male, 40 years
ago in South India.

Audrey's note suggested this was not sent for discussion, but simply as a
point of reference.

Herman Tull

On Fri, Apr 27, 2018, 12:50 PM Camillo Formigatti via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
>
>
>
> If I may put my two cents in, although I am personally very interested in
> politics and latest news, I thought that this is a scholarly forum, not
> political or of social critique, so I do not see the point in discussing
> this terrible event here. I do understand that issues of power and gender
> influence the entirety of our lives, we experience them every day at home,
> at work, basically everywhere. I have my own personal opinion about gender
> inequality as well as many other political and social topics (including the
> case discussed in this thread), as I’m sure all of us have.
>
>
>
> Please forgive me if I sound a bit naïve or maybe not engaged enough. I am
> well aware that academia too is political, yet I really think that this is
> not the right forum to discuss this kind of topic.
>
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
>
> Camillo
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
> Dr Camillo A. Formigatti
>
> John Clay Sanskrit Librarian
>
>
>
> Bodleian Libraries
>
> The Weston Library
>
> Broad Street, Oxford
>
> OX1 3BG
>
>
>
> Email: camillo.formigatti at bodleian.ox.ac.uk
>
> Tel. (office): 01865 (2)77208
> www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
>
>
>
> *GROW YOUR MIND*
>
> in Oxford University’s
>
> Gardens, Libraries and Museums
>
> www.mindgrowing.org
>
>
>
> *From:* Walter Slaje [mailto:slaje at kabelmail.de]
> *Sent:* 27 April 2018 08:33
> *To:* indology at list.indology.info
> *Subject:* Re: [INDOLOGY] Gender, Power, and Rape when Conducting Research
>
>
>
> There is also this:
>
>
> https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/mahmood-farooqui-and-his-acquittal-in-rape-case-1803070
>
> And this:
>
>
> https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/mahmood-farooqui-rape-acquittal-extremely-well-decided-says-supreme-court-dismissing-appeal-against-earlier-verdict/articleshow/62566322.cms
>
> The Mahātmā moreover stated:
>
> „I have always held that it is physically impossible to violate a woman
> against her will. [ . . . ] If she cannot meet the assailant's physical
> might, her purity will give her the strength to die before he succeeds in
> violating her. [ . . . ] I know that women are capable of throwing away
> their lives for a much lesser purpose. Only a few days ago a young girl of
> twenty burnt herself to death as she felt she was being persecuted for
> refusing to go in for ordinary studies. And she perished with such cool
> courage and determination. She ignited her sari with an ordinary oil-light
> and did not so much as raise a cry, so that the people in the neighbouring
> room were unaware of the happening until all was over.” *Harijan*,
> 25-8-1940 and 1-9-1940.
>
> (Quoted from M. K. GANDHI, The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi
> (Electronic Book). 98 volumes. New Delhi: Publications Division Government
> of India 1999. [http://www.gandhiserve.org/ cwmg/
> <http://gandhiserve.org/cwmg/> cwmg.html] 79, Nr. 130: 126 f).
>
>
>
> Modern American and traditional Indian notions of rape, honour, consent
> and “sexual interaction” (e.g., the exchange of kisses can count as such)
> seem to differ widely.
>
>
>
> It is well known that “secret intercourse with a woman who is asleep,
> drunk, or mentally deranged” is categorized as a form of “marriage” in
> ancient Indian law books.
>
> Manu (3.34) uses “*upa-gam*” – *inire feminam* (pw) / to approach a woman
> sexually (MW) – for the consummation of “marriage”. *upa-gam* is a common
> verb for “having sex” in a general sense.
>
>
>
> In the given context, recent English translations use however “to rape” as
> an equivalent (see Olivelle 2005, p. 110). Interpretations follow suit:
> “Tantamount to rape” (Jamison in Olivelle & Davis (ed.), Hindu Law 2017, p.
> 130).
>
>
>
> Unless supported by unambiguous evidence, such readings should be treated
> as notionally anachronistic interpretations reflexively projected onto
> ancient India. What appears to be “rape”, or to be “tantamount to rape”, in
> the eyes of 21st century Western Indologists, does not necessarily
> represent the viewpoint of a (pre)modern Indian society.
>
>
>
> With regard to its connotation, Doniger (1991: 46) and Michaels (2010: 49)
> offer neutral and therefore more faithful translations of *upa-gam*: “to
> have sex with” and “Beischlaf”.
>
>
>
> Actually, we are in dire need of a substantial investigation into the
> history of the notions of “rape” as they prevailed in premodern India. This
> will help to understand and assess their (dis)continuation also in the
> thinking of today.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> WS
>
>
>
> -----------------------------
> Prof. Dr. Walter Slaje
> Hermann-Löns-Str. 1
> D-99425 Weimar
> Deutschland
>
>
>
> 2018-04-26 15:27 GMT+02:00 Audrey Truschke via INDOLOGY <
> indology at list.indology.info>:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
>
>
> I would like to share this insightful, brave piece written by a PhD
> student at Columbia University about her experience pursuing a rape charge
> against Mahmood Farooqui in the Indian judicial system. I think it is
> relevant for Indologists, especially for sending students to conduct
> research abroad, dealing with our own instances of sexual misconduct in the
> field, and thinking about gender and power dynamics.
>
>
>
>
> https://scroll.in/article/876788/healing-myself-a-woman-recounts-her-struggles-after-a-court-acquitted-the-man-she-accused-of-rape
>
>
>
> Audrey
>
>
> Audrey Truschke
>
> Assistant Professor
>
> Department of History
> Rutgers University-Newark
>
>
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