Dileep inside the police van in Thrissur. Photo: Unni KottakkalThe arrest of the celluloid hero, Dileep, in the actress attack case sends out pertinent messages to society. For once, it has been said loud-and-clear that sexual crimes are crimes, and very serious ones. It has sent out a message that the rule of law prevails - no matter how influential and popular the offender is.
The incident has proven once again that it is not the victim who loses her integrity and 'respect,' but the offender whose façade is ripped off. In fact, it has been reiterated that when a woman decides to stand up for herself; speaks up and dares to say that she has been sexually assaulted and courageously seeks legal recourse, her integrity is intact and her stature elevated.
The recent events are completely new to the Malayali sensibilities; and has succeeded in disrupting several internalized social responses. This particular case in question also became an opportunity for the Kerala police to prove its impartiality and regain the trust and confidence of the common man.
Having said that, had strong action been taken in the several rape cases reported through the past 25 years, we would not have had to bear the pangs of abused womanhood in the Sooryanelli, Vithura, Thoppumpady or Pandalam cases. The unfortunate suicides of Shari, Anagha, Shiny and many more victims could have been avoided. We would also not have had to sing untimely obituaries to Jisha and Soumya and many other hapless women who lost their lives to sexual savagery.
Gender equality is still a nebulous debate, even among the more educated sections of society. There is no dearth of subscribers to the redundant old school that believes in subservient women and submissive gender roles. Even though the constitution grants equal rights to men, for women and transgenders in this country, the reality is far off the ideal.
Half the globe's walking population is women and they hold an equal right to the land, water and agency in this world. We seldom realize that the comforts of the rest half is built on the mental and physical labor of the women in this world. The boisterous arrogance of the world she supports is so delicately pitched, that a mere refusal to be taken for granted can shatter the equilibrium.
With the arrest of a reel-life hero turned real-life villain, an era of male superiority is coming to an end in Malayalam cinema. Camouflaging sexism with glitter, Mollywood refused to let in the fresh air of gender parity, which was slowly finding its foothold everywhere else in our world.
Right from the story to the dialogues, casting, songs, and costumes, Malayalam cinema reeked of male superiority and misogyny. The superstars and their cronies scripted a shameful script to propagate the abuse; surrounding themselves with the feudal privileges.
The men organized, the public played along, and the women submitted to the unequal pay and status.
The end of the dark age is already in sight - cine-women have an organization to fight for their rights, first time in the world. Sexism, so normalized an element in our social fabric, is increasingly being flagged, both in the shooting locales and in reel-real life. The free-for-all volleys of sexist slurs will no more get a no-holds-barred go ahead.
Young voices have emerged stoutly opposing the unequal treatment of women. Society has finally come of age; they have stopped stoning the woman who has suffered a blistering ordeal. It is slowly seeping in that the equilibrium is in danger - the status quo needs a painful reshuffle.
What needs to be noted is that the arrest of the actor is merely a first step towards justice. Court will be next arena and there law and justice will lock horns. Victory could switch sides, but the real war is already won.
We have to remember that the real denial of justice is the social ostracism every sexual assault victim is forced to endure. When society stones a woman who is already broken, the injustice of this reduces the impact of the legal justice that the courts may offer.
Here, the impartial balance of moral victory is already in favor of the woman; she has an army to back, her partner, family, friends, colleagues and most importantly the society. A new world is already in gestation - the faint heartbeats are already here.
(The author is a writer and journalist.)
(The views expressed are personal)
