Safe travel
Taslima mentioned this on Twitter, so I looked it up. International Business Times reports:
Indian Army personnel allegedly gang-raped a 14-year-old girl Monday in a moving train in the eastern state of Jharkhand, according to local reports. Police in Jharkhand reportedly detained one of the men and said the other two would be arrested soon.
The girl ran away from her home Sunday and was travelling alone on a train bound for the town of Amritsar, in the northwestern state of Punjab. Her family alerted police of her disappearance, who informed railway authorities.
The Times of India reported officials spotted her boarding a train car reserved for troops.
Railway police rescued the girl, who later said in a complaint that one of the soldiers offered her liquor and two others raped her after she was drunk. The man who offered the girl liquor was arrested and the other two were absconding, DNA newspaper reported.
Taslima had guys tweeting at her that the girl drank liquor!! the girl got in a traincar with soldiers!! In other words she asked for it. Taslima explained to them that she didn’t.
Rape is a crime. It’s not a judicial and fitting punishment for running away, or disobeying parents, or skipping school, or drinking, or getting on a train with men. It’s a crime and a violation of rights; it’s an act of violence. Nothing justifies it.
She probably was pretty scared of something (arranged marriage?) to be running away. She went to a train car where people wouldn’t be looking for her and she thought she’d found sympathetic friends. After all, how many boys join armies to get away from their home? Poor child.
But but what if [utterly preposterous hypothetical scenario] happens? Can I rape then?? When do I get to rape?
^ Far too many people.
This is kinda related. Who hires a ten year old as a maid?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35193427
@John
As a practice it is quite common in South Asia – I see it many times in India too. Maid’s get their children along from quite a young age who help out – and as soon as they are a little older work on their own. Another common model , especially for people in villages is they drop off their children usually in a big city , with a family – The family covers the housing and food and a meager salary in return for basically a form of slavery – families with younger kids favor this since the maid also doubles up as a baby sitter.
Its treated as normal rather than a form of child labor – In the minds of many people they feel they are helping out. It needs a culture change.
In the minds of many people they feel they are helping out.
That may certainly be the case, but a ten year old, whether a boy or girl really belongs in school.
And I’m sure you agree! For some,though, cultural practices can be extremely hard to change.
He definitely agrees, hence the concluding “It needs a culture change.” I often disagree with Deepak, but not on this one.