October 2007 : Liberté, égalité, fraternité

Sex is red. Sex is pink. Sex is gaudy and bright. Sex is an act, an attribute, or just a field in a form. Sex is a contradiction – there is both too much of it (in the movies) and too little of it (in education). And for every definition and variation of this word is an associated definition of sexual abuse.

The classic definition of sexual abuse is in itself a topic worthy of an issue. There are vast amounts of research and literature on the topic but very little discussion. But we define sexual abuse as any form of physical, psychological, moral and social abuse against an individual in the name of sex. It ranges from physically exploiting women and children to denying sexual minorities and hijras their rightful place in the society. While we have put together these varied issues under a common umbrella of sexual abuse, it is important to understand that each of these issues is unique and addresses different existential challenges. While child sexual abuse deals with issues of victimization and exploitation, hijras and sexual minorities are demanding acceptance in the society that is rightfully theirs. As Vinay, the executive director of Swabhava, mentioned, talking about homosexuals and hijras in an issue titled sexual abuse, we run the risk of treating them as a social anomaly, which is the exact opposite of what we want to accomplish.
However, despite the obvious differences, there’s a unifying sense of human empathy and compassion that drives all the initiatives we have covered in this edition of Sattva. Sangama’s work with sexual minorities and hijras, Jagruthi’s efforts in rehabilitation of child sex workers, and Swabhava as a support group for sexual minorities, are cases in point.

We also showcase Revathi, a hijra and a social activist, who is today fighting for the rights of all disadvantaged sections of the society. We are grateful to Anita Ratnam who took time off her hectic schedule to share her views on child sexual abuse. For weeks, we looked for someone with an alternate sexual preference who could write to us about his / her experience. Today, we have a story from a nameless, faceless stranger who has written to us not an article, but a story – a poignant reflection of how they have to resort to an anonymous metaphor to share what they truly feel. We are also thankful to Alternative Law forum for sharing with us information on Article 377 which we have compiled into an FAQ in the refractive index section.

18th century French revolutionaries coined a slogan to voice what they thought are the fundamental needs of a human society - Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité. We dedicate our edition of Sattva to this vision of a society where “Exercising natural rights has no bounds other than those that guarantee other members of society the enjoyment of these very same rights”, where “law is equal in its eyes and equally eligible to all rights” and where you “do not do unto others what you would have not done to you.

Click here to view the October issue

Also read - On what is sexual Abuse, A Journey