In recent days, the streets of Calcutta and Kerala have witnessed many protests against violence aimed at women. Will these protests change the attitudes of individuals or society at large towards women?
Violence against women is a very complex behavioural issue. The incident that happened in the Kolkata hospital and the incidents that occurred in the Malayalam film industry represent two ends of the problem spectrum.
A man with evil intentions, a hapless woman, a desolate place, night-time: the tragic incident that took place in the Kolkata hospital was an unfortunate confluence of multiple factors within a small time span.
For example, had there been another person in that hospital seminar hall, the perpetrator may possibly have been deterred from his evil act. Will street protests prevent the coming together of various factors, much like in any open system, and stop the next violent act against a woman?
It is almost impossible to create situations where no girl will ever be alone in a desolate spot at night. What we most acutely need to change is the behaviour of those inclined towards such evil perpetrated on women. That too is not easy. So, is there any space for optimism?
The Malayalam film industry presents a different context compared to the Kolkata hospital. Various players and work situations in the film industry are interconnected with some degree of consistency. Their actions, even by perpetrators, are relatively organized.
So, while I am not so optimistic in the short-term of preventing yet another random convergence of factors, as it seems to have happened in Kolkata, I am confident that in a context like the Malayalam film industry’s, where the actions of perpetrators are less unpredictable, the protests taking place on the streets will make an impact. Some results are already evident.
Given a hearing by an inquiry committee, several female actors of the Malayalam film industry spoke up about the exploitation they have faced. After the publication of the panel’s truncated report, a female actor from Kolkata also spoke about the bad experience she suffered in the Malayalam film industry.
All this gave many other women in Kerala the confidence to file formal complaints against the who’s-who of the film industry. Until now, perpetrators seemed under the illusion that their victims would never complain about the harassment they’re subjected to.
That illusion is now being replaced with a sense of uncertainty and fear: ‘What if she complains?’ Can this deter perpetrators of sexual violence and create a safer environment for women, not just in the film industry but in other work environments as well? Yes, it can.
My confidence stems from the observation that ‘nakka bandis’ or temporary police check-posts manned by police personnel do prevent major terror attacks.They are able to do this because such check-posts take advantage of a key aspect of a terrorist’s thinking.
Studies have found that organized terrorist organizations seek 100% certainty in their missions. In other words, they tend to turn back from their evil attempts the moment they realize that their much-planned mission could get exposed before its execution.
The police personnel posted at a nakka bandi do not any have sophisticated surveillance instruments. Most of them do not even have a baton in their hands. But they do have an eye for the fleeting look-away of a ‘guilty’ person.
Even a trained terrorist is not fully confident of getting past the gaze of an experienced policeman at a nakka bandi. This creates a sense of ‘what if I am spotted?’ uncertainty in a terrorist’s mind. And this element of doubt can be enough to prevent even a trained terrorist from venturing further to execute an evil plan.
Reputations and stardoms are built in the film industry over many years. Once built, film stars will want to preserve their reputation at all cost. Anything that could endanger their ‘star value’ is then deemed avoidable.
Recent events in the Malayalam film industry have created a ‘what if she speaks up?’ sense of dread among those who presumably had a sense of impunity. So, many stars who have exalted images to protect can be expected to think multiple times before indulging in sexual violence against anybody in the industry.
A few years ago, Parvathy Thiruvoth, a courageous young female actor of the Malayalam film industry spoke up against a misogynist character played by a cinema superstar. She was attacked virulently by the star’s fans on social media platforms.
But things have changed. Thanks to the recent scandal, any script writer will probably think again before creating such a character. In changed times, the same superstar would be uncertain of how audiences will react to such a misogynist character.
It is often believed that changes in societal behaviour happen only if the majority supports them. But the case of the Malayalam film industry also shows that if a small but determined minority steps forward to effect a behavioural change, it could happen.
It took only a small minority of women in the Malayalam film industry to smash the sense of assurance that powerful perpetrators most likely harboured: that their victims would never speak up.
We often tend to go for predictable and assured solutions. However, we have noted that even an ordinary policeman at a nakka bandi or a junior artist in a film industry can make a significant difference by creating a ‘what if’ sense of uncertainty in the most confident of evil minds. This is a solution to many a human behaviour problem.
