A 21-year-old student’s Instagram posts on rape have gone viral over the past week. Nesarooban, who is currently studying in Asia Pacific University has gotten the attention of many over his series of posts on the topic.
Ruban, as he is fondly known, talks about the cause of rape, the occurrence of rape and sexual abuse around the world, and how the seriousness of the issue is undermined by societal norms of victim blaming. The youngster’s posts were published two days before the news of the rape of a veterinarian in Hyderabad broke.
We speak to Ruban about his series of viral posts. “There was just too much pain in the stories and statistics,” he starts off by telling us. “I want to show and educate people about the realities of rape that is happening around the world,”
His most liked post is a pie chart that depicts the reasons for rape. “Why should it be a woman’s dressing or anything else? It is all on the rapist,” he says.
“The biggest joke is men teaching women how to dress up. When men drink and hang out, nobody questions us. Who then, gives you a right to slut-shame women based on how they are dressed? Some even go to lengths of making a video to embarrass these women. This really angers me,”
Ruban’s research has transcended borders, “There are so many cultural practices that involve rape, such as corrective rape for lesbians in the African continent, and bauk in Cambodia, which is a test of strength by rape. This isn’t a problem that is exclusive to one country, it is a worldwide epidemic,”
His choice to use social media was a calculated move, “Social media is a powerful weapon. It can be used to kill or to nourish. I chose this medium because it felt like a good way to discuss the topic and effect change.
“It made me really sad to see big names in the Tamil film fraternity supporting rapists and molesters. Which is why it is so important that this message is delivered to the masses,” he says.
Ruban’s rage isn’t unfounded. He tells us about his upbringing, “I was brought up by my aunt. I have seen how she manages so many things. People always say, a single woman cannot do anything. They are so wrong. My aunt is one of the strongest people I know. She has looked after me as her own, and it is something i will never be able to pay her back for,”
Rape is a crime that has large repercussions for the victim, he says “It is horrible that so many rape cases go unreported, and how a few minutes of violation can change a person’s life forever,”
Because of this, Ruban wants the general view of rape to change. “We all need to do our part to realise who are the culprits on rape, and what we can do to change society’s mindset on it. People need to know the truth,”
Follow Ruban on Instagram for the full series of his posts on rape here.
