Frontlist | Writing to bring change in the society

Frontlist | Writing to bring change in the society
on Jan 14, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic may have taken the world hostage in 2020; the women in India have been facing a different sort of pandemic all these years. Rape, physical/emotional abuse, sexual harassment is a part of the daily lives of a significant portion of the female population in the country. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data says that in 2019, the country recorded 88 rape cases daily. This single fact is enough to give any sane individual sleepless nights. Noted author Jasbir Singh, labeled one of the “100 inspiring authors of India” in 2018, was one such man who couldn’t stay quiet after realizing what Indian women were going through. So, he decided to put it in black and white, in the form of his new book, Why Does A Man Rape? An Author’s Viewpoint Jasbir Singh is a young contemporary author who is also a passionate social activist. He has been involved in a variety of social activities, which address issues that plague the socio-economic fabric of India. Indian Awaz has called him one of the “100 Inspiring Authors of India'' in 2018. Born in a small village in Hakkal in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Jasbir did his Bachelor in Business Administration from Lovely Professional University in 2018. His talent for literature was discovered when he was just 12 and he kept winning competitions and picking up prizes for his writing throughout his school years. He has written two novels so far – “Forever A Promise” and “I Am Also A Human.” ‘Why Does A Man Rape’ is his 3rd outing as an author. All his books deal with social flaws or fault lines that exist in our country at multiple levels. Why Does a Man Rape? Jasbir Singh was motivated to write his third book after reading about the Muzaffarpur Shelter Home incident, where 34 girl inmates were sexually assaulted over a period of time. He was driven to write the book because of both – his disbelief in human degradation and his will to educate people about what rape entails. In his words, “We come across news related to rapes almost daily, from different corners of the nation. Even though rapes are happening so frequently, why aren’t we considering them and thinking about bringing a change? Because most of us are not comfortable discussing things related to sexuality and rapes. It is still considered a taboo. Maybe, that’s why the rape victims are suffering more than the rape offenders due to the ill-treatment of society.” Troubled by this thought, Jasbir started preparing a research-based documentary analyzing different reasons and facts relevant to rapes. He even included historical references to such crimes and the laws designed to prevent the same. Talking of his preparation for the book, Jasbir said, “I have done my best to cover various aspects and perspectives in analyzing the facts and issues. Some of the facts that I unearthed shocked me to my core.” That inspired him to take it upon himself to create awareness in society about rapes. The book addresses the psychological, societal, and biological reasons responsible for rape and it supports its assumptions with scientific facts. The bright author wants to create a public debate and dialogue on the occurrence of rapes in the country because he feels that is the way to curb this heinous crime. In his book, Jasbir Singh has attempted to give his readers a new insight into the world as an unsafe living space for women and also get to know the reason behind men’s intentions to indulge in this heinous crime. Source: Hindustan Times