Security, Freedom, Justice –

Europe, Goa, Wherever

Frau P was talking about how she had heard from her relatives about how they had been afraid of the conquering allied - American - army, and shielded and hid their young daughters, afraid the soldiers would rape the young German girls of the conquered and defeated country. Actually, she said it happened - and when I was surprised, perplexed, and questioned the veracity of that, since I was pretty sure it couldn't have happened, not American soldiers in Germany, not rape - then she backtracked and said about her relatives being afraid. Then a bit hesitantly she went on to say, actually they were afraid of African American soldiers raping the German girls. At this I was more than sure - any such accusation, and the soldier in question might not get a chance to clear his name before he was lynched by his own fellow soldiers, which was just about possible. 

She did not then assert the points any more, but led me to think a lot. First, it occurred to me that in fact whether any other army did this to Germany or not - and what Russians did I am unsure, but then again they had fought a bitter war on Russian soil, and who knows what German army had perpetrated? It is always said that the German military had a code of conduct and were more civilised than the political arm, but then again SS supervision was not always from a distance, and what the military had to do for their individual survival is a question not often answered. 

At another discussion of military ethics with some Central European and other colleagues when we were in U.S. I had talked about the code of conduct as held and expected in India since ancient times, and one of the values of honour of Kshatriya, the warriors and rulers and protectors, was - not ever attacking anyone unarmed (which in ancient India meant not attacking anyone of any caste other than Kshatriya), protecting anyone unarmed from any attacker, and so forth. This of course includes not attacking any woman - but that part was specially covered by general code for any man who deserved to be named Aarya, and the code was, a righteous man never touches a woman unless she is willing and he is ready to take her responsibility for life by marrying her and providing for her children. 

At this a colleague from Hungary had said it seemed only natural to him that an army that had conquered would of course go around on a killing, robbing and raping spree, wrecking havoc on the civil population of the defeated enemy, and he probably would behave this way if he was in the position. I was taken quite aback and merely noted it - but also noted that just because people look civilised does not mean they are. 

So when Frau P spoke of German fears, I thought of the possibilities of what could have happened and what was likely. And I remembered what I had read about that defeated regime, how they had treated their own citizens - it occurred to me that in fact whether any other army did this to Germany or not their own people had done it, although in that context it probably has to have another, special name, since names like rape or seduction or even white slavery would be inadequate. There have been published reports about girls - young women of all possible ages for the purpose - being drafted into two different ways of serving the nation, one of them being sexual serving of men working for the regime and another was planned breeding of selected males through the women chosen. If those women were afraid or unwilling they probably did not dare to express any emotion other than joyful compliance out of certain fear of result of any other expression. Most of these are well known and chronicled, although recently a lot has been rather pushed in the back. 

When Frau P said all that this was one thing I remembered - perhaps her relatives and such others who had that fear had expected it to happen, not only because that was their code of expected conduct, but also the nation had gone through this for a few years already, with their own regime. Naturally they did not expect conquering enemy armies to behave better than their own, and so were afraid. But I wonder - was the fear more about their own girls having liaisons with African American soldiers, either out of desperation of hungry, deprived, young women in need of food and much more, bartering their favours, recklessly having affairs, or even - perhaps innocent and growing - overcoming the racial doctrine, realising they were just as human, even marrying them? If there were no rapes, perhaps they would mind such happenings only if the race was different, and perhaps she had been trying to tell me that. She had mentioned American, not British, or even Russian, soldiers.

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CNN was our major channel those days for two years in Germany, since only one channel of a foreign language was allowed legally and one was allowed to choose one's own language for the purpose but the trouble would be too much to go through to get a dish antenna and pay extra amounts. We watched it with more pleasure when Leno and Conan O'Brien were telecast - and then that stopped and it was only news or get a film and watch it, which we did often. But sometimes CNN was a help, as when the towers fell; for a week I couldn't move from CNN at all waking hours except to go for the bathroom or to sleep a little at night. Fortunately the TV was in the living room and the bedroom was above, or else there would have been even less likelihood of sleep. 

Once before that CNN was broadcasting a program showing various people from India who had been attacked in Germany - one middle aged frail man was badly beaten up and left on the train tracks, and could have died under a train that was to come soon, but he was rescued - and the television went blank for the next forty or so minutes. The program was not repeated, being a special program, and I was more than suspicious about why that would be the only time such a break in cable connection would happen. 

I asked Frau P about other happenings that were reported in news, mostly to do with Jews, the few that still live there. She remarked about some (Jewish leaders) having "big mouths", and further explained that if something happened faraway it was not anybody's business going on talking about it. This clearly was the attitude learned during those years when their neighbours were taken away and it was convenient to know nothing and keep one's mouth shut, but it has morphed into a permanent way of looking at things conveniently - if others are victims, talking about it is what is wrong, even if it is the victims who are talking.

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CNN broadcast another special program, this time about white slavery and another about children used - abducted, sold - for sexual purposes. They gave extensive details about how young women from East Europe and Russia were solicited in name of jobs in west Europe and then caught in a web that left them imprisoned and all but butchered, forced to sell themselves while their controllers profited, often beaten and unable to escape. Often they had families to support back home, their own children sometimes, which was why they had applied for the jobs in the first place, and then they had thought were housecleaning or secretarial - an impression carefully maintained by their agents until they arrived. Arrived, most frequently, at German borders in Czech Republic. Clients were most often Germans, and laws in Germany being stringent they felt free abroad - and, also, they were major percent of clientèle of child-prostitution business in poorer countries as well. 

I was surprised at the "major percentage" part, but the report had been on television, and I talked to Frau P. It was not a talk about indicting her fellow men, but more of a concern about her fellow women of Europe. She did not have much of a reaction, until the next time she visited and brought it up. "I talked it over with my husband" she stated, "and he said it is not the fault of men to use women if they are available". The words are probably not exact quotes after all these years but the gist is close to precise; about the women, "who knows what sort of women do this kind of thing" is almost exactly what she did say. 

This is a mother of four young daughters. People do forget to connect two different ends of a thread and think one has nothing to do with another.

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In Goa, a very young, innocent, sweet looking, pretty girl is dead. Police claim it was accident, but the mother is suspicious, and presses for query. She cannot be made to shut up and fly away, even with the police covering up and saying nothing but repeating the accident story; and other authorities then proceed to blame the mother for irresponsible parenting (she had left the fifteen year old alone in Goa while she went on to other places) and threaten to throw her in jail. She in undaunted, and admirably pursues on, before and after going home to Britain. Perhaps it helped her, in her stand and psychologically, that she is British - and not only by citizenship but by race too. 

Slowly it unravels in Goa, and it is still not done but the noise has helped to throw light on such happenings. Being very consciously proud of our code to treat guest well, India is at least partly ashamed. Some men do opine that it was the mother's fault, but that is a muttering under the breath. Media mostly has helped the mother in her quest for justice, which is yet far from done. It has been said on media that someone with higher connections is involved, which is why the cover up and the threatening from various authorities has gone on. It is not clear if the perpetrator is a political, drug lord or other connection - but that is where it has arrived before simmering on back burner. 

Most media in India, particularly news channels, have behaved more than well about this, short of actually conducting an investigation or pursuing on their own. One comment by someone in print is atrocious though. As far as I remember it is a woman who has written a small column to the effect that Indian male is obsessed with "white" women, and that is what she blames for the crime. It is as atrocious as can be, besides being false. 

People who are obsessed with "white" are themselves of that group or race, first and foremost, and those that were enslaved by them, successfully - in the sense that the slavery went deep into the psyche and changed their own perceptions. That is neither entirely true here nor relevant. It is obvious where the contradiction is - and it is this. 

While it is regrettable, unforgivable to have "guests" of the nation being subject to such crimes, it is not a normal or laudable happening when others, either indigenous or of non-"white" races, are subjected to such crimes. 

So I would like to ask that stupid, blind and totally hypocritical writer - where did she get the idea that she was safe if she travelled alone in India (or for that matter anywhere at all in the world really), and did not take precautions? Has she not known attacks on women, particularly young girls but really of any age from infants to old women, attacks of both sexual and life threatening nature, and even more - the totally persistent atmosphere of many areas in the country of fear where women, girls, are concerned? Any girl stepping out is fair game for male of any age in many parts, and there is no redress except of being with a male relative while going out, or in a large group of girls, and only in daylight in not too crowded or not lonely places. Attacks of a smaller sort happen all the time - what would qualify as sexual harassment in U.S. and so on, and does legally so here too, for all that - and there is little redress. Those women who are victims carry scars, and those that see it are afraid of what if it happens to them, and some are stupid enough or nasty enough to smugly comment on those it happens to if they are lucky or not attractive enough. Most men blame the victims, it is convenient. 

I would ask that writer if visitors of non-"white" races have been safe in India, either. In fact it is difficult to imagine a woman or two alone in a strange town and not being noted, marked, and perhaps only lucky to be safe. All the more so if they are only tourists, not residents of either temporary or permanent nature. What is true is that if the victim is "white" - either European or of European ancestry - there is publicity and outrage a little more than if it is otherwise, which is not to say that there should not be outrage and outcry but that this is not only they who are victims here. The remedies needed are several, and they should affect everyone - women, girls, should be safe, period. 

And while we can do the outrage, speaking out, seeking justice and reforming for our own country - don't for a moment think we are the only ones to hang our heads in shame. Neither U.S. nor U.K. have particularly good records when it comes to sexual crimes with female victims, and U.S. has not been a good example for assault and battery against women either. These are not personal opinions, facts speak for themselves, they are well known and documented facts. 

Once I remarked during a talk in U.S. on such topics with some friends to the effect that what they were saying amounted to the whole world being a jungle rather than human civilisation. They said, did you not know, of course it is so, where safety of women is concerned. 

And yet women are brave enough to go forth and make their careers, instead of cowering in homes. Bravo, carry on, let no one pull wool over your eyes, and get all the success and happiness you deserve, you deserve it.

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