Russian woman rape casein Goa: BJP demands apology from Shantaram Naik, MP

Panaji: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a “public apology” from Shantaram Naik, Member of the Rajya Sabha, for his comments on the floor of the House on the case relating to the alleged rape of a Russian woman in Goa.

Shantaram Naik had remarked in the Rajya Sabha on December 15, 2009, that the rape of a woman “who moves with strangers for days together even beyond midnight” has to be “treated differently.”

Naik’s words had had triggered strong protests in the Rajya Sabha. Women members of parliament objected immediately accusing him of blaming the victim, and his remarks were expunged. However, Shantaram Naik was hardly apologetic in the face of the protests.

The Russian woman, aged 25, was allegedly raped by John Fernandes, a local politician, in the wee hours of December 2, 2009.

Govind Parvatkar, spokesman of the Goa unit of the BJP, told a news conference in Panaji that remarks of the kind made by Shantaram Naik, which are “irresponsible and baseless,” have harmed the credentials of Goa as a safe state and hence he sought a public apology from Naik.

Parvatkar alleged that Shantaram Naik, through his speech in the Rajya Sabha on the alleged rape of the Russian girl, had “projected an image of an unsafe Goa.”

He remarked that while men are free to go around safely at odd hours, it is “not wise” to discourage women from going outdoors at night. It is the state police, Parvatkar added, who should ensure the safety of each and every individual.

The BJP called the news conference in Panaji on the sidelines of the current session of the Goa State Legislative Assembly. The Goa Assembly has already made a reference to the controversial remarks which Shantaram Naik made in the Rajya Sabha.

Manohar Parrikar, Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly, sought a discussion in the House on the issues related to law and order in Goa.

Politicians in Goa, including Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Minister for Public Works Churchill Alemao, too, blamed victims of rape for having travelled late in the night and cited that as the main reason for rapes being committed.

Meanwhile, the Russian consul-general said, in a letter to Digambar Kamat, Chief Minister of Goa, that ill-treatment of Russian citizens in Goa has given rise to a great deal of apprehension in Russia.

In the letter dated December 14, 2009, Alexander Mantytsky, consul-general of the Russian consulate in Mumbai, said “crimes against women” in Goa are on the rise and added that the Russian mission is willing to tell Russian citizens “not to go out after 10 p.m. in Goa.”

In his letter to the Chief Minister of Goa, Alexander Mantytsky went on to say that the incidents where Russian citizens have been victims of crime in Goa have caused a great deal of public concern back home. Mantytsky blamed the “poor security situation” in Goa for the increasing incidence of crimes against foreign tourists.

The Russian consul-general reminded the Chief Minister of Goa in his letter that the number of Russian tourists visiting Goa is steadily increasing, even as there is an increase in crimes against women.

Alexander Mantytsky expressed “astonishment” over the investigation into the case of rape, adding that, even several days after the incident, the accused John Fernandes had not been subjected to medical examination to determine the injuries found on his body. Neither was the vehicle used by the accused to commit the crime examined, nor were the clothes he wore on the day of the alleged rape preserved for chemical analysis – all these resulting in possible destruction of evidence.

Goa, India’s most famous tourist destination, has been in the news in the past few years due to increased media reporting of rising crime. Several of Goa’s politicians were also accused of being involved in illegal activies and crime. The spotlight was firmly on the law and order and safety of women in the state, after the infamous Scarlett Keeling murder.

Despite its image as a hippie haven, Goa is at its heart a conservative society which dislikes the tourist culture and accompanying cultural changes. Traditional Goan society have frowned upon what they consider the ‘loose’ lifestyle of foreign women – and the attitude of politicians and police often reflect this mentality when they deal with crime against foreigners, especially women. Like many conservative societies which want to reap the benefits of a tourist economy but would like to keep its own children insulated from the impact of a tourist-friendly culture, Goa too is confused about how to tackle the rising crime. Its own instincts make it blame the victim – “she was asking for it” – while knowing full well that such an attitude is detrimental to tourism.