The Insecure Lover-An Analysis

The Shraddha Walker Murder case- a tale that shook the people of India and left us in shambles. An incident, so gruesome that the horrors are permanently etched within our minds and the fear has crippled our hearts.

Shraddha Walker was a 27-year-old woman, who was involved in a romantic relationship with the accused Aftab Poonawala(28). They were living together in Delhi when she was barbarically murdered by her partner on May 18, 2022.

It was an incident that should have made us suspect the mental and emotional stability of Aftab Poonawala, and raise questions regarding the facade of ‘safety’ inebriated within the minds of the common public, especially, the women. But instead, the nation was made to forego that discussion altogether and this was achieved by concealing it under the veil of ‘Religion’. After the initial religious debacle had fizzled out, the wave of ‘victim blaming’ finally hit the shores of the social mindset and succeeded in straying the audience further away from the topic of discussion- thus solidifying the socially accepted belief that a ‘man’ can never be the problem. This case, knowingly or unknowingly, preached and supported the notion that the ‘woman’ is somehow at fault if one fine morning, her boyfriend decides to chop her up into 35 pieces.

So now, the question arises, was it merely the combination of mental instability and a momentary lapse of judgment that led Aftab Poonawala into committing such a heinous act?

The answer itself is not quite as simple. Walker wanted to break up with him and this triggered the aggressive and volatile, Poonawala.

This inability of his to accept the rejection brings forth a well-established picture of the society. Women have always been subjected to crimes committed against them, especially by their partners and suitors. Poonawala was merely an ‘exaggerated’ real-life example of the narrative that has been instilled within our minds over generations. Different entertainment media, such as films, have continuously portrayed the extreme possessiveness of men in a relationship as something that should be applauded. Acts of domestic violence are still silenced and not to mention, the scornful looks the victim receives if the relationship is not tied under the ‘vows’ of marriage. The fact that India is one of the 34 countries to have decriminalised Marital Rape is enough proof to support the statement that to this date, women are still viewed as mere sexual properties for the men. ‘Consent’ is still an alien concept for even the ‘urban’ population of India.

The sheer incapability of men to handle rejection is bewildering. Other than rape and physical violence, Acid attacks are also one of the primary examples to showcase the extremities of barbaric activity that are committed by men to assert their dominance and to express their control over women’s bodies. There are many reasons for acid attacks, but the most common are refusals to marry, denial of sex to the partner, and some domestic violence.

According to the recent data released by UN, ‘Globally 81,000 women and girls were killed in 2020, around 47,000 of them (58 per cent) died at the hands of an intimate partner or a family member, which equals to a woman or girl being killed every 11 minutes in their home. In 58 per cent of all killings perpetrated by intimate partners or other family members, the victim was a woman or girl’

In the latest report released by National Crime Reports Bureau’s ‘Crime in India 2021’, it is mentioned that ‘India registered 31,677 cases of rape in 2021 - an average 86 daily - while nearly 49 cases of crime against women were lodged every single hour, according to the latest government report on crimes in the country.’

Keeping in mind, that less than 40% of the women who experience violence seek help of any sort. And less than 10% of those seeking help, appealed to the police.

The Shraddha Walker murder case is a prime example of an insecure lover reaching heightened extremes to exert some semblance of control over his already ruined relationship. Daily newspapers are strewed with similar cases where the partner commits violent and brutal crimes on their significant others, surprisingly, without much retribution.

It is high time that men understand and comply by the word ‘No’. Is awareness enough to eradicate the toxic male ego? Is the Government taking enough steps to ensure and safeguard women, especially those in heterosexual relationships? When will the women be free to pursue their own lives without the fear of being brutally assaulted?

Sources:

 https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/UN_BriefFem_251121.pdf 

 https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures 

Author:

Enakshi Ganguly