Idea Of The Indian 'Mard' As Victims Seems Incongruous?

Have you ever imagined your life without social media? Have you ever thought about the amount of time you spend on different platforms? Have you ever wondered how many people get influenced by what they consume on social media? There’s no doubt that in today’s day and age, Social media has played a huge role in shaping the way we think & gradually, the way we act.

On the 4th of May, 2020, the life of one family in upscale Gurugram came to a screeching halt. A 17-year-old boy, Manav, plunged to his death after a post by a teenage girl alleging he raped her over 2 years ago, went viral. Although in her post, the girl added a disclaimer saying – ‘I don’t have any proof’, people immediately connected Manav’s story to the Bois Locker Room controversy and he was declared a ‘rapist’.

But at the same time, there were questions like - was it right to harass the boy? What if he was innocent? And that we’ll never get to hear his version of events.

A common thread seems to be the lack of empathy or even sympathy, because for some reason the idea of the male as a victim seems incongruous. Delhi-based Psychologist & Relationship Therapist, Vichitra Dargan Anand, shares a strong viewpoint.