Her face hidden by a white cloth, she could barely blurt out more than two sentences at a time before it was clear she was not in a mental state to talk about her ordeal. But the truth is Kerala is still a paradox — yes, the only state where women outnumber men, where female literacy soars above 91%, where maternal mortality is the lowest in the country and yet one in which women are not as liberated as empowered as they should have been. Sure, it’s better than some of the northern states, but Kerala has its delusions with respect to women. As for the state police force, the rape survivor’s serious allegations of mental harassment reveal chinks in the armour. That a state like Kerala which has a rich history of matrilineal and women-centric traditions would be witness to a woman’s public anguished cry for justice is indeed shameful.

Source: Indian Express November 04, 2016 07:54 UTC