![]() ![]() Her origin and the theme of gender-based violence was in the first comic book, “Priya’s Shakti” and in the second comic book, “Priya ‘s Mirror” focused on acid attacks. “Priya and the Lost Girls” is the third in our series focuses on Priya - India’s first female superhero and survivor of rape. There were so many teenagers and young adults at those protests, and they will be the future catalyst and leaders who will define India, which is a hopeful sign. ![]() But, what was clear to me from the massive protests that happened all over India after the horrible rape on the bus is that we want things to change in our country. People’s views have not caught up with the speed in which things are changing in India. India is going through some remarkable and monumental changes in a short period of time. Trying to create a cultural shift is incredibly difficult, but not impossible. I think the most important thing we want to emphasize with the comic book and with Priya is that change is possible. What do you hope to achieve with these comics? Many of the freedom and equality struggles in Arab countries are lead by women because they have the most to gain and lose. I also think Priya would work well in Arab cultures because women face the same issues in Arab countries as they do in South Asian countries. She is a like everyone - the power exists in us all, but is hidden in our fears. Lastly, nonviolence and passive resistance is one of India’s greatest contributions to human society. An idea is much more powerful than Superman’s strength or Wonder-woman’s magic lasso. Although she rides a tiger, she has no powers. Priya is not your typical “superhero” and her strength is her power of persuasion and the power of an idea. How would you describe the character Priya? I wanted to create a new Indian “superhero” – Priya, who is a rape survivor and through the power of persuasion she is able to motivate people to change. This created a level of impunity among men to commit more rapes. The burden of shame was placed on the victim and not the perpetrators. Their family, local community, and even the police discouraged them from pursuing criminal action against their attackers. ![]() ![]() Talking with several rape survivors, I realized how difficult it was for them to seek justice and how much their lives were constantly under threat after they reported the crime. Deep-rooted patriarchal views needed to be challenged.įor about a year, I traveled around India and Southeast Asia learning from poets, philosophers, activists, and sociologists working for NGOs focused on gender-based violence. A cultural shift had to happen especially views towards the role of women in modern society. I knew then that the problem of sexual violence in India was not a legal issue rather it was a cultural problem. Basically the officer’s response was that “no good girl walks home at night.” Implying that she probably deserved it, or at least provoked the attack. At one of the protests, my colleague and I spoke to a Delhi police officer and asked him for his opinion on what had happened on the bus. There was an enormous outcry in particular from young adults and teenagers - both women and men. Like many people, I was horrified by what had happened and angered by the indifference exhibited by government authorities at every level. I was in Delhi when the horrible gang rape happened on the bus in 2012, and was involved the protests that soon followed. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |