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Divyakant Solanki / EPA
Indian women hold up knives that were distributed by the Shiv Sena party in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday.
MUMBAI, India — A radical Hindu nationalist party in India has handed out kitchen knives and chili powder to women in the city of Mumbai following the gang rape that ignited a national debate on the best way to tackle sex crimes.
The Shiv Sena party, an ally of the main opposition BJP, said it had handed out 21,000 knives with three-inch blades to women in the city and surrounding areas and plans to distribute 100,000.
Mumbai police said they were examining the knives and considering legal action.
"This is a symbolic gesture," said Shiv Sena spokesman Rahul Narvekar, adding that a knife shorter than six inches in length does not fit the definition of a weapon. The party also handed out small bags of chili powder -- apparently to throw into an attacker's eyes.
"It's only to pass a signal to eve-teasers [men who molest women], anti-social elements and perpetrators of crime against women that women are empowered and they can take care of themselves," Narvekar said.
'Don't be afraid'
Ajay Chaudhari, running the knife campaign, was quoted by the party newspaper Saamana as saying, "Don't be afraid of using this knife if someone attacks you."
"We have set up a team of nine advocates to protect you from any potential court cases that may arise," he added.
A 23-year-old physiotherapy student was raped and beaten on a moving bus on Dec. 16 before being thrown bleeding on to a busy road in New Delhi, dubbed India's "rape capital."
Mumbai is generally considered a safer city for women.
The attack and the student's death two weeks later caused public outrage at the failure of the government and police to protect women from rising sexual offenses in a country where one rape is reported on average every 20 minutes.
In response, more women are taking up self-defense classes and carrying pepper spray. A government commission set up to recommend revisions to India's sex crime laws this week said women who kill an attacker during an attempted rape should be able to plead self-defense.
Related:
PhotoBlog: Women in India's 'rape capital' speak out
Report: Six suspects held over another India bus gang rape
Defense attorney blames victim in India gang rape, murder case
Leave a Comment:
give them all a conceal carry licence. then they can carry whatever they want.
That is not fair because all that the men have are water pistols. How do u equate a glock or a colt to a water pistol? Women should be armed with a weapon that matches the fire power of the rapist while anything more will not be a level playing field.
'Equal Opportunity for Rapists' - must be a new 'Organizing For Action' slogan ....
Rapes are spiking in India because men are afraid the new laws may be so stringent that they may never be able to rape (use their water pistols) once the laws are enacted. I perfectly understand their feelings which are analogous to the ones felt here which result in gun sales spiking for fear of more gun laws.
Give them handguns with less than 10 round magazines.
That aint right. Men have single shot guns so women should have single shot guns too. no question of magazines
They should be equip with chastity belt, then those men can do no harm to them!!
Seriously? How about the men show some respect and try to NOT rape them? Doesn't this seem like an easier solution and one that doesn't further frighten and victimize?
"Indian women hold up knives that were distributed by the Shiv Sena party". Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Knives distributed by the Shiv party.
My daughter's Glock 21 .45ACP works just fine, and the recidivism rate is very low.
OK all you entrepreneurs, here is a market for a 50 ounce pressurized bear spray! I bet you could sell as many of them to women in India as you could ship there -- for use either as a defense against rape or a cooking spice.
I talked with a gal in India a couple of weeks ago from Dish Network and she told me that they are not allowed guns there. Only the gov't, cops, and so forth have them. I think every woman should have a can of hornet spray next to their bed and in their cars. That gives them time to pull out the equalizer and shot the SOB.
Sure some big corporation over here is drooling at the idea of marketing tasers to India. Parts manufactured in Sri Lanka. Assembled and packaged in Mexico.
Knives?!? How quaintly old-school! Hand out guns and loaded ammo clips! Then, India can be just like the US!!! Isn't that how every other country in the world wants to be? Just like the US? I'm certain the NRA would tell you that if all women in India would simply arm themselves with guns, all would be well, and this rape problem would end. Oh, they'd have to put up with the occasional public slaughter of innocents, and they'd experience that inconvenient spike in gun homicides (they could get closer to the US rate!), but hey, what's more important? All the death is just the price you pay for everyone being armed and having access to the combat weapons. You know - so you can defend yourself against thugs, and against your tyrannical government. What's not to like?
Yeah? How about teaching men to...I don't know...NOT RAPE WOMEN?? How about teaching young boys some respect so they grow up into caring, thoughtful men?? Why put the onus on the women???
Rape is an act of control and violence toward a woman. It's not a sex thing. These guys have no respect for women in a lot of these countries. You can't teach a violent man anything.
Great, let's arm the world with guns. Oh, wait. We already do. That's what still has us in Afghanistan.
Guns are the answer to everything. Not. What they need to do is put the rapists that killed the med student on trial and hang them afterward. That would send a very loud and clear message.
Public castration without a pain killer would speak volumes to the rest of these yahoos running around with their tiny little peckers in their hands waiting for another woman to abuse. What a disgrace to the human race, do they not have mothers, sisters, cousins?
The should also be given guns to shoot the f'n rapists. After they shoot the bastards, the women should use the knives to cut off the guy's penis. They should pour the chili powder on the wound after they cut off the dick to watch the guy roll around, put this on U tube it will become one of the highest hits. Word would get out soon what will happen to you if you rape. The government will not protect the women so they should do it themselves.
Same thing should be done in the US. Soon there would be no more rape. If I guy wants to get laid he should go to a hooker, how is trying to make a living.
Unfortunately, Indian society teaches men they can (and should) abuse women.
Working for domestic abuse and rape for 35yrs. of my life I can tell you that more happens in this country then anyone realizes. You may hear of one or two rapes a week in your state, but be sure to understand that there has probably been 50-100 you don't hear about. This doesn't count for the ones that are killed.
Would not help to cut off their unit.....you have to also cut off their arms. Sex is not the factor, control and anger toward women are.
The way Indian men treat their wives, I imagine some wives could use the chili powder.
Wow ! Great Idea.
I'd cut their weiners with the knife ala Lorena Bobbit.
Awesome...! We can call them Bobbit Knives...?
Cut off thier tools, dry them, hang them around thier necks as trophies.
Hah...!!!!!!!!
Really!!!! A knife!!! Girls??? Come the the good ole U.S.A. we'll give a nice .38special them dick heads will think twice before pulling that crap again!!
oh I see, so what they are truly doing is Instead of taking care of the problem AKA THE MEN they will give them some form of weapon so when this happens again the men will get off with nothing done because men will say, "she didn't cut/burn my eyes so she wanted it." Or "If they whereat strong enough to fight back then thats to bad for them they are only women after all." Nice government you got there.. -_-
Women, defend yourselves from a serious criminal with 3 inch kitchen knives and chili pepper???
Are they kidding??? What a sick joke.
Thank god for the 2nd amendment. At least our Constitution gives us a chance at self defense.
Kitchen knives and chili pepper??? Hard to believe people could be so foolish.
Great, now just make sure not to accidentally bump into someone on the bus, they might stab you for it!