Marry Her and Make Her Life Better!

Spread the love

When the highest constitutional court indicates that an offense of rape can be compounded or mitigated, contrary to the law, it sends a dangerous signal to all sex offenders that marrying the victim would grant them amnesty. The persistent prevalence of patriarchal prejudices and misogyny appears to have been in full display when the Chief Justice of India asked the serial rapist of a minor girl whether he would marry her.

THE STORY

The man to whom this question was posed was facing charges of penetrative sexual assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and rape, criminal intimidation under Sections 376, 417, 506 of the Indian Penal Code. He had been accused of clandestinely entering the house of the victim-survivor, a distant relative, when she was alone, gagging and tying her hands and feet and raping her. The girl was studying in Class 9 then. He continued to rape her repeatedly, until she was in class 12, by intimidating and threatening to harm her and her family.

The victim has alleged that the accused used to follow her in his motorcycle carrying a petrol can and threatening to set her on fire. It was only when the girl tried to commit suicide that her family came to know about this horrific crime. When the uneducated mother of the victim, tried to register a police complaint, she was dissuaded from doing so by the mother of the accused and made to sign a stamped paper that the sexual relationship between the victim and the accused was consensual. The assaulter’s mother promised the mother of the victim that he would marry the victim when she attained majority. When the accused reneged on his promise of marriage, a complaint was filed under the POCSO Act.

Wait, what?!

The CJI reportedly told the lawyer for the accused, “If you want to marry we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail. You seduced the girl, raped her.” The CJI also said, “You should have thought before seducing and raping the young girl. You knew you are a government servant.”

The accused responded, “Initially I wanted to marry her, but she refused. Now I cannot as I am already married.” Applying minimum standards of sanity, would it not be safe to assume that a victim, if given a choice, would recoil with horror at the thought of an institutionalized relationship with her assaulter? Did the court believe that it was acting in the best interests of the affected woman and were there conflicting interests in the first place?

To put it in crude terms, “Your body has been violated and for your good, I will ensure that he who forcibly and brutally touched your body without your consent will restore your dignity, undo the damage to your reputation through the offender’s gracious act of accepting you as his wife,” is what the court seems to indicate.

When the highest constitutional court indicates that an offense of rape can be compounded or mitigated, contrary to the law, it sends a dangerous signal to all sex offenders that marrying the victim would grant them amnesty. This normalization and trivialization of sexual offenses will only embolden offenders, deter the filing of complaints, cause further victimization of the survivor and lead to loss of confidence in the justice redressal system.

Highlights

Cravings for savory substances appear to be strongest during the first trimester, with a tapering of urges during the later stages of peripartum.

In a large number of women, a preference for sweet foods reaches peak intensity during the second trimester.

Urges for salty substances tend to emerge later on in pregnancy, with preference for and intake of salty foods increasing in the later stages of gestation.

Foods that have ajinomoto, undercooked foods like sushi, undercooked meat and eggs, raw vegetables which are not hygienically washed and cut are things that should be largely avoided.

Spread the love

Pregnancies for me have been a tough time. With heightened morning sickness my appetite had reduced a lot and I had started to hate the smell of most foods. But on the other hand there were certain foods that I craved a lot. It was bizarre because not only did I have food cravings but they were so specific that I would sometimes crave the food from a particular place- like the crispy dosa at Sangeetha Hotel or the molaga bajjis sold at the beach. And these food cravings would be strong and last for days and would not subside unless I satiated them.

Never have I had such strong food cravings otherwise, the way it manifests during pregnancy. Which got me thinking, is it hormones that cause these or are they triggered by food deficiencies? Many of us also crave chocolates when we are on our periods. I did a bit of reading up and here is what I learnt.

This is what a study says

Cravings for savory substances appear to be strongest during the first trimester, with a tapering of urges during the later stages of peripartum. In a large number of women, a preference for sweet foods reaches peak intensity during the second trimester. Urges for salty substances tend to emerge later on in pregnancy, with a preference for and intake of salty foods increasing in the later stages of gestation.

Also we find we are reaching more than often for that jar of pickles or seeking out that Pani Puri wale bhaiya for our quest for some tangy taste. This is due to the altered sense of taste and smell. Hormones may also be responsible for prenatal craving in indirect ways. Pregnancy is known to significantly alter sensory perception, possibly due to changes in secretion of hormones. We have all experienced craving before or during our periods due to the rise of hormones.

So pregnancy is just a heightened condition of hormonal surges, sure to amplify that craving! Morning sickness may make you crave more of such tangy taste because it neutralizes your taste buds, killing the vomiting sensation. Along with the sense of smell even the sense of taste gets heightened during pregnancy. Taste of foods may be heightened during this time because of the change in the sensory levels.

“It is known that fetal demands can double requirements for certain nutrients, and proper nutrition during pregnancy is critical in ensuring healthy fetal development”, says Alifia Bhol, a nutritionist and dietitian. “For example, a lack of adequate intake of iron can result in iron deficiency anemia and inadequate placental and fetal growth”.

Alifia S Bhol, Owner & Chief Dietitian At NutriAl Diet Clinic, Mumbai

“Though some findings do not support a nutritional deficit hypothesis for food cravings in pregnancy, many nutritionists believe that craving a certain food maybe because of its nutrient in the first place. For example, calcium deficiency might be the reason you crave that tub of ice cream!”

Food cravings may not necessarily be due to a need for a general increase in caloric intake since they tend to emerge in the first half of gestation, long before a majority of fetal growth (and thus fetal demand for nutrients) takes place. Most of us crave comfort foods during this time. We may find ourselves reaching more for foods rich in carbohydrates and fats because they cause fullness and satiate the appetite faster ending in dopamine release.

Similarly we may crave foods that have an emotional connection to it, like something you liked in your childhood which is associated with your happy memory. This may also have a cultural factor attached to it depending on the region you grew up in and the common foods available there.

However, along with the cravings the nutritional aspect of foods should be kept in mind too to make sure that you are receiving a balance of all the nutrients required from your diet for the baby’s growth and your overall well being.

What is not healthy?

Foods that have Ajinomoto, undercooked foods like sushi, undercooked meat, and eggs, raw vegetables which are not hygienically washed and cut are things that should be largely avoided.

“Additionally, foods that are high in sodium content should be avoided especially for those suffering from high blood pressure. Stay away from foods that are ‘refined’ especially oils and flours. Sugar can be taken in moderation but those suffering from gestational diabetes may need to watch that as well”, adds Alifia. “Just remember the 3 whites- salt, sugar and maida. These can cause bloating, water retention, and digestive issues too. Plus anyone with thyroid issues can put on more weight and too much weight gain is also unhealthy in pregnancy and difficult to shed later”.

Pregnancy food cravings are normal as long as you don’t crave for unhealthy, non-food, or toxic stuff like chalk, paint, sand, etc. If you find yourself craving for things like these it is best to seek help or inform your doctor because this may be a sign of a condition called pica, a condition characterized by persistent eating of non-nutritive substances which are inappropriate or not part of a culturally supported or socially normative practice.

And thank God we don’t have to name our kids after our pregnancy food cravings. Imagine having Dosa and Bajji running around at home!