by Rita Banerji

Why would Indian women’s groups who’ve been stridently vocal in their support for one of India’s worst gang rape/sex-trafficking cases, remain mute when an American women’s organization had a key accused in the case, speak at their 2013 global conference?

More specifically —— why would the angry whisperings about this event, among Indian feminists, not be openly expressed?

The Suryanelli gang rape case is one of the longest running, high profile rape cases in India, perhaps more so than even the Delhi gang rape case [click here to read about the case].  This is not only because of its brutality, but also because for the Indian women’s movement this case has come to symbolize the patriarchal power structure—of government, police and judiciary—that facilitates rape.  Rape is allowed as a privilege of power.

This however is not a new revelation! For indeed, it is what…