Child sexual abuse as a topic is so fragile in nature that many are reluctant to address it or even deal with it. Mainstream cinema is no different even though many Indian movies have touched upon a wide array of other social issues. But director Seenivasan Selvaraj has successfully portrayed this social evil in Meow – The Voice of the Voiceless, which is a crowdfunded short film.
The recipient of ‘Best Children’s Film’ at the Tagore International Film Festival, Meow treats the topic of child sexual abuse in a sensitive manner. It shows the story of two siblings, who have come to visit their grandparents on a holiday.
What makes this film stand out is that it keeps the two children, who are the victims, central to the plot by using simple storytelling to convey their peril and making it accessible and understandable for children.
Mainstream films that have dealt with child sexual abuse include Highway, Monsoon Wedding, Kahaani 2 among others. But these films only provide snippets.
Dark side of inter-familial abuse
In the words of Nobel laureate and child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, “silence on rape and abuse of children is the biggest threat to their freedom and safety”. But the shocking truth about child sexual abuse, or CSA, is that in 96 percent of the reported cases in India, the abuser is known to the child victim, as per data by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Even more disturbing is that the sexual offender is often a family member or acquaintance.
The NCRB data of 28 Indian states and eight union territories for 2020 showed that in the category of family friends and neighbours or people known to the family, 11,272 such cases were reported. In 2019, the number of cases in this category was 12,864.
When it comes to CSA cases, children are often dismissed while family members try hushing up matters due to the taboo nature of the crime, forcing the victims into silence and leaving them without anyone to confide in.
Actor Anant Narayan Mahadevan said it was important to watch a film like ‘Meow’, as it helped children understand “good and bad touch”. “Everyone should watch this movie because it has dealt with child sexual abuse in a sensitive yet chilling way. The film not only lets the audience inside the mind of a paedophile but also educates children on good and bad touch. As an actor, I am honoured to be a part of this film because the pernicious elements of society need to be brought to the fore and ‘Meow’ serves its purpose very well,” Mahadevan said during a conversation with Selvaraj.
‘Slice of Constitution’
The announcement of the short film was made nearly two years ago by director PA Ranjith on India’s 74th Independence Day.
Taking to social media, Ranjith said the film will be produced under his banner, Neelam Productions, and will be a slice of the Constitution and delve deeper into the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The POCSO Act is a dedicated provision against child sexual abuse. It was enforced after a 2007 report, published by the ministry of women and child development covering 13 states and different forms of child abuse, found that 50.76 percent of children surveyed reported having faced one or more form of sexual abuse.
In September 2010, the ministry prepared a draft Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, which after several rounds of revisions came into force on Children’s Day, November 14, in 2012.
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