The Language of Deception: The Chief Minister’s Media Advisor K.V. Prabhakar Exposes Gendered Narratives
"Honor Killings & Systemic Violence: Karnataka Literary Meet Sparks Debate", Prabhakar emphasizes the need to break free from restrictive language that dictates gender roles.
BNH NETWORK
HIGHLIGHTS:
- ✅ Gendered Language in Crimes: Prabhakar calls out biased reporting.
- ✅ Media Accountability: Urges journalists to change victim-blaming narratives.
- ✅ Honor Killings & Violence: Growing concern over caste-based oppression.
- ✅ Sunita Williams’ Lesson: Societal borders are a human construct.
- ✅ Call for Change: Men must actively support gender justice.
Bengaluru, March 22, 2025 - Language shapes perceptions, and when it comes to women, it often masks deep-seated misogyny. Speaking at the Eighth Akhila Karnataka Women Writers’ Conference, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor K.V. Prabhakar highlighted how language has been weaponized against women, reinforcing societal control and justifying violence.
"A Systemic Issue, Not Isolated Incidents"
"The language used to describe crimes against women is a direct reflection of a patriarchal mindset," Prabhakar remarked. He criticized the way honor killings, rapes, and relationship-based murders are reported, subtly shifting blame onto victims instead of perpetrators.
Three alarming trends dominate media reports today:
- Honor killings driven by caste prejudice, often orchestrated by a victim’s own family.
- Murders of women in interfaith or inter-caste relationships, especially in live-in partnerships.
- Rising cases of gang rapes, spanning from minors to elderly victims.
Gendered Language in Crime Reporting
Prabhakar highlighted how media narratives prioritize details about the victim’s circumstances—"Was she alone? Was it late at night? What was she wearing?"—before even naming the perpetrators. This, he argued, normalizes restrictions on women instead of holding criminals accountable.
"A woman cannot walk alone at night, a woman cannot wear what she chooses, a woman must not be in a public park alone—this is the unspoken enforcement of control through language," he asserted.
FACT FILE
| Issue | Current Situation |
|---|---|
| Honor Killings | Increasing, targeting Dalit & backward caste women. |
| Live-in Relationship Murders | Women across all communities affected. |
| Gang Rapes | Alarming rise, affecting minors to elderly victims. |
| Language in Media | Often blames victims instead of perpetrators. |
| Call to Action | Gender-sensitive reporting & legal reforms. |
Women’s Resistance: A Challenge to the Sky Itself
Drawing inspiration from astronaut Sunita Williams, Prabhakar recalled her words: "The higher we go, the fewer human-made borders we see." He contrasted this with the rigid societal barriers that restrict women’s autonomy on Earth.
"Women, who make up half the world’s population, face resistance that shakes the very fabric of our social structure. But their fight continues, as they push against these restrictions with force," he declared.
He emphasized that real change would only occur when men and women stand together in dismantling oppressive language and systemic misogyny.
