After several reported instances of kids being physically and mentally harassed in the country, we have started teaching kids about good and bad touch. But there are many among us adults who have been exploited as a kid, the memory of which still haunts us today.
Bollywood’s ‘Queen’ Kangana Ranaut is also among those who have been sexually assaulted and inappropriately touched as a kid.
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During her OTT show, when one of the contestants shared their story of being touched inappropriately, Kangana was emotionally moved.
During a task, comedian Munawar Faruqui shared his secret and said, “I was six years old and I was sexually assaulted for several years, till the time that I was an 11-year-old boy,” Hindustan Times quoted him saying.
“I was sexually assaulted for that time. They were my relatives, two of them and it continued for 4-5 years. I would not understand at the time. It was close family. It went on for 3-4 years and once it got extreme and then they realised they should stop it.”
He continued, “I have never shared this with anyone as I have to face them, and they have to face the family as well. I once felt my dad got to know about it but he scolded me a lot. Perhaps he felt the same, as I did, that this is not something that should come out in the open.”
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On hearing his ordeal, Kangana went down memory lane. She said, “So many kids go through this every year but we avoid talking about it on public platforms. All of us go through this, all of us have been inappropriately touched at some point.”
“I have faced this. I was a child and a young boy from our town used to inappropriately touch me. At the time, I did not know what it meant, no matter how protective your family is, all kids go through this.”
Talking about this crisis in the country and how such experiences scar a kid’s childhood, she divulged, “Another point is that you are made to feel guilty for it. This is a huge crisis for kids in our society. To tell them the difference between good and bad touch may not be enough. It becomes such a huge crisis. Kids are psychologically traumatized and scarred for life. They face endless troubles in life.”
“This guy was three to four years elder than me, perhaps he was exploring his sexuality. He would call us, get us all to strip and check us. We would not understand it at the time.”
“There is a huge stigma behind this, especially for men. It is very brave of you, Munawar, that you chose this platform to share your experience,” she concluded.
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Kudos to Kangana for openly sharing her story. This would give hope and encouragement to those who have gone through something similar to her.