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But Poonawala is not the only one facing trial in India.
Instead of viewing the brutal killings as a one-off, Indian society has filed lawsuits on many related issues. The story of Walker, a Hindu woman who moves in with Poonawala, a Muslim man she meets, is a vehicle for intense, often transgenerational emotions. A discussion of women’s independence, family, religion, domestic violence, and most of all, love in the age of apps.
In some ways, Walker’s story reflects the collision of two worlds. In India, one of the world’s most digitally connected countries, the use of dating apps has increased dramatically. Most Indian users are from small towns, and Austin-based Bumble said its revenue in India doubled from what it did a year ago during its most recent fiscal quarter.
However, India is also a country where the average woman gets married at the age of 19, and weddings are often arranged by parents and determined by caste and religion. Only 1% of women choose not to get married. Marriages between people of different castes are only 13%, and her 2.5% of couples belong to different religions.
When Walkar’s murder made headlines, India saw a rise in unmarried couples living together, commonly referred to as “domestic relationships,” and a traditional backlash against the dangers lurking in the app. Police records show that Walker’s Hindu parents cut ties with their daughter two years ago after she decided to live with Punawara. No inter-caste marriages,” her father told police.
At a press conference hosted by members of India’s ruling party on 9 December, Walkar’s father, Vikas, called for the country to limit dating apps and better educate children so they are “religiously awakened.” urged to
“We need to think more about these modern dating apps our kids are using to build relationships,” he told reporters. Parents are helpless.”
In recent weeks, Walker has been frequently portrayed in news reports as a lost and rebellious daughter. One of the most favorite comments on YouTube when he posted the video and got 1 million views, the gist of this episode was: “Don’t disrespect your parents.”
Seema Chishti, a New Delhi-based journalist who published a book earlier this year about her parents’ interfaith marriage, said the overwhelming public reaction to the murders so far and the dominant tone in the media meant that this He said it was a moment to teach his children. Indian youth.
The message said, “Listen to Mommy Papa, don’t live with anyone. If you marry alone, never marry a Muslim,” Chishti said. “This is India unreformed. It’s a kind of social regression.”
Sweta, a 30-year-old researcher in Delhi who lives with her boyfriend she met on Bumble, recalled receiving a call from her mother shortly after the killings broke the news and said: I was shocked to make such a decision,” he said. life. “
Sweta, who did not disclose her relationship with her mother, was quick to retort. “I told her when she had one incident of dowry violence, that this had to stop because I’m not saying all her arranged marriages are bad,” she said. said. “Now it’s very easy to generalize and say it’s the girl’s fault. She should have been careful with online dating and live-in relationships.”
Sweta said he signed a preliminary contract with the new landlord earlier this year, but canceled it after he insisted the young couple would have to vacate the property if they didn’t get married within six months. She said she would not disclose her surname to avoid further trouble with her landlord and her relatives.
“If I were to move in with my boyfriend now after this Aaftab Poonawala incident, imagine my conversation with my landlord,” she said indignantly.
Since police discovered what they identified as Walker’s remains buried in the woods on November 15, traditional values have been challenged as gruesome details about the May killings trickle down. And the controversy over dating has become more and more intense. Among India’s predominant Hindu right wing, there are also warnings about Muslim men.
As reports surfaced about a suspect in Punawela, Walker’s history of physical abuse prompted several debaters on a primetime show to ask whether it reflected a broader conspiracy by Muslims to seduce or harm Hindu women. Poonawala confessed to killing Walker on November 29, according to Indian reports, telling forensic inspectors that he strangled Walker during an altercation over finances and his infidelity. That day, sword-wielding men were arrested for attacking the police van that had taken Poonawala to the forensic lab.
Meanwhile, national newspapers reported that Poonawala had used Bumble to invite another date to his house and that Walker’s body was hidden in a freezer. Tweet advice to young women about unverified profilespoofing and other dangers of dating apps.
The commotion put Bumble on the back burner. Four years ago, the app established itself as a tool for empowering women in India as it prepared to enter India.
“Many women don’t have the ability to choose for themselves. Choices are made for them,” said celebrity actress Priyanka Chopra, who invested in the company when Bumble launched in India. “This is a space where you can enter and be in your own world, within the comfort of your smartphone or laptop,” Jonas told CNN Business.
After the killing, Bumble said he was “devastated to hear about this unspeakable crime.”
“The safety and well-being of our members is our top priority and we have a dedicated global team to attend to their needs,” the company said in a statement.
Walker allegedly disobeyed her parents, but some women and scholars believe her murder may have highlighted how women failed in India, its laws, and perhaps even its parents. It claims that there is
Parul Bhandari, a sociologist at the University of Cambridge, said India’s domestic violence law does not explicitly address domestic relationships, reflecting Indian society’s displeasure with these arrangements. “Live-in means having a sexual relationship,” Bhandari said. “And that’s something the older generation won’t accept.”
Rajini Pariwala, a former professor of sociology at the University of Delhi, said Walker’s story highlights a common dilemma faced by young Indians who are forced to choose between the love of their partner and their family. . If they defy their parents, they can be cut off like Walker, making it harder to leave an abusive relationship, she said.
A 27-year-old woman looking to launch a pet-care e-commerce store in Bangalore, the tech hub of the South, said her conservative Muslim parents wanted her to be with a Christian boyfriend. said no. Their relationship would probably end, she said pessimistically, fearing to disappoint her mother.
“Sometimes we dream of living together, but my mother would never allow it,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked. I wish things were easier.”
In Guwahati, northeastern India, Farzid, a 24-year-old Muslim who shares the same fears for his own safety, said Walker’s incident prompted his girlfriend’s Hindu mother to leave him. said he did. She doesn’t, but he worried she would become estranged. “Her mother is the closest person to her,” he said.
Recently, a small but growing number of media voices have begun to refute the accusations made against Walker. Prominent feminist author Urvashi Butaria asked if her family deserved scrutiny instead.
“If her family were supportive of her choices, supportive of her desire to make her own decisions, and said they would always be there for her if she ever needed support, things would be better. I’ve always wondered if it could have been different,” Butaria wrote. “The idea that women are independent, strong, have their own opinions, hopes, desires and needs is still anathema to many societies.”
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