by Carla Marie
Ram Devineni creates a comic that is inspired by the horrific rape and murder of a student in Delhi, India by six men. The questionable reactions by the police sparked protests throughout Delhi in December 2012, of which Devineni was apart of. These protests contributed to Devineni’s inspiration for the comic Priya’s Shakti. The comic’s heroine is a woman named Priya who battles gender and sexual oppression in today’s India, aided by the Hindu deities, Parvati, benevolent Goddess of Power, and Shiva, primary God, destroyer, and transformer. The comic raises awareness for serious social and cultural issues in India and will hopefully encourage discussion about rape culture and victim-blaming in the region. The story of Priya, of course, relates to recent controversy in the United States regarding the culture of rape at universities. The issue has gotten overdue, but much needed media attention in the past few weeks. This comic will contribute to the advocacy for social change and awareness implemented by several powerful comics, showing that comic books are a compelling tool for political and cultural expression. The comic is currently available for free download and will be released in print at Mumbai’s Comic Con later on this month.
From BBC News, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30288173