Upon her return, she says
she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is now on a
mental leave of absence from the school after a public breakdown in the
spring.
Cross, a fair-skinned, red-haired South Asian studies major, titled her story "India: The Story You Never Wanted to Hear." She posted her account on CNN iReport under the username RoseChasm.
Her story has struck a
chord around the world, racking up more than 800,000 page views as of
Wednesday morning. It quickly found its way to India, where many readers
sympathized with the story and men felt compelled to apologize for the
experience she endured. Others called for greater perspective and warned
against making generalizations about India or its people.
India's deadly gang rape
of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi happened a few days after Cross left
India in December, and she said that helped others understand what she
and her classmates went through. The country has continued to see several high-profile cases of rape and sexual violence cases since then, and the government has introduced tougher laws and punishment for sexual crimes.
On her return, Cross
struggled to find a way to talk about a cultural experience that was
both beautiful and traumatizing, she said in her essay.
She writes:
"Do I tell them about
our first night in the city of Pune, when we danced in the Ganesha
festival, and leave it at that? Or do I go on and tell them how the
festival actually stopped when the American women started dancing, so
that we looked around to see a circle of men filming our every move?
"Do I tell them about
bargaining at the bazaar for beautiful saris costing a few dollars a
piece, and not mention the men who stood watching us, who would push by
us, clawing at our breasts and groins?
"When people compliment
me on my Indian sandals, do I talk about the man who stalked me for 45
minutes after I purchased them, until I yelled in his face in a busy
crowd?"
Later, she writes: "For
three months I lived this way, in a traveler's heaven and a woman's
hell. I was stalked, groped, masturbated at; and yet I had adventures
beyond my imagination. I hoped that my nightmare would end at the
tarmac, but that was just the beginning."
A university spokesman
confirmed Cross is a student at the school and would not comment on her
mental leave. He said the school is committed to students' safety at
home and abroad.
Cross said she didn't
say anything to the professors on the trip until things reached "a
boiling point" -- what she called two rape attempts in 48 hours.
Dipesh Chakrabarty, a
University of Chicago professor who was in India for the first three
weeks of the session, told CNN that he was unaware of Cross' situation.
He noted, though, that the university tries to prepare students for what
they might encounter while abroad. The Civilizations Abroad in India
program was based in the city of Pune, but the students traveled to
other areas during the semester.
"Both faculty and staff
in Chicago and our local Indian staff counsel students before and during
the trip about precautions they need to take in a place like India,"
Chakrabarty said in an e-mail. "Ensuring student safety and well-being
is the top priority of both the College and staff and faculty associated
with the program."
The university provided this statement to CNN:
"Nothing is more
important to us at the University of Chicago than caring for the safety
and well-being of our students, here in Chicago and wherever they go
around the world in the course of their studies. The University offers
extensive support and advice to students before, during and after their
trips abroad, and we are constantly assessing and updating that
preparation in light of events and our students' experiences. We also
place extremely high value on the knowledge our students seek by
traveling and studying other civilizations and cultures, and we are
committed to ensuring they can do so in safety while enriching their
intellectual lives."
Her story sparked a wave
of reaction online, with scores of Indians responding, many with
sympathy to her plight and pointing out that Indian women also
experience high levels of harassment and abuse.
Arvind Rao, a media
professional in Mumbai, was moved to post this comment on her story: "It
thoroughly disgusts me to be known as an Indian male ... An apology is
extremely meager for all the trauma you've gone through." He expressed
hope that politicians would "wake up and implement stricter laws against
crime and sexual harassment on women."
"Every time my
girlfriend goes out alone, I pray that she comes back home safely,"
wrote a commenter using the name Jajabar. "Being an Indian male, I
apologize."
Others, however,
observed that sexual harassment was by no means confined to India, and
Indian commenter Sam1967 warned against condemning his home country when
so many others failed to protect the women living within their borders.
"I accept what happened
was definitely an embarrassment and a cause of trauma for her that might
haunt her for the rest of her life. But this has happened in many other
countries or places and therefore it may not be the right thing to
single out India."
Another woman who said she was on the same University of Chicago sponsored trip to India, posted a response
on CNN iReport calling on people to resist stereotyping Indian men and
recognize that sexual assault happens all over the world.
The student, Katherine
Stewart, said she dealt with her own share of harassment on the trip,
but "in my experiences in India, I have met a solid handful of warm and
honest Indian men -- men who are also college students, men who also
love the thrill of riding on a motorcycle in the busy streets, men who
defended me at necessary times, and men who took the time to get to know
me and my culture. And that should not at all be surprising."
Stewart said she
believed Cross "had every right to tell her story" and in no way wanted
to lessen the significance of her experience. But Stewart, who is black,
cautioned that "when we do not make the distinction that only some men
of a population commit a crime, we develop a stereotype for an entire
population. And when we develop a negative stereotype for a population,
what arises? Racism."
One thing is certain:
Cross sparked a huge discussion with a story that she thought no one
wanted to hear. She said she is thankful for her experiences in India,
and wants to see more international exposure about what women travelers
and residents endure.
"Truth is a gift, a
burden, and a responsibility. And I mean to share it," she writes. "This
is the story you don't want to hear when you ask me about India. But
this is the story you need."
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