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Well-known sitarist Anoushka Shankar has revealed how a fan lifting her up and hugging her brought back memories of child sexual abuse.
In a post shared on Facebook and Instagram on May 24, Anoushka said a fan had asked her if he could lift her up, and then, without waiting for her consent, had proceeded to do so. The incident occurred in mid-May.
She was unsure how to respond, and later felt the emotional impact of the encounter.
She wrote: “I found myself suspended in the air, clasped in a bear hug by a stranger, feet dangling. I had been meeting a few fans after a show and it all happened so fast. I laughed awkwardly and asked to be let down, I signed his poster, I smiled and waved. Later when sharing the story, I was quick to say I felt confident he had no ill intent and was simply being overexcited and thoughtless (I still believe this is likely true). I was surprised people’s reactions seemed more shocked and upset than my own."
She said it took her days for it to sink in, and realise she was unprepared to deal with such a situation in real time.
“The path of healing curves, and is never linear,” she posted. “If you lost your voice again for a moment, remember you can find it, always, within.”
Anoushka said the incident brought back feelings of shame, dismay and frustration, and highlighted how past trauma could resurface unexpectedly.
She connected the experience to the child sexual abuse she suffered years ago at the hands of a family friend, which she first disclosed publicly in 2013.
Anoushka opened up about her history of abuse during the One Billion Rising campaign following the 2012 Delhi gang rape case.
In interviews, she has discussed how the death of her father Pandit Ravi Shankar in December 2012 gave her the space to speak more freely about her experience.
Her latest post has drawn support from many who commented on the importance of consent and boundaries at public events.
Read her full post here.
