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Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 10:26 PM UTC

Anoushka Shankar reveals she was abused as a child

The sitar player has come out with her story in support of the Delhi rape victim and "women like her" VIDEO

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Topics: Video, Anoushka Shankar, Sexual abuse, delhi gang rape, Women's Rights, India, ,

Anoushka Shankar reveals she was abused as a child(Credit: AP)

Anoushka Shankar, the sitar player and composer daughter of  late virtuoso Ravi Shankar, has come out with her own story of sexual abuse. In a campaign for One Billion Rising, a global initiative aimed at increasing awareness of violence against women, Shankar said:
“As a child I suffered sexual and emotional abuse for several years at the hands of a man my parents trusted implicitly. Growing up, like most women I know, I suffered various forms of groping, touching, verbal abuse and other things I didn’t know how to deal with, I didn’t know I could change.”

Shankar was motivated to tell her story for Jyoti Singh Pandey, the Indian woman who died as a result of a gang rape she suffered in New Delhi late last year. ”Enough is enough,” Shankar contined. “I am rising, for Jyoti and women like her. I am rising with the amazing women of my country … I am rising for the child in me, who I don’t think will ever forgive and recover from what happened to her.”

Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com. More Prachi Gupta.

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