Since past few days I have been
rattled by the periodical upsurge of a thought. A thought which prompts me to
think if we are sane enough to tackle our own issues, the issues which envelopes
us from all around in our day to day life, do we have such a poor memory that a
recently terminated event becomes a thing long forgotten. But the next moment I
am reminded of something which is very common and genuine and has impacted the
lives of common man to a greater extent. Given the numbers of problems and issues
we have to deal with, things do become fuzzy after a certain period, leading to
different sabotages and mass reacting to it only till another issue overlaps it
and becomes topic of talk. People do perform the so called demonstrations and
rallies but end up getting lathi charged or a couple of consolation columns
with some backing in the local of daily. Further if it gains more momentum then
we get more of the exclusive reports and debate sessions on prominent news
channels, and the infamous scuffle in the houses of parliament. The bottom line
being that even they know that how these issues can be cease fired, and that is
when another havoc is being created to divert the attention of mass.
I sat down to decipher the common
man’s problem, the hue and cries which were made in the wake of Dec 16th,
the fateful day when a brave heart girl was raped brutally and then she combated
the inevitable until she breathed last. Bulk of public figures, politicians,
actors and distinguished personality voiced their concerns and sympathies when
the girl lost her battle with life but not a single day throughout the year
similar concerns were raised with the similar brute force. One thing which is
more evident that given the kind of system which we are a part of we have been made
to get used to apathies. A common man’s problem is not limited to a social
injustice, a different form of violence or say a price hike of essential
commodities like alloo, pyaaj, tamatar or the ever towering petroleum. Worse if
you belong to a middle class family which comprises of around 65% of our
nation’s population. They being the most affected have to overcome barriers
like domestic violence, for women in particular as they have to overhear
tantrums thrown at them at their home, in office they have to work as well as
keep themselves safe and sound from their nymphomaniac bosses, tolerate all
those melodrama by their kids and finally fight their own demons to succeed or
improve in their own walk of life. Now , after all these if we expect a common
man/woman to keep relishing all those things time to time then that would be a
lot expect from them and understand that these ghazini acts
are not deliberate. Somewhere even they are fighting their own bout to survive,
to patch their own vandalized life which has been made miserable by the various
scheme of things.
The NIRBHAYA in episode woken up
the nation at par, and it’s not that rape wouldn’t happen earlier but yes,
given the kind of brutality and inhumanity which was shown was unconventional.
Nationwide sabotages were performed and many of the highly placed lawmakers and
office bearers of our country were awakened form their deep sleep, to much
extent government was intimidated to amend certain laws and influx a few stricter
ones which dealt with the crime against women. As the government saw the wrath
of public reaching an unprecedented heights and a country being awakened by a
23 year old brave heart, the filthy and downtrodden people got little bothered
by the furore which was relevant from the news that followed in the coming days.
If one goes on to discourse the trauma and apathy a victim, she doesn’t only
have bear the physical, mental battering rather the ordeal she has to endure when
she is asked all short of filthy questions while lodging an FIR or while
answering the deep probing by the defence lawyer. To me she is raped every time
she has to narrate the uneventful moment over and over. The trail goes on for
ever and so goes the course of her getting denuded in front of public and
society. She loses her integrity and social life the moment she is forced to
something which doesn’t have the consent of her body and soul and then she is
put to lead a cursed life when she is compelled to recall her trauma
repeatedly. Her soul is stabbed zillion of times and given the time that
judiciary takes to condemn the culprits it is clearly relevant that a justice seeker
loses her will to survive and thus succumbs to them mentally if not physically.
Today women being the most
vulnerable sex have their task cut in surviving every day of their life as if
they were doomed for this. And it is an accomplishment in itself. Now another
point of concern which has been in talks of late is the getup and attire of
women. When some pseudo intellectuals which include the likes of the
politicians, policemen, and few lawyer smear the act of provoking on the
females completely. Rather it can be quoted that a woman is scantily dressed to
arouse a man to stalk her, tease her or say rape her. My only question to them
is why the same doesn’t apply to the male community? Even boys do roam in their
boxers and short pants, I never found a woman stalking or attempting a wrong
thing on men of late. Why such a biasing in our society? Dressing should never
be a point of blame in the rape offenses. Everyone who is born has his/her own
right to live in whatever way they long for. Just because men are the
physically built doesn’t mean they overpower a woman and exploit her for the
sake of fulfilling their own fantasies. Rape to me is a wretched way of flexing
muscle power and that too against a weaker class. It is a sick state of mind
which is desperate and hungry enough for sex and enjoys overpowering a female and
reckons that as a victory, Alas!!! to me that is only a prominent way of
showing one’s impotency.
Statistically there was a sudden
upsurge in crime against women in January 2013. Though the brave heart girl who
waged lone battle till she breathed last before succumbing to her injuries had
no effect on this society full of perverts. I still remember those initial days
of January 2013 when I along with my friends would count the news articles on
the incidents of rape and molestations. Governments’ initiatives were lauded
and appreciated by the public but the mind set of those few failed to give up
on their heinous thoughts and as a result there has been lesser change in the
ugly attitude of those few libdo driven ones. Those few of the convicted and
proven guilty either await their respective penalty or those who can’t endure
the pain inflicted by the police while interrogation or the humiliation they
suffer from their jail inmates chose to end their lives or try prison breaking.
On the other hand few flex their money and position privilege to escape
unscathed. Unfortunately many belong to the second class, thus making the
justice scene almost invisible.
As the fateful incident completes
a year my lone question to the office bearers and head of judiciary remains,
can’t we do some justice to the departed souls who fought just to survive. Let’s
be a bit more gutty and show the valour at its required place. May we all get to
locate the wisdom that even women has the equivalent right to survive here.
