Right in the morning when I got up yesterday, the
news of a 23 year old girl being gang-raped ruthlessly by six non humans (in the form of men) welcomed me. To say the least, my heart bled and I cried. I could not stop thinking that the young girl and I both woke up on Sunday (16th December) morning looking forward for an enjoyable day. While I chose to be at home, she chose to watch 'Life of Pi' with a friend. Sunday ended for me like any other usual day, but for her, it turned out to be a monstrous night. While I slept peacefully, she was thrown almost naked out of a running bus on a Delhi road! The gruesome details which the media gave out about the rape and the victim made me sick to the stomach. It left me questioning God...the Supreme power. It made me say, "Krishna...nee begane baaro" (Krishna...Please come quickly). India has turned Kalyuga personified.
Today, I still cannot stop thinking of the girl, her parents and her brothers. How will the boy she went for a movie with come out the extreme trauma of witnessing an excruciating act? As a mother, I wince when my kids get a bad scratch. I CANNOT imagine the plight of the mother who sees her daughter in such a critical condition. A daughter who was their dreams, their achievement, their financial support, a medical student with an aspiring career ahead.
I am scared for my kids. I am left questioning my parenting skills. Am I ensuring that my daughter and son are going to be self equipped to be safe or that my son will respect every woman he comes across? I really don't know, and that is more scarier. Where did the parents of the victim and the rapists go wrong?
Did the parents of the girl go wrong when they were okay with her going for a late movie with a guy friend? (Ridiculous question!) Did the father of the main accused lax his fatherly duties somewhere that he meekly stood and answered the questions of the media? I was furious at the mother of one of the accused who said, "My son is a kid, he cannot rape." Really?! Is the fact the rapists come from the lower strata of the society also a factor?
What pains me that today we all are talking about it, the news channels have made it their propaganda, the political parties are trying to say the 'right' words and take the 'right' actions in the Lok Sabha (but ofcourse there is groundwork, the voting, the legal hierarchy, the many zillion factors!), Facebook is all over with the messages of goodwill and anger, online voting, media voting, discussions, et al. And then what happens after a week, a month? It is conveniently forgotten. Have we not seen in the past? I sincerely hope this time it is different. Mrs. Jaya Bachchan cried in the parliament, I cried too (at home)...but unfortunately my tears cannot do much, whereas Mrs. Jaya Bachchan's can. (If she wants) So, can the right people cry and fix the issues, please?
Now the solutions...here is what can be done:
1. A girl should not wear any western or revealing clothes. Well, men have become this uncontrollable maniac sex starved species who cannot keep their hands to themselves. So ladies, now we cannot wear what we want.
2. No going out after it gets dark. Darkness makes the evil come alive. Sunlight does something to these monsters, their manly functions stop working when it is daylight.
3. No going out with men. Actually, this makes sense. Because, either they will be shot, or stabbed or beaten up badly if they try to intervene.
4. No travelling in isolated places. This is the exact reason there are no molestation cases and groping incidents in public transport!
5. Report to the police if you are eve teased. They will teach you how normal it is for a guy to eve tease and a girl to be eve teased. It is not a BIG DEAL.
6. Better still, not have daughters. If you have one, keep her at home. Home is the safest. There are no wrong men in the family who could possible rape or harm the girl.
OR
1. Sex education. It cannot be stressed enough upon.
2. Teach a child about bad touch and good touch. Children are not as ignorant as we think they are. They flinch from a bad touch immediately. Encourage them to tell everything at home. It starts with creating an environment at home where they can come and indulge in any kind of confessions with the parent.
3. Schools must run a police verification of all their bus drivers, helpers, employees and contractual workers. It scared me to death when I read that the accused is a school bus driver.
4. Police has to stop talking and start to walk the talk. It is your duty to protect common man. So, please do it.
5. Politicians need to take time out of their busy schedule of sleeping in the parliament, throwing public property at each other, watching porn while the house is on, blaming each other for the wrongs, and conveniently forgetting the important agenda. Please use this time to create a faster and penetrative legal system for the safety of a common man.
6. Ban '
rape games' in the true sense. There is a thin line between the virtual world and reality for the young minds. It is dangerous and heinous.
7. Learn and teach basic self defense.
8. Ban covering of windows of public vehicles.
And above all : TEACH BOYS TO RESPECT WOMEN STARTING WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG. IT BEGINS AT HOME.
Nothing is worse than taking a life of a woman while she is alive. India, wake up!