Every
20 minutes a Rape happens in India.
1128 rapes registered in 2013 compared
to 468 cases registered in 2012. This
is still prevalent…Despite the change and campaign that engulfed after Delhi’s Brave Heart was
gang raped in Dec 2012. Police
humiliation in handling of the rape/ sexual victims is still in existence, people
walk out free after being involved in rapes, sexual assault and exploitation
and stalking.
India woke up to speak up against
violence against weaker gender. However,
the men don’t stop zipping up given a chance, be it in a lift, or a corridor in
office or a deserted street. Forget the
marital rapes and abuse that happens time and again inside the four walls of
our India
homes. Unfortunately laws have its own
loop holes and people still do not fear the law of the land to harass a woman. Sex trafficking is a big business in India.
Sexual harassment is every day “Breaking news”
in the TV channels. Acid attacks and
stalking are every where in the newspapers.
Sending out our girl children out of our homes alone is always like
having fire in the belly. Leaving
children with elders or even grand parents care is no more a security for there
is a scare of the molestation. Walk,
Rise, Talk and Fight against Rape. But
nothing makes the mistakes stop. Women
are time and again raped, gang raped and left to die on the streets.
Women’s rights are only in law books and not
practically followed in India.
Fight for better law and order and not
revenge still continues flustered. Many
women do not feel safe even in the public places. Using public transportation without getting
pinched on your backs or men rubbing from behind is still a distant dream. Minor
accused escapes in name of Juvenile law.
Even
before Delhi Brave heart who stole the country’s attention, there are several
Sunitha Krishnan’s who rise beyond the sense of being lost and raped and
reconstruct their lives and silently set a path for others to survive and
rebuild their own lives. Government
plays a very minor role in rescue and providing rehabilitation as after such
incidents the families and society disowns them. Effective legal procedure with a sense of
responsibility and law enforcement is the need of the day. Though now more rapes are reported, the legal
system is still not adequate to put an end to this menace.
People
peace marches, candle lighting vigils, talk shows and repeated TV campaigns and
political parties and social organizations did bring in a lot of awareness of
sexual harassment of women. Unfortunately
the Mumbai Shakthi Mills Rape case, Tejpal sexual harassment case of a
journalist, and several hundreds of reported cases continued in 2013 giving no
respire to Indian women. There are
thousands of other incidents that go unnoticed, unrecorded and silently
suffered. More and more there are
campaigns going on to prevent such issues; more seems to be the cases coming
up.
Probably the trend of violence was
always there and only gaining momentum to fight after the death of India’s Brave
Heart named Nirbaya. Only wished her
real name is known and we know her face to pay her rich tributes or may be
silently visualizing the way we want is a better solace.
A
year gone by …and women of India
and the world continue to fight for their safety and honor. The fight only seems to strengthen day by day
bringing people together to fight against injustice. The age old law books seem to be no where
clearing the dust and re-writing the pages of history with punishments that
would bring in fear in the society to do such crimes.
No one can save us, except ourselves. Instead of teaching arts, science, dance and
drama, parents should first make self-defense a compulsory education to
children both girls and boys. This
should ensure that they protect themselves against any form of abuse and
molestation. Work place harassment should
come to an end with corporate’s and government houses tightening up the
internal policies and make people aware of the consequences to such acts.
We
need to make our boys and brothers respect women, treat them with dignity and
respect their emotions and safety. It
is only when women at grassroots and homes teach their children and bring in
the moral values instituted in from a very young age, we can get rid of this perverts
in the society.
RIP Brave
heart. A year went by since your
struggle for life started, and you disappearing into the test of time becoming
an angel of fearlessness and voice of the Nation against such crimes.
Wishing
that a new dawn is in store in future when my country wakes up with a happy
song of its girl child and not the shrill cry for justice. Jai Hind!
