The end came in the wee hours of morning. Then started a
deluge of “Breaking News” broadcasts and sure enough, by the time you were
holding your morning tea and newspaper, you pretty much knew what the frenzy
was all about.
“Nirbhaya” aka “Damini” aka “Amanat” aka “India’s Braveheart”
aka “India’s daughter”, most pertinently, “The Delhi Gang Rape victim” passed
away today, 29th December, 2012 at 4:45am in a hospital in
Singapore. The various “metaphors” attributed to the girl may not do actual justice
to who she really was; because at the end of the day, she was just one of us.
This faceless, nameless 23 year old has stirred a modern day
“revolution” never witnessed before. She has, in an unfortunate way, become a “martyr”
of sorts. And all it took was one fateful night that would not only alter (sadly)
her life but that of an entire nation.
Yes, there was an anger seething inside among the youth,
there was an impatience simmering within. We wanted answers since a long time. She
became the trigger point for a mass “re-awakening” and “re-assessment” of a
nation that calls itself a “Motherland” and yet projects an increasingly miserable
record of crimes against women.
The so- called “violent” protests were replaced by sombre,
stoic candle-lit vigils across the country. Public places in New Delhi which
were out of bounds for these “protestors” were still kept shut (a fear among
our political leaders and police force, which in my opinion shall always remain
unfounded). It was a shameful day for us
Indians as a race, as a country, as a nation that prides itself on giving respect
to her “Mother”, a majority of the populace that is fearful of incurring the
wrath of the Mother deity (Mata) when they do something wrong or by dishonest means.
At one point, one would actually question: “Is there any humanity left?” “Have
we become so immune to such issues that we walk along with blinkers all around
us?” “Are we so heartless that although we may know that such incidents are
recurrent, we still “ignore” them and brush them away since we are so caught up
in our own lives?” “Will there ever be
justice?” These questions may sound very
open-ended and philosophical but they are just a grim reminder of the reality
that we are living in and the future we are heading towards to.
Today, I am not incensed with anger, rather I am ashamed.
There is this feeling of defeat and helplessness that is pulling me down. There
is that loss of hope, an absence of reassurance and a cold feeling that we are
sitting on a ticking time bomb which has just half exploded. It seems to be a
vicious cycle that such barbaric acts against women are repeated again and
again and seem to follow a ghastly trend. Are we always waiting for the next
one to happen? Are we always going to be dependent on our media to bring such
matters to the forefront and sensationalize it to open our eyes?
Various committees have been constituted to look into
matters concerning crimes against women and bringing about a change in archaic
laws and their implementation. Similar sentiments have been echoed today as
well when it comes to fast tracking cases (and mind you, I do not think this is
a *rarest of rare case*), wherein women have been outraged of their modesty in
the most horrific manner. Suggestions and solutions have flown freely from
person to person. But what happens when it comes to actualizing them and having
a sense of accountability?! They just seem to vanish in thin air.
Certain politicians decided to cash upon some good photo-ops
but were in for a rude shock. The people had had enough. The support and words
of (fake) encouragement coming from the political leaders cut no ice with the
people and failed. It was too late. When the time was right, these government servants
decided to keep quiet because they could not quell a growing dissent within the
minds of the general public and thought of playing the ever successful- "wait
and watch" policy. What we as a people wanted to hear were words of support, of
a will, a pledge that they would do something and bring about change on a
war-footing. We wanted to hear an honest apology, a sense of accountability
coming from them, a sense of onus that yes, we faltered somewhere along the way
and have denigrated our women, we as servants of society with powers vested
upon us have been found lacking in carrying out our duties to serve our people.
Yes, this is what would have made a difference to the girl holding a placard
and standing at India Gate.
The debate shall continue to rage on, again, depending on
the sensibilities of our media houses. The media is a double-edged sword and
plays an important role in establishing the potency/impotency of a news brief.
If the news flickers out, it is soon relegated to a ticker on a news channel or
page 15 of a national daily. The question is, will this episode too reach a
sorry, forgetful end since our memory is so fickle and that is precisely what
some politicians are secretly hoping for?
Laws need to be amended no doubt but there has to be a
strict implementation of the same. The punishment meted out to the convicts must
act as a deterrent to anyone who even has a fleeting thought of committing any
barbaric crime. In fact, it is not the victim who should be stigmatized or ostracized
from society, but these “lumpen elements” that do not deserve even the slightest
sympathy or support. Why should they be asked to cover their faces while being
arrested or taken for questioning? We need to see their faces to serve as a terrible
reminder that such pests do not deserve to be called human and should be
denounced from society as a whole. It is these filthy beings that need to cower
down and fear the wrath of a people and have their conscience rip themselves to
shreds. These words might sound harsh and forceful but this is reality and the
fact of the matter is, a majority of them are heartless and unrepentant.
As I end this write-up, a chill runs down my spine; not the
kind when you are afraid but yes the kind when you feel devoid of security, belief,
trust and hope. Tonight, there are a million thoughts streaming in my mind and
I have mixed emotions and I really don’t know how to put them across but I have
just penned a few of them here with the “hope” that some of my fears shall turn
out to be unwarranted and irrational. But then again, I can only hope.
It is saddening because words indeed, have dried up.
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