Liberated and Free India… Is woman a part of it?

Is woman truly liberated? Is she truly free in a free India? The Mangalore pub incident left such haunting questions in my mind. After 60 years of independence, if some perpetrators can assault a girl in full public and media view and still get away do we still hold the right to call ourselves secular, liberal and a democratic country?

Democracy by definition means by the people, for the people and of the people and people includes women! Our constitution acknowledges freedom of speech, freedom of expression, right against exploitation among many more. These constitutional rights ideally should be applicable to the women in this country too; sadly, not many in this country consider it wise to know these details.

Who gave these self-proclaimed moral police the right to monitor and decide what’s good or bad for me – a woman? I have enough well-wishers on whom I can rely, while deciding what is best for me.

They hail the Hindu culture while justifying their acts; saying it does not allow pub culture. So do they mean that Hindu culture allows assaulting, hitting and abusing a woman? They call themselves Sri Rama Sene and don’t know the basics that Sri Ram never upheld disgracing a women let alone hitting her!

What I fail to understand and pity the most is the callous attitude of the government, police and the media. The media was invited to this mayhem and they did a great job by covering the whole thing religiously. After all they were witnessing the primetime news. It was going to be their first cut- breaking news.

But didn’t any of them consider the act audacious enough to inform the police immediately and get the culprits arrested on the crime scene? Well that wouldn’t have kicked up so much of dirt isn’t it? Or maybe getting the culprits arrested is not a part of their job description. Or maybe they realized if the culprits got arrested how would they be able to have special episodes for the next whole week. After all opinion polls, debates, exclusive interviews and stinging editorials wont hold any spark if the matter ended on the same day! TRP’s come only with burning issues – I should have known.

The police sleepwalked through the whole issue. Media was present there, yet police seemed to be the last one to know about it. With this apathy in their information and response system, I wonder how they would ever be able to nab any militants or curb any militant activities. Even now they have managed to arrest 27 out of 30 and have not been able to take any action against the top-brass of this Rama Sene. Politicians are busy mud slinging on each other. They are trying to rake in as much publicity as possible for themselves, how can we ever expect them to have the time to take any action!

Even today it is so easy and simple for a man to hit a woman, eve-tease her in public, rape her by just pulling her off the street, assault her, molest her and then just apologize and get away or use some loop-hole in the judicial system and continue to humiliate her for years to come. Do we have to wait for another revolution or beg these culprits to give us our rights? If any of this is a solution then I would never celebrate the birth of a girl. A life burdened with shackles and dictated by unknown bloodhounds is not much to celebrate about.

Something that I learnt today..

While waiting in a hospital today for a general checkup, a small girl of 7-8 years entered the corridor. She had a sweet smile and giggled at anything, just like a normal 7-8 year old girl would. On her way in, she acknowledged a nurse and had some small talk with the receptionist.

Her father, trying to catch up with her as she glided across the foyer, looked so happy playing her simple game. Everything was so normal and usual about her… except for the mask on her face.

She had a pale green mask on her face; as she entered the waiting room, she transformed into a mature girl who sat quietly in one of the empty chairs while her father fussed about her food. As a doctor passed, she jovially wished the doctor ‘Good morning madam… How have u been’. The doctor smiled back and they exchanged pleasantries. She looked so calm and serene, as the doctor said ‘Come let’s have your check-up done’ and took her to the Oncology department.

My heart ached to see her go in. Many thought crossed my mind. She is barely 8… she hardly even understands the gravity of the situation… It must have been so painful for her & her family. I do not know her, but unknowingly I said a silent prayer for her. The next minute I found cajoling myself to believe that she had been treated and is perfectly alright now.. she must be safe now… She must have just come for a post treatment checkup and everything must have returned to normalcy in her life… It must have been something really small…

I know she will be fine. Nowadays, cancer is not perceived as critically dangerous. Most of the patients can be and are treated everyday all over the world. If detected at an early stage, patients are cured fully and never have to bother about it ever again…

Yet, I don’t know why I felt like writing about her… A simple girl in a green uniform, who I will never know… yet who left a lasting impression on me. She taught me today, ‘everything can be overcome… its just the way you approach it that matters’!