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.
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15 years ago
3 comments:
Neha,
I was very ashamed when I saw this on TV. If I vent out my feelings it would be longer than your post. Lesser we talk about media responsibility better it will be. Once these hooligans had started abusing and manhandling girls media representatives should have realised that it is now their moral responsibility to safeguard girls and the only way was to call the police. TRP be damned in such cases. In any case they by then had enough of footage to show on their channel. Police is puppet in the hands of politicians. What I have been thinking of is that girls get together in large number, say in groups of 50s or so and go to the houses of each of those 30 rascals to beat them up with " jharoos, chappals and dandas ". That is the only language these self proclaimed guardians of morals will understand. I would love to co-ordinate this action.
Take care
Hi Neha,
Your thoughts are worth appreciating. I do understand the apathy shown by various groups including common man/woman, organizations and media. Your anger and frustration is rightly placed.
However, I certainly do not agree what you have expressed in the last para of your article. Woman and Womanhood are still worshiped in India and She is the one respected in every shpere even today. We cannot affort to be frustrated and disheartened. We need to take greater responsibility to make a change. During the same period there was a Worlds Women Conference in the Art of Living International Center. Women from all backgrounds came together and resolved to work towards a common goal to make the woman fraternity strong and influencial. Keep writing..You write well...Thanks. Amit Kalyani.
Thanks Amit & niceguy... for your comments. Its heartening to know that steps are being taken by the common man rather than waiting for somebody else to react.. Afterall its our lives and we need to take charge
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