Want to cry out loud so nation can hear me

As I was rushing to reach the office on time, with a lot of thoughts churning in my mind and listening to loud music through earphones, I spotted 3 to 4 years old girl, clad in school dress and coming out of metro at CP station. She held her mother’s finger so tightly and was tring to match her pace by literally running with her small steps. Before I boarded the metro, I noticed the sheer innocence on that girl’s face.

The next moment, I was thinking about the five year old girl who was brutally raped recently in the capital. I thought, “She had had the similar innocence on her face, as the girl I just saw. The brutality she was exposed to would haunt her throughout her life.She might never be able to look into the eyes of a male. The injuries those beasts inflicted on her, would create problems for her in future also and so on.”

My face was stiff and I was boiling with anger. I wanted to cry out as loud as I could, so that the whole country could listen to me, and say “What the hell is happening in my country, are we humans or the animals”. These thoughts kept disturbing me throughout the day.

Who is responsible for all this? Neither the police, nor the politicians, nor the labourers, nor the migrants are responsible for these heinous crimes that are inflicted upon the women and children including boys in our country (The boys in India are as vulnerable as girls to being abused in their childhood, says a report).

To be honest, we, the society as whole, are responsible for this menace. Even if the police deploy a constable outside every house of the country, the rapes will still take place. In many rape cases the accused is either a relative or a person know to the victim. The stigma attached to rape, the fear that no one will marry their daughter and the thinking that how can they file a case against their relative, many a times forces people not register a case against these criminals. This works as an encouragement for such people. They scout free and continue raping as many females as they can, without the fear of getting punished.

It is us who are responsible for the discrimination between a girl and a boy. I still remember how my mother fought with my father to let me study in one of the best schools of our town. However, when it was my sister’s turn to go to school my mother, being a woman herself, hardly bothered about the quality of the school.

The ages old practice of female foeticide still exists unabated, even after several attempts of successive governments to stop this menace. Those doctors and parents who kill the female foetus in its mother’s womb are also the part of the same society we live in. Aren't these doctors and parents, who don’t even let the girls born, the violators of females?

In many parts of Haryana, where sex ratio is extremely skewed, parents pay for the brides (Who many a times are trafficked against their will) to get their sons married. If there are four brothers in the family and only one is married, there is a possibility that other three would try to molest of violate their sister-in-law (This has been clearly shown in a film named “Matrabhoomi: A Nation Without Women”). Aren't these people responsible for what the Indian women face every day in different parts of the country?

I still remember my father slapping my mother for an avoidable mistake. My mother hid her face in her lap and sobbed for the whole evening. This incident still disturbs me. Domestic violence, which is very prevalent in our society, is also one of the major factors behind atrocities against women.

Moreover, if we go by the facts, a study on domestic violence, conducted in North India, argues that domestic violence is transmitted like a disease from one generation to another. The report also notes that the husbands who witnessed domestic violence as children were 4.7 times more likely to physically assault their own wives than a man who did not witness domestic violence.

All such people, who indulge in domestic violence, need to introspect before abusing and holding police, politicians and the system responsible for every crime against women.

Those who burnt their wives, or tortured their wives or daughter-in-laws for dowry have also contributed significantly in forming this formidable devil in our society.

Therefore, asking a commissioner to resign because a rape took place in the city during his tenure is completely ridiculous. (Though, we can definitely ask for his/her resignation if his/her men fail to deliver results in such cases or try to hush up such cases by giving money. Because, the onus lies on the Commissioner for the inaction of his subordinates.).

Hanging or castrating a rapist wouldn't help either. If that had been a case then there had not been any murders in the county, since it has the provision for death sentence.

Recent outrage over rape cases has definitely brought this issue to the forefront. This has also helped bringing a tougher law to address crime against women and has encouraged more and more people to report such cases to police. There is no doubt that 24*7 media coverage to the protests across the country would help in sensitising people towards women.

However, the battle is still half won. If we really want to bring the change, we will have to be the change we want to see.

“Be the change you want to see,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

Rahul's coronation and challenges ahead

Long awaited decision has been taken,Yuvraj of Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi, was coronated as the Vice President of the Grand Old Congress party during parties convention in Jaipur. Though, till now, he was the de facto number two in the party, his official elevation has brought jubilation to Congress supporters and leaders across the nation.

Soon after being officially promoted Rahul gave an extensive and emotional speech, may be longest of his all. In his speech, that has been hailed heavily by Congress leaders, he tired to connect with not only with the youth leaders and workers, but he also moved senior leader, who broke in to tears, by invoking his father Rajiv Gandhi and grand mother Indira Gandhi during his speech.

He also commented on shortcomings of the party, the futile process of ticket distribution during elections and on centralisation of power in the party. Moreover, he offered to bring a change in the system and insisted on the need to accommodate the voices of people in it and to ensure participation of aam admi in decision making process.

Now the question is, how much of this he will be able to deliver?

By elevating Rahul, party president Sonia Gandhi has actually made him de facto number one whom she will be patronising in his endeavours. However, going by his his track record, nothing that he has done makes him eligible for one of the top posts. It is just the result of dynastic politics that has been practiced in the party since independence. First Rajiv Gandhi had to join politics despite his unwillingness, and now Rahul Ganhi is burdened with responsibilities he has been trying to avoid till now.

Rahul talked about the need of democracy in the party, but the truth is his party never practiced democracy ever. In 1985 his father Rajiv Gandhi criticised the then political and administrative system and said that Congress party had shrunk from a party of a masses to a party that had lost touch with people and was being controlled by “power brokers” and “self-perpetuating cliques.”

Even after 28 years after this speech the situation has not changed.The party has completely lost touch with masses, something of that sort was also mentioned by Sonia Gandhi during her speech. Prices of  essential commodities are soaring and the Congress seems to be much worried about the losses the Oil Marketing companies are facing than the problem of rising inflation and woe of common man.

Rahul Gandhi has been promoted at a time when the party's credibility is all time low. And he has an onerous task of leading the party from front in Lok Sabha elections just one and half year away. Under these circumstance it will be futile to expect much from Gandhi scion.

Under his leadership party faltered badly in Uttar Pradesh assembly. Though he claims to be a youth leader he has not been able to deliver on the expectations of youth, who recently came on the streets demanding justice for gangrape victim. While Rahul preferred to remain in his fortress instead of coming out and hearing them out, activist turned politician Arvind Kejriwal professed qualities of a youth leader by coming out and standing side by side with protestors when no political party dared to come out.

Though a senior Congress leader termed Rahul's elevation as India's Obama moment, nothing in his track record makes hm even 10th percent of Obama. Moreover, if BJP bring Narendra Modi as an answer to Rahul Gandhi, the challenge will even be bigger for him, thanks to rising popularity of Narendra Modi.

As the time for deliverables is yet to come, Rahul has enough time to enjoy the honeymoon period as partiy's vice president and gather energy for for bigger battles. But after this period is over he will be required profess extraordinary leadership and prove his mantle as real leader.  

More efforts needed to ensure women safety

The gruesome gang rape of 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi shocked entire nation. Though the girl died after struggling for her life in hospital for two weeks, this incident has brought a big change in security of women in the capital.

This incident galvanised people across the country and people's outrage was palpable when thousands of people gathered near President's house. They braved caning by police, water cannons in Delhi chill and teargas shell and demanded justice for the victim and death penalty for six gang rape accused.

These protest and candle light vigils put huge pressure on the government. Consequently, several police officer were suspended, fast track courts were established in Delhi to hear rape cases, Delhi Police has taken several steps to ensure security for women, a dedicated helpline (181) has been established to assist women in distress, all the police station in Delhi are to have at least two women constables and a woman sub-inspector, cops have been deployed to 100 vulnerable DTC bus stands and several other steps have been taken to ensure safety of women.

No doubt, these steps will improve security of women in the capital, but the whole country does not reside in Delhi. In India a rape case takes place every few minutes. We call Delhi the rape capital, but the highest number of rape cases are reported in Durg-Bhilainagar, according to the data by National Crime Records Bureau. When women to go police station to register rape cases they face several uncomfortable questions, and many a times the FIR is not registered, this works as a deterrent and many girls don't register cases in order to avoid such situation.

Many a times victims withdraw the cases due to the pressure put on them and due to rigmarole justice delivery system in India, as they can't afford to go to district court every month just to get another date of hearing. A huge number of rape case are still lingering in different courts of the country.

Therefore, our focus should not only be on the security of women in Delhi or women residing in metros, police reforms are need of the hour. Policemen should be sensitised towards women, the number of women police officers and constables should be increased in all police station across the country.

Moreover, the most important of all is patriarchal mindset of people in India. Even after 65 years of independence the women in India continue to face discrimination, female foeticide is still rampant in some parts of country, a huge number of people still believe in blaming women for crime against them.

The parents need to stop blaming their daughter for crime against them, they should in turn control their sons and blame and punish them even if they tease a girl. Once this mindset is changed there would not be a need for people to come out to protest and demand security for women.   

Changing Indian mentality

Around a year ago when I met one of my cousin brothers after a long time in my hometown, I asked him what he did for living. He told me that he taught in a primary school, where children of all unprivileged and schedule cast people of the colony studied.

Further, I asked him, what he taught them. He replied that he taught them nothing worthwhile and passed the whole day loitering here and there. And I could never digest the excuse he gave for this. He told me that if he taught them well, they would be educated and empowered, consequently, we would never find labourers to work in the agricultural fields, to build and paint our houses.

I was amazed by his response and thought how nonsense was his thinking. As I talked to more and more people about it, I found out, this wasn’t only my cousin’s problem. Many people from so called upper cast families thought the same way. They don’t want the Dalits, the tribal or other SCs and STs to be empowered.

The reason I find behind this, is the Indian culture that is still influenced by old traditions. Wherein we tend to follow teaching from the vedas, the Brahmins are the venerated lot, the Kshatriyas are the fighters, the Vaishyas are the traders and the Shudras mean the people from lower casts, who were considered untouchables.

However, now one year down the line, when I contemplated about the same issue, I found out this is not the case with most of the people here in Delhi.

Emergence of civil society has brought a sea of change in people’s mentality. Not long ago, people were afraid to get out and say no to corruption, even if they knew all along that it was deep rooted in the system. But, after Anna Hazare took on to the government demanding a strong anit-graft bill, people came out in great numbers and supported him whole heartedly.

When these people rallied on the street of the Capital they did not bother about the cast, creed, colour, religion or the economic background of the people they were eating with, sleeping with or shouting slogans with. They just stood for the cause.

Similarly, most recently massive crowd gathered at India gate demanding stiff punishment for the six accused that gang raped a paramedical student on December 16. This time around they did not even have a leader. They reflected togetherness and depicted changing mentality of Indians, who are rising above the issues such as reservation, communalism etc.

And this can only be called paragon of this change in mentality of Indian people, when a boy and a girl protesting at India Gate provided all out support to slain constable Ram Chnad  when he collapsed on the road on while performing his duty. They could have simply moved on thinking this could get them in trouble. 

However, despite the fact that police charged on protesters with baton that day, they stood there for him.

It has taken a long time for this change in mentality; but this change is here to say. Though this change is only limited to metro cities, in coming days, thanks to the 24*7 media, this change will be palpable in villages too.