I normally prefer to avoid writing about political and even social issues, choosing instead to dwell on personal topics that are close to my heart, however, I feel compelled to speak up on an issue that has been tormenting our entire country for a long while now and has intensified in the past few weeks.
Being the mother of two daughters, it scares me to think of what the world is coming into. Would there be a time in our towns when a girl would be unable to venture out of her home after dark or without a guardian? Would there come a day when she would prefer to stay hidden indoors than go out and make a life for herself?
Every and whichever way we turn we hear horrifying tales of rape and torture where women of every age, any size and whatever religion is degraded and stripped of her dignity and her virtue.
The whole country rose as one to spew out its rage against the inhuman sufferings of Nirbhaya at the hands of what can only be called mad deranged evil men.
But the young tribal girls that were raped, their destroyed bodies hung from tree branches, suffered no less.
The 70 year old nun who was brutally attacked suffered no less.
The 11 year old school child suffered no less either.
And these are only the sufferings of a few that were made public.
What about the countless number of women and girls who have suffered rape, molestation and much more, but who have been forced to keep silent to spare themselves and more so their families from public humiliation? What about the torment they are forced to endure for no fault of theirs, except perhaps because they were born as the weaker sex?
And isn't it primarily because of the fact that they are weaker that they are so savagely attacked?
The world has turned so rotten that not just women but small children are viciously attacked as well and this is where we need to sit up and take a moment to understand that the children that are raped are not just girls but boys as well. Doesn't that prove that it is only because as children they are helpless and weak and incapable of self defence that they are so violently assaulted?
So isn't that why children and women are under constant physical abuse? Because they are weak?
The whole world was shocked beyond words when a rapist, in jail, had the audacity or the utter stupidity to claim that the woman he raped was tortured solely because she tried to fight him off. The claims of his so-called 'educated' lawyer stunned the world even more with his outrageous comments.
How can we stay quiet anymore?
It is time everyone reacted. It is high time we pointed out to such idiots that the we are no longer in the dark ages.
But will mere protests on the streets and slogans make the difference we badly need?
We all know how long it would take for the Government to roll its heavy wheels into action. We all know the frustration of living with a legislation that was established decades ago when the problems of those days were not the problems we face today. So, instead of waiting, instead of suffering the frustration, shouldn't we, the common public begin to do something? I'm not suggesting we take law into our own hands, far from it! I'm suggesting we consider starting from scratch.
There's an ad that runs on every channel these days advocating that men should be taught from childhood not to hurt girls. It's doubtful how far it would trickle down into the heads of those who need to be taught such lessons but it's a great place to start.
A large percentage of India's population resides in its rural areas. And a huge percentage of such crimes are found to be committed there. Poverty, lack of education, lack social skills all combined with criminal intent leads to the creation of inhuman animals on the prowl of innocent helpless victims and these monsters need to be targeted first.
Education is perhaps the first and the best step. Along with learning to read, boys, right from a young and tender age, must be taught the rights and wrongs of social living. What can be done and what should not, under any circumstances, be even thought of. His attitude towards women needs to be cultivated and developed along a positive lane.
Every man of every age should have the realisation drummed into him that there are some things that are just not acceptable and will be thoroughly punished if committed.
We need to understand that the laws are made for one reason only, to protect our interests as citizens. We need to demand protection by law. And if that fails at one point or another then the law must be committed to ensuring immediate punishment to the culprits. Punishment that is so absolute that it prevents others from committing such crimes. Or at least ensures that he thinks twice. We as concerned citizens need to constantly raise our voices in every medium possible until someone at the top finally listens and decides to do something about it.
Some claim that alcohol and drugs induce them to act out of character. That is not an excuse.
There are several organisations that encourage women to speak up on the abuse they have suffered, to take action and to take the effort of recreating their lives again. We need many many more such organisations. We need people to reach out to the far corners of the country, to touch every woman who needs help.
We need to learn, as a society, that rape is not the fault of the woman and when she speaks up we need to smother her with love and compassion and not cast her out for a crime that was committed against her.
Children are humanity's badge of innocence. They have to be protected. They cannot defend themselves. Women may be the weaker sex but they need to know that they are strong in spirit and should be taught to defend themselves.
If this is the precarious situation that society now is in then perhaps it's high time that schools introduced self defence education in their curriculum so children and especially girls are taught how to defend themselves if ever faced with an adversary. It may not be much, but who knows, it may help in a situation or two, what's wrong in being careful and taking precautions? Girls need to be taught how to help themselves if faced with such dire circumstances.
Now who am I to advocate such remedies? I'm just a nobody and definitely not an expert, and I'm sure there are several others who know what's best to be done, but I'm one of the public and if my voice can add volume to this much needed protest, then I'm shouting from the rooftop, we should all shout from the bottom of our lungs!
It is sad that the international media believes that they have to educate us on the problems that we face and have faced for many many long years. They seem to ignore the fact that such issues are rampant in their part of the world too.This is not a problem that is faced only in India. It's an issue across the world. Man chooses to behave worse than animals. Is there a solution? There should be, there has to be. It may take a long time to solve the issue but if we stand together and if we speak in one voice then every animal will be and can be and has to be crushed.
Being the mother of two daughters, it scares me to think of what the world is coming into. Would there be a time in our towns when a girl would be unable to venture out of her home after dark or without a guardian? Would there come a day when she would prefer to stay hidden indoors than go out and make a life for herself?
Every and whichever way we turn we hear horrifying tales of rape and torture where women of every age, any size and whatever religion is degraded and stripped of her dignity and her virtue.
The whole country rose as one to spew out its rage against the inhuman sufferings of Nirbhaya at the hands of what can only be called mad deranged evil men.
But the young tribal girls that were raped, their destroyed bodies hung from tree branches, suffered no less.
The 70 year old nun who was brutally attacked suffered no less.
The 11 year old school child suffered no less either.
And these are only the sufferings of a few that were made public.
What about the countless number of women and girls who have suffered rape, molestation and much more, but who have been forced to keep silent to spare themselves and more so their families from public humiliation? What about the torment they are forced to endure for no fault of theirs, except perhaps because they were born as the weaker sex?
And isn't it primarily because of the fact that they are weaker that they are so savagely attacked?
The world has turned so rotten that not just women but small children are viciously attacked as well and this is where we need to sit up and take a moment to understand that the children that are raped are not just girls but boys as well. Doesn't that prove that it is only because as children they are helpless and weak and incapable of self defence that they are so violently assaulted?
So isn't that why children and women are under constant physical abuse? Because they are weak?
The whole world was shocked beyond words when a rapist, in jail, had the audacity or the utter stupidity to claim that the woman he raped was tortured solely because she tried to fight him off. The claims of his so-called 'educated' lawyer stunned the world even more with his outrageous comments.
How can we stay quiet anymore?
It is time everyone reacted. It is high time we pointed out to such idiots that the we are no longer in the dark ages.
But will mere protests on the streets and slogans make the difference we badly need?
We all know how long it would take for the Government to roll its heavy wheels into action. We all know the frustration of living with a legislation that was established decades ago when the problems of those days were not the problems we face today. So, instead of waiting, instead of suffering the frustration, shouldn't we, the common public begin to do something? I'm not suggesting we take law into our own hands, far from it! I'm suggesting we consider starting from scratch.
There's an ad that runs on every channel these days advocating that men should be taught from childhood not to hurt girls. It's doubtful how far it would trickle down into the heads of those who need to be taught such lessons but it's a great place to start.
A large percentage of India's population resides in its rural areas. And a huge percentage of such crimes are found to be committed there. Poverty, lack of education, lack social skills all combined with criminal intent leads to the creation of inhuman animals on the prowl of innocent helpless victims and these monsters need to be targeted first.
Education is perhaps the first and the best step. Along with learning to read, boys, right from a young and tender age, must be taught the rights and wrongs of social living. What can be done and what should not, under any circumstances, be even thought of. His attitude towards women needs to be cultivated and developed along a positive lane.
Every man of every age should have the realisation drummed into him that there are some things that are just not acceptable and will be thoroughly punished if committed.
We need to understand that the laws are made for one reason only, to protect our interests as citizens. We need to demand protection by law. And if that fails at one point or another then the law must be committed to ensuring immediate punishment to the culprits. Punishment that is so absolute that it prevents others from committing such crimes. Or at least ensures that he thinks twice. We as concerned citizens need to constantly raise our voices in every medium possible until someone at the top finally listens and decides to do something about it.
Some claim that alcohol and drugs induce them to act out of character. That is not an excuse.
There are several organisations that encourage women to speak up on the abuse they have suffered, to take action and to take the effort of recreating their lives again. We need many many more such organisations. We need people to reach out to the far corners of the country, to touch every woman who needs help.
We need to learn, as a society, that rape is not the fault of the woman and when she speaks up we need to smother her with love and compassion and not cast her out for a crime that was committed against her.
Children are humanity's badge of innocence. They have to be protected. They cannot defend themselves. Women may be the weaker sex but they need to know that they are strong in spirit and should be taught to defend themselves.
If this is the precarious situation that society now is in then perhaps it's high time that schools introduced self defence education in their curriculum so children and especially girls are taught how to defend themselves if ever faced with an adversary. It may not be much, but who knows, it may help in a situation or two, what's wrong in being careful and taking precautions? Girls need to be taught how to help themselves if faced with such dire circumstances.
Now who am I to advocate such remedies? I'm just a nobody and definitely not an expert, and I'm sure there are several others who know what's best to be done, but I'm one of the public and if my voice can add volume to this much needed protest, then I'm shouting from the rooftop, we should all shout from the bottom of our lungs!
It is sad that the international media believes that they have to educate us on the problems that we face and have faced for many many long years. They seem to ignore the fact that such issues are rampant in their part of the world too.This is not a problem that is faced only in India. It's an issue across the world. Man chooses to behave worse than animals. Is there a solution? There should be, there has to be. It may take a long time to solve the issue but if we stand together and if we speak in one voice then every animal will be and can be and has to be crushed.
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