I just realized that my blogs have all been about me. All about MY feelings, MY thoughts, MY experiences. It just struck me how immensely selfish that is when my own country, is facing such devastation right now. Yesterday, there were twin blasts in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, killing fifteen people and injuring above a hundred people. Today, I'm leaving for a camp to New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and when I saw the news on the TV last night, it wasn't just fear I felt, it was anger. Now don't think I've reverted back to talking about my feelings all over again.... This is the start of how pissed off the entire population of India is!!!
A few months ago, a girl was raped brutally in New Delhi. After a lot of treatment, she succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in Singapore. That act of violence caused the stir India had been ignoring for so long and we all stood up together to face the terrible happenings in our country. There were silent candlelight vigils, peaceful riots and people were sent visiting schools and telling kids about the atrocities committed all around them. We were not BLIND, like they say, we didn't care. We saw but didn't react. We were oblivious to what was happening, but that doesn't mean we didn't SEE it. This makes all the bad stuff happening, indirectly our fault. It's something we should feel deeply ashamed off. That's why we need to take action. But how? And why did it take such a long string of violence to finally open our eyes to the truth? Why didn't all the fury and need for equality in us flare the very first time a girl was mistreated?? Anyway, now that we have risen and actually LOOKED at what's going on, what do we do to stop it? We can put up all the posters we like, with the most creative of slogans. We can all dress in black every single day of the week until we think India is rid of it's almost incurable disease. We can march up and down streets brandishing candles and chanting the name of famous fearless women. Yep, we can do all that. But is it actually gonna touch the heart of a ruthless rapist? Will it ever? Now CCTV cameras are being installed at every corner, but it was just disclosed on a news channel that half of them have already given up working, and here's the best part... No one cares! I know it sounds like I am mocking my own country and I am. The police apparently don't see fit to get those cameras repaired. Because of their ignorance or laziness, a girl may be kidnapped and no one will hear about till after she has been subjected to indescribable disgusting things. Sure the general populace has rebelled against all these sick things, but the police? They are the ones who can actually carry out the necessary safety measures. They are the ones we have trusted our lives with. They are the ones responsible for providing maximum security and YET, they are the ones who care the least.
Women as whistled at all the time. It's happened to me too. Horrible guys on the road whistle and make big eyes at us women who choose to wear something that attracts their unneeded attention. It's not only gross, but pretty scary. We're always taught to not get too aggressive and make a scene because these people are dangerous and can hurt us, but haven't they done enough of that already? If we surrender to the oppression these morons think they can get away with, then we're portraying ourselves as weak. Doesn't that make us a ready target. Here's one more ridiculous thing.... In school in our neighborhood, there is this female teacher who believes that women are weak. Apparently we are the meek and timid sex and girls ALWAYS giggle and gossip frivolously while guys go out and do heroic deeds to protect the planet. HECK!!! Wasn't she a girl once too??? These type of people who are so behind the times that they think that it's okay for the male members of a family to sit on their lazy butts and not do anything, while all the women pick up their dirty dishes, should be dropped from the stratosphere. I mean, anyone can see that we women are smarter.
Terrorism, Honor Killings, Racism, Sexual Harassment, Bribery, Domestic Violence..... The list goes on and on and on and on. I can talk about them until my laptop dies but I still won't be done. No one can be done. I'm not saying that theirs a ready solution for all these problems, but at least we could make the effort to search for one. Making rules is one thing, but enforcing them correctly and seeing to it that everyone obeys is another. These require WILLPOWER. They require genuine interest and enthusiasm. That's the first rung of a huge ladder that we all are finally beginning to climb. Finally.
A few months ago, a girl was raped brutally in New Delhi. After a lot of treatment, she succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in Singapore. That act of violence caused the stir India had been ignoring for so long and we all stood up together to face the terrible happenings in our country. There were silent candlelight vigils, peaceful riots and people were sent visiting schools and telling kids about the atrocities committed all around them. We were not BLIND, like they say, we didn't care. We saw but didn't react. We were oblivious to what was happening, but that doesn't mean we didn't SEE it. This makes all the bad stuff happening, indirectly our fault. It's something we should feel deeply ashamed off. That's why we need to take action. But how? And why did it take such a long string of violence to finally open our eyes to the truth? Why didn't all the fury and need for equality in us flare the very first time a girl was mistreated?? Anyway, now that we have risen and actually LOOKED at what's going on, what do we do to stop it? We can put up all the posters we like, with the most creative of slogans. We can all dress in black every single day of the week until we think India is rid of it's almost incurable disease. We can march up and down streets brandishing candles and chanting the name of famous fearless women. Yep, we can do all that. But is it actually gonna touch the heart of a ruthless rapist? Will it ever? Now CCTV cameras are being installed at every corner, but it was just disclosed on a news channel that half of them have already given up working, and here's the best part... No one cares! I know it sounds like I am mocking my own country and I am. The police apparently don't see fit to get those cameras repaired. Because of their ignorance or laziness, a girl may be kidnapped and no one will hear about till after she has been subjected to indescribable disgusting things. Sure the general populace has rebelled against all these sick things, but the police? They are the ones who can actually carry out the necessary safety measures. They are the ones we have trusted our lives with. They are the ones responsible for providing maximum security and YET, they are the ones who care the least.
Women as whistled at all the time. It's happened to me too. Horrible guys on the road whistle and make big eyes at us women who choose to wear something that attracts their unneeded attention. It's not only gross, but pretty scary. We're always taught to not get too aggressive and make a scene because these people are dangerous and can hurt us, but haven't they done enough of that already? If we surrender to the oppression these morons think they can get away with, then we're portraying ourselves as weak. Doesn't that make us a ready target. Here's one more ridiculous thing.... In school in our neighborhood, there is this female teacher who believes that women are weak. Apparently we are the meek and timid sex and girls ALWAYS giggle and gossip frivolously while guys go out and do heroic deeds to protect the planet. HECK!!! Wasn't she a girl once too??? These type of people who are so behind the times that they think that it's okay for the male members of a family to sit on their lazy butts and not do anything, while all the women pick up their dirty dishes, should be dropped from the stratosphere. I mean, anyone can see that we women are smarter.
Terrorism, Honor Killings, Racism, Sexual Harassment, Bribery, Domestic Violence..... The list goes on and on and on and on. I can talk about them until my laptop dies but I still won't be done. No one can be done. I'm not saying that theirs a ready solution for all these problems, but at least we could make the effort to search for one. Making rules is one thing, but enforcing them correctly and seeing to it that everyone obeys is another. These require WILLPOWER. They require genuine interest and enthusiasm. That's the first rung of a huge ladder that we all are finally beginning to climb. Finally.
