This is the first occasion when we have seen massive demonstration against a rape with an Indian daughter. It takes one incident to galvanize people. Nobody can predict which that incident could be! Why this particular rape? Newspapers carry worse reports involving equally brutal acts of violence against women on a daily basis. But yes this was simply the worst. Yet, it is this gruesome rape that has outraged and shaken up India.
On the day when results of Gujarat elections were out I saw that this report was sideline to certain extent, as we know the trend of Indian television but this incident totally rouse the people. People are agitating to an extent that police are using force at India Gate, Raisina Hills, Vijay Chock and even houses of Sheela Dixit and Sonia Gandhi. This is surely not a drama of Anna Hazzare. But yes media is covering this event like anna hazzare agitation and fast. This is true agitation of people without a leader.
This is the time to demand real change. And by that, I don't mean the death penalty. Ironically, there are other hardened criminals locked up with the accused in Tihar jail, who have decided to teach the beasts a lesson that goes beyond beatings. Reports say one of them was made to eat his own excreta. Humiliation can't get any worse. But that is not a 'solution'. It is merely a reaction. The solution lies in our hands. If we adopt defensive strategies to 'protect' ourselves, we are admitting weakness and anticipating defeat. As a karate black belt I saw many female champions but this is total stupidity to show on news channels that many schools are teaching self defensive techniques in Delhi. This is the time to demand “REAL CHANGE”, demanding death penalty will not change anything.
Let's not imprudently take it on ourselves at this significant stage and let the real culprits off the clasp. And those wrongdoers aren't the rapists. Criminals take their prompt from society at large. A society that pardon and looks the other way when politicians rape, loot, kidnap and murder with impunity, is a society that is tempting trouble from the lumpen. Men like the Delhi rapists who must have believed they'd get away with the crime- just like all those netas whizzing around the Capital, followed by a convoy of security cars to 'protect' them. It is this blatant abuse of power against which we need to put up a fight. Until that changes, indian women will remain soft targets. The top cop has been shockingly nonchalant, resorting to platitudes and excuses to cover up his force's lapses. Through all this, an astonishingly courageous woman continues to fight for her life and let the world know she wants to live! It's a emotional war cry from what could soon become her death bed. Yes, the situation is bleak. And this is a national emergency which must be recognized as one. Women must be able to take safety for granted. Just like men do. For, when Delhi gets raped, India gets raped.
As I love to write on politics this is my type demonstration that I wrote my Sunday Coloumn on the issue which I consider as national emergency ignoring win of Narendra Modi. I completely believe that changing your facebook profile picture to a black dot and wearing black band will not change anything. There is an immediate need to change the attitude of our society at large. That would save our country from getting raped.
Prateek Pathak
Student
B.A in Media Studies
University of Allahabad
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