Delhi Gangrape: The Nirbhaya Story

I was just being curious about who reads this page and accidently stumbled upon this map.

It dawned on me then that (a) posts in Hindi may not work (unless everyone on that map is Hindi speaking) (b) its more than just musings that needs to be put up,and (c) it's an opportunity to use this to say something useful.

 

Today, I want to speak about the gangrape victim in Delhi whom Times of India named Nirbhaya and accidently made her more than just a fleeting news item in my life by virtue of a shared name.

 

People have said a lot of things about being careful, about self defence, about the need for courage (specifically in her case, her courageous will to live and hence the name which in Hindi means the fearless one). The point is being missed. To live, the only thing needed is freedom, more than anything else.

 

Subjugation whether at the hand of rapists, or at the hands of a well meaning society is despicable. Every time you ask a woman to be careful when she steps out of her house (and within her house as well...for ages mothers and grandmothers have told little girls at or near puberty to sit properly, tie their hairs, get fully dressed before coming out of the bathroom etc...if their are male family members around...men, even at home, are just walking libidos!), you are telling her...girl, you are not free! You must be alert, you must not do certain things, you must not make certain choices, you must not call attention to yourself!

 

And how, dear well meaning society, is she supposed to do that? Sink to the ground...Like Sita did when she was subjugated by her own Husband! A husband who punished his wife because of his own inability to teach the society around him to protect her honour!

 

Isn't it what we do all the time! Punish women for our own criminal indifference!

 

A Society where women protect themselves is no society. A Society where women feel no need for protection, well...that is what we need to strive for.

 

Nirbhaya isn't a courageous girl fighting to survive...Nirbhaya is just a poor, battered, violated soul with a broken body, shattered dreams, and a bruised existence in front of her. She is a true reflection of the kind of society we are...poor, battered, violated! Whether we have a bruised existence in front of us...depends on what we do hereon. Use of teargas is such an apt metaphor for a society with very little emotions left in us. Water cannons are needed big time to cleanse our souls and maybe, just maybe lathicharge is the only way to wake us up!

 

people are not meant to be abused. People are not to be used either. People are meant to be loved. When do we start loving?