The Delhi gang rape has shocked the nation’s conscience and the people have responded, with anger, with indignation, with horror. While the opposition has urged for death penalty, the social media has demanded every possible punishment from castration to death by stoning. The wave of wrath has been felt across the length and breadth of the nation, on the streets, in the parliament. The fingers have been pointed at everyone; the police, the government, the Chief Minister, the judiciary, the laws…everyone but ourselves. Along with the blaming the system, let us not forget that it is also the time for introspection, into our society, into our families, into our lives. Why do we create a young generation who behave like animals? Why do the men of this country refuse to respect its women? Why is there something rotting in the very core of the minds of the youth, the future of this country?
The questions are many and look no further for the answer lies within us. In the toddler who grows up watching his father hit his mother. In the young boy who is treated in superiority to his sister. In the kids who learns the mode of violence through video games and TV shows. In the adolescent who is introduced to porn sites and blue films on the net. In the student who takes obscene shots of his classmate in his phone camera. In the young suitor who rejects tens of prospective brides. In the husband who expects to be served by his wife. In the father who loves his son more than his daughter. In the society who believe men to be powerful than the women in every facet of its being. In the hearts, in the souls, in the everyday lives of each one of us where we sow the seeds of dominance in the mind of the men. So, the next time you see discrimination against women, however small, however petty, in your life, in your family, in the streets, stand up to it and send a message not just to the rapists and abusers but also to the young boy who is watching you, that each and every women should be and must be treated with dignity, equality and honour.
I totally agree with you. If we need change we must start change at home in our own lives. I have also seen multiple articles running against this but no one took pain to introspect. Thanks and salute to share this
A thought-provoking piece. I am an Indian man from New Delhi, and I did some soul-searching to see if I had even a trace of sexism, but I couldn’t find it. I care for my female friends and respect them as equals. Having said that, misogyny and sexism are quite frequently exhibited by many educated men born and brought up in smaller towns (no, I’m not, in general, biased against those from small towns or in the least chauvinistic about being from Delhi), including those who studied in coeducational schools. Talking of violence in video games and TV shows, I enjoy action movies (and so do many girls, for that matter), but I’m sure that doesn’t make me inherently aggressive, nor does watching pornography (I haven’t watched it till date and I am 23 years old) necessarily mean that the guy would like to force himself on a woman. Sensible men need to play a role in sensitizing folks of their own gender, but equally, women should empower themselves even physically so as to not be vulnerable, and no, to be physically strong or capable of defending oneself doesn’t take away your femininity.
I am an Indian man from New Delhi, and I did some soul-searching to see if I had even a trace of sexism, but I couldn’t find it. I care for my female friends and respect them as equals. Having said that, mysogyny and sexism are quite frequently exhibited by many men from smaller towns, including those who studied in coeducational schools
The comment by ‘Guest’ was an incomplete version of my comment, which was posted later. Would request the admins to delete that comment showed as by ‘Guest’ as also this one, and retain my proper comment.
The conclusion was very good. It is true that these small examples of harassment that are ignored later snowball into the bigger crimes