*Trigger warning: Sexual Harassment*
My heart aches as I pen down these words “I am sorry my fellow sisters we are not safe in this country”.
“An 11-year-old Dalit girl was murdered, her head “smashed with a brick”, at a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district on Thursday afternoon when she had gone to a field to relieve herself, the police said.” – The Indian express
“The victim, who belonged to the Dalit community, was raped by four men on Sept. 14 in the heartland state of Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The woman’s family told local media that they found her naked, bleeding and paralyzed with a split tongue and a broken spine in a field outside their home.” -Apnews
Before I start talking about them, I would like to quote the former SC Judge Katju “Sex is a natural urge in men. It is sometimes said that after food, the next requirement is sex”. I have a few words for him: Wow, sir! After food, the next requirement is sex, why? Because men are hungry for sex? Or women are just like food, which they can chew and tear apart ruthlessly for what sir?
To fulfil the NATURAL urge men have? Is that the purpose of a woman’s life? And yet again you blame the women; for a large number of unemployed men cannot marry because women refuse to marry them?
So it’s our fault that the man does not have the means to support himself, that he is single, without a wife and a child? We need employment to reduce rape? Why sir, why isn’t it the moral responsibility of a man to respect a woman’s voice and her decision when she screams “NO”.
We thought casteism was abolished in 1950, but even today, it has been growing in our society where rape is used as a tool to dominate the lower caste women, and how the lower caste men are unable to protect them. It’s all about power; if you refuse to see, it does not change the fact that it exists in our society, around you and me.
Talking about rape in India I don’t have to bring forth the statistics, every 1 out of 3 women I know have been assaulted, or harassed or slut-shamed, I don’t need statistics to prove that every time I walk on the road there are a number of unwanted eyes on me.
You can blame the government and the media and whoever you want to, surprisingly you’d blame the victim first but you’d forget it’s you who didn’t stand up and chose to watch the predators take over. It’s you who did not take action when your friend was eyeing a girl, it was you who didn’t tell your brother don’t disrespect girls, it’s you who didn’t teach your son consent is necessary and shorts clothes don’t come with labels.
The irony lies in the slogan “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” which now seems like a warning, the irony lies in the 2100hrs news channel, where the journalist claims to bring justice to SSR yet he does not question the government regarding such important issues. The irony lies in the statement people will pass after reading this article and forget about it after a day or two.
Today, when you can use social media for protesting; because apparently if you take this on the road, you will be arrested, again, you choose to care about how your pictures look and how many followers you have.
“If each one cares
Everyone cares,
If each one dares
Everyone dares.” – Dewang Mishra