City Shamed: Girl gangraped in
bus in South Delhi at 9.30 PM was the frontline story on The Times of India
on Tuesday December 18, 2012.
I was particularly disturbed
about the choice of the wording “City Shamed”. Was it just the city? There were
few other wordings elsewhere such as “brutal rape”. Are not all rapes brutal? Electronic
and print media later came up with greater imagination “Rape Capital” after
analysing the statistics in various cities in 2011: Mumbai-239, Delhi-572, 47-
Kolkata, Chennai 76 and Bangalore 96. The attempt it appeared to me was to shame
Delhi more than the heinous crime itself.
We were told she was brutally beaten,
stripped and raped in a moving bus.
“Nirbhaya” as named by Times of India, battled two hours on the well lit roads of Delhi, while 6
men surging with Testosterone were having casual fun. She ultimately breathed
her last in a Singapore hospital after a sixteen days fight against all odds.
Later when the “Breaking News” flashed on our TV screens; a frustrated Sharukh
Khan said “I am ashamed of being a man”. Around the same time another man in
the crowd at Jantar Mantar was groping Rukmini Shrinivasan; a Times of India
correspondent who was out covering the protests there.
In all probability, the enlightened guy was having casual fun taking advantage
of the commotion. I am wondering what change was he a part of the “protest for
change”? Rukmini in her article further says “I
tweeted about the episode and was inundated with support, which I appreciate.
Yet, there were a few men who suggested that I must have enjoyed it, and
several others who thought I was doing it for "publicity" or to help
one party or the other”. I am aghast.
On the other side of the canvas were our Politicians.
Seeing them speaking from their heart I had updated my Facebook status “Every
other guy is on the TV condemning, weeping, yet somewhere within us we are not
confident that these guys for once are honest in their speech............I am
confused as well....... I cannot reason.........Why are these guys not scared
of us? After all we are their masters.......... What a state of
Affairs!!! What a day of "trust deficit?”
My friend Shilpi commented “Exactly. It doesn't seem real to me
either. Why do we Indians make everything so dramatic? There is suspicion in
everything that is happening. Most importantly, I was looking at the men
protesting and thought given a chance they would also eve tease. Seriously Uttam
my take on the entire thing is..the problem of eve-teasing and rape is beyond
the control of police and law and courts now. People have to change. If you see
any girl being molested fight then and there...and the girls no more should
keep quite thinking it is a part of our society as we thought when we were in
College. We girls should also be ashamed of that; we should have fought like we
are doing today long long back. Look where has that lead us to? Every man,
every child, every women just needs to fight back. Men be more vigilant when
you are walking on the street, and don't just shrug your shoulders off, if you
see any girl losing her respect- even if that is only a whistle.... that should
also stop”.
Another friend
Ashraf had a different view though “because they know that most of us are too
selfish once it comes to vote, caste, creed, religion and region will prevail
over just and merit finally, and this is the real challenge for us as society”.
Shilpi’s prediction was so true and felt like puking if Rukmini’s narration
has even an iota of truth. However Ashraf’s comments were more striking. It
made me think how true and profound the remark was? Today there are six state
lawmakers facing rape prosecutions. Two Parliamentarians face charges of crimes
against women. Why these "law makers" take us for granted? And why
for once no one demanded for fast track courts for them?
But there are others as well who however genuine in their thoughts did
not appear genuine to us. No wonder the protests continue even in the bone
chilling cold winter in Delhi. Only one thought comes to my mind now, Our Politicians
need a good hard look into the mirror. Probably the mirror will yell loud and
clear YEH JINA BHI KOI JINA HAI
LALLU? The same applies to us citizens.
