How long before we react; how much longer before we speak?

I write on behalf of the million voices that have been speaking up against the brutality faced by women in our Country - via media, social media – in the form of harsh words, protests, candle light marches, discussions on news channels and so on. And being a part of that very clan I write to just vent out the same frustration caused due to the high incidence of such crimes against women.

But it is evident that all of this is in vain, since there is no response from the concerned authorities in the form of some amendments that our law needs to make.

I've contributed to all these voices in the form of flimsy statuses and flimsier tweets that go unnoticed by people who need to work on it the most. I see no point in going for all these candle light marches; while it stands for the peace of mind that we need from all such acts, what we only get is a repetition of it. Probably, the wax that melts and returns to its original form has been mistaken far too much by the concerned authorities to be a trait of our existence, too. We melt with the wax when such incidents occur and cool down as soon as it does. I don’t intend to make the analogy take over the point, but why should we only melt when there’s fire? Why can’t we let the candles be? It’s vexing enough. (Sorry for the pun, but wordplay is one thing I can safely claim to have some command at). And then again, I’ve never been to any of these protests, most often than not covered by news channels. Why should I? What difference did it make when it happened eight months back, what difference will it make eight months after?

What principles are we working on? When, according to the Indian tradition, women are supposed to wear “decent clothes/traditional clothes”, does the violation of the definition of “decent clothes/traditional clothes” give liberty to men to rape them? Is that justified? Is there an Act that gives them the right to be barbaric?

A girl who goes out with a colleague for some official work, and a girl who was returning with her friend, at people-friendly time are raped. And there are a few cases that come to our notice and are candle-marched. What about the ones that go unnoticed? If we were to count them in, too, we should all perhaps walk with a box of candle daily and light it after every half an hour. I don’t propose to demean those who go for these marches but just highlighting its frequency.

Even if these criminals are hanged till death, what is to be done about the girl’s psyche post the incident? The nightmares she’ll have every night, the scars left on her soul, the touches that she’ll fear, the repulsion that place will hold for the rest of her life, the looks that she’ll come across. What about that? How is one to cure all of that? No amount of sessions with the psychologist will be able to heal it. Throwing acid on women is another concern. We’re all aware of what’s happening around us. Why is it not on the top of our mind? Whatever happened to priorities?

And is not stepping out of our homes the way to get rid of such incidents? So have we not come across incidents where young girls have been raped by their own brothers and father and any other relative? Really now… we need to step out of the zone where we’ve limited our thoughts to and fence our girls better. And by fencing, I don’t mean limiting them. With fencing, I mean allowing them the right to go wherever they want to, whatever they wish to do and whatever they want to wear without the fear of being groped at.

Kindly excuse me for bombarding so many questions. The rhetorical ones are taunts and statements by many of our esteemed Politicians and the ones to be answered, well, need to be answered.

According to what little I observe as an inside outsider, I believe that it is lack of fear amongst all these individuals that forces them to take such steps. No amount of education can civilize people; we know the distinction between the two, don’t we? There have been cases of many who are well to do and but don’t do quite well. (The Acid incident by an Event Management Company owner, if I’m not wrong)

I write this at a time when I strongly feel for it. I was supposed to put up another status on this matter and I thought, before commenting on anything, I need to do my bit. I’m sure you’re doing your bit well, but we need to ensure that the bit coming in from each one of us contributes positively towards the society’s well-being at large.

For many mumbled voices will not be able to do what a man in power can. Thus, while most of our ministers strut their words with their foot in mouth, will the real Minister unzip his lip(s)?