I come from a country where after every five minutes, a woman is gang raped.
I come from a country where every minute, there is a strong sense of insecurity that remains embedded in our minds.
My heart feels so heavy as I write this because I’m afraid that women will never be respected.
I’m fourteen years old and I have already experienced the brutal stares of desperation from various men, I’ve teared up thousand times when the government didn’t take proper action and let go of the culprits of a rape case and I’ve already been touched by men in the places where they shouldn’t touch anybody without their consent.
I’ve always spoken out about it. I’ve never been silent.
But I feel helpless as I write this, because I know all the posts on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, spreading awareness about the rape incidents will disappear eventually.
I feel helpless because I know that this awareness is only momentary.
I feel helpless because I know that the government will take years to make a decision and that too will not be enough of a punishment for the rapists.
I feel helpless to be a woman in this country.
I feel helpless because being a woman in this country comes with collective challenges.
I don’t want to be a Bharat Mata, if girls around my age are getting raped in every nook and corner.
I am not your daughter if you always make me feel insecure about my surroundings, body and your mindset.
In the fourteen years of my life, I’ve never seen women not having insecurities about hanging out at night even if it’s for her work or a party.
I’ve never been so disappointed.
When I heard that a seven year old girl was raped in a temple by the priest and a policeman, I was crestfallen.
I thought that this country will get better but when I saw the government making statues and cleaning a river; I had lost hope.
Nobody wants to be this country’s daughter. I don’t and I’m certain that nobody else feels the same either.
What can the people do?
They will post about this same story and everybody will come out for a Candle March maybe?
Will that effect the government or even the rapist?
No.
Because the truth is, there will be a case filed, the media house will come up with a name just like they did for Jyoti Singh and after several years, the rapist will be set free.
We don’t know whether Jyoti Singh was a fearless person or not. You tagged her to be one.
Does it make you feel ashamed to even say her name now?
It does for most of the people. But you wouldn’t say the same for the rapists.
There are places where people still hold the belief that a woman is responsible for rape. There are girls and boys who are taught in their schools that rape happens because women “come out” on the roads and wear skirts, jeans and tops that attracts a man. People still belief that it’s not rape because the victim is the wife and the rapist is the husband. People have got to learn the basics things like human rights, consent and the fact that nobody can make decisions for somebody about their body.
It is the time again, when mothers would teach her daughters to not wear clothes that would “show off” her skin because that will attract a man and that’s her fault right? A mother will teach her daughter to not hang out late at night and set a curfew. But shouldn’t this be the time when mothers and fathers teach their sons to not touch a woman without her consent? Shouldn’t this be the time when men are taught to treat a woman like a human and not like his sister, daughter, wife or mother? Shouldn’t this be the time when Sex Education actually becomes a subject in each and every school?
I know not all men are like that. I’ve met some amazing men in my life who have a lot of respect for women. But what’s the point if nothing could be done? Can you stop this?
None of us can.
If the government can’t take it’s time off from cleaning the river and promoting it’s own party in a “non-political” interview just before elections then at least, Pepper Spray should be provided in each and every public area.
If you can’t do anything, please let us do something.
Instead of making so many statements and talking about your disappointment, women should carry pepper spray and knife (because you have to protect yourself), if a man gives you desperate stares and all that, kick at his balls and do that with brute force.
Stop expecting that this country will change. The people of this country are hopeless. Only you can save yourself now.
And once we all start doing that then this rate will decrease. We have to engross that fear in the minds of those perverts. And that is how we can change it.
I am well aware that this article will be lost too, nobody will pay any heed, people will say some things like “men will be men” and whatnot. Women will be restricted from wearing certain clothes again, they will be told to cover their body because in India, if a woman is getting sexually harassed then it’s her fault right?
I know that times have changed. But they’ve become more dangerous. I’ve seen the changes. When I was four years old, my mom taught me to not take a candy from a stranger because that person might abduct me and demand for money but nowadays, mothers taught their four year old daughters to not take a candy from a stranger because that person might sexually harass her and leave her body burned and impossible to detect.
I know that my words will not reach everyone and maybe this will not affect anyone as well. But I want people to take action.
I’m a fourteen year old girl living in this country and I feel unprotected, insecure, helpless and powerless and I can’t stand it anymore.
If we can’t convince the government to pass a law regarding the killing of rapists then we’ve failed as humans.
We have to be the change.
Because one justice is not enough.