Let
me start by making it very clear. I truly believe in what the following
statement says: “If I'm woman and I'm walking down the street naked, you STILL don't have a right to rape me”-
Dick Gregory.
I
don’t really know who this Dick Gregory is (I wouldn’t have known this sentence
without facebook) but the statement makes sense; in fact a society can be
judged by the acceptance of such rights to its citizens; and if it is a truly
liberal society.
India
is “outraged” at the incident in Delhi. But was India not outraged every time a
rape happened. It’s like the virginity thing. You can’t lose it again and
again. India cannot be outraged every time the same crime happens. May be
it’s the lack of adjectives to express the anguish, that media is forced to use
outrage every time. But what would be the outcome of this outrage, most likely
it will be nothing. Just another opportunity to make candle lit marches,
celebrities making great statements, and people like me writing blogs like this
one.
It
is the political class that is to take action. But these incidents are too
insignificant to make them act, because it just does not pay in terms of votes
to take strong actions. The issue of safety of common man is not yet
significant enough to form political alliances, extend incentives to the
network of local to center level politicians. Security of women, their dignity,
their rights (also of men), have to be issues as politically deciding as the
ones like LPG price, inflation, petrol price, etc
Coming
to the discussion on the statements like: Why did she dress that way, why did
she go there at that time, what was she doing there etc.
When
men (or women) say such things, there needs to be a differentiation of people
based on what is their premise-conclusion process, and the reason behind making
such statements.
There
are those who are still stuck in a medieval time frame and just cannot tolerate
an educated, independent woman, dressing the way she wants to, going where she
wants to, and doing what she want to. These minds I feel mostly come from the
rural pockets, but would also exist in cities; would also have a package of
hard fixed notions of patriarchy, woman as a house-hold being, rights to man
and responsibilities to woman, family honor whose onus is on woman, and other
unreasonable and unacceptable thoughts of preference for male child etc etc.
When
this set of people make such statements (why did she dress that way), they
surely mean to find fault purely with the woman, the victim. They accept the
society in its bad and ruthless form, they condone the inefficiency of police,
and place the blame totally on her. The proponents of other medieval,
woman-repressive practices of burkha too should fall within this category. It
is this set of people who are to be thoroughly criticized, ostracized and
forced to change.
But
with every such incident, this set gets a reason to say why are right, a kind
of vindication With every such crime, comes the risk of more people joining
their side.
Now,
coming to the other set of people who too say: why was she dressed that way,
etc. But what is important is the reason why they say it. It is only out of
concern for their loved ones, when they go out to areas not considered very
safe. They are only suggesting precautions for safety of women. They are all
for women’s rights and freedom but they also realize our society is not yet
fully civilized enough to handle such liberalism. They do not accept the
society the way it is, but they realize it would take long years for it to
transform. But till then, should women not be careful, use their discretion and
take precautions? They know police cannot be everywhere, all the time, though
the police might do its best, but the responsibility of safety and security
should first begin from oneself. When a mother tells her daughter no to stay
out late, it is not to curb her rights, but to avoid risks. These are not the
patriarchal, oppressive types who oppose women’s freedom. These are the
liberal, yet practical minds who are concerned for the safety of women in this
wild society.
Though
the lines both the sets of people say are the same, the motive and the
rationale is totally different.
