16 Dec, 2012… Where we failed..!!??
As the nation shook from Dec 16th 2012, after the Delhi gang rape case, the international media had a hay day, all and sundry were compelled to act. Corporate offices had special seminars on women’s safety…schools/colleges lead candle lights…billions danced for safety…awards were given dime to dozen for all Tom, Dick & Harry who could spell sexual assault correctly and were capable of speaking at a stretch for 30 minutes on this issue!!!
When all the youth was on roads to protest for the victim…. many girls were missing from other parts of the country… and the police were not ready to file the missing complaint. The girls there at India Gate got assaulted from boys there who came on the name of protesting for that sexually assaulted child.
We girls are told not to go out late night… take your brother along with you or if you are with a guy friend then you are safe…. what happened to that girl….!!!! This means we are not safe with anyone. What’s the need to take your brother or your husband or any male along with you when they cannot protect you?
Girls have to protect them only by themselves…. I have a Knife… a Pepper Spray and what not with me in my bag… and then people say we girls have all unnecessary stuff in our bag which makes our bag heavy.
To me what was interesting was, when the first Delhi gang rape case was reported, Chief Minister of Delhi announced a cash compensation of 10 lakhs and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister 15 lakhs.
Somehow none of the other cases received any offer of any compensation!!!
Help lines were started by the Delhi CM for girls to call and ask for help anytime if they feel. Those lines were all the time busy and if by luck we get our call connected no one was there to attend us. The help given by the helpline was please go to any near police station…. if a gang of boys are following us…..!! There were not enough executives to attend… it had hardly 2-3 people who were not available 24×7.
So what is the great impact of all this visibility…and such extraordinary media attention either on the general public or the state or the stakeholders such as police or dept of women & child? Is our basic attitude and perception changing because of this attention? Are victims getting the care and compensation they deserve as a matter of right?
Finally the fundamental question is ARE WE WILLING TO ACT TO MAKE THIS SOCIETY FREE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE? Not because media is making a lot of noise…not because it is in fashion these days… not because something pricks you momentarily…. but because we believe no child…no woman…no human being deserves to be violated.
MBA-ITBM (2013-2015)
