Like many, I always thought that the sexual assaults on
Indian women take place because of the lack of education. But no! I was proved
wrong. The rapes in India are spread across its extent of demographic
diversity. Earlier today the news was out that a UP politician was accused in
the rape case of a 21 year old. Few days back, a DIRECTOR of a local
educational institute near Pune was accused of raping a 5 year old girl. In my
mother's words these people are padhe likhe anpadh.
People are happy at the death sentence verdict for
Nirbhaya's rapists. I was against the death sentence, but it has actually
helped keep the hopes alive for Indian women. Though there is a lot of
uncertainty...but there is a chance. For the girl's family this may mean a lot,
but it may not recover for any pain that they had to go through. It would have
soothed their thirst for justice, but surely it hasn't reduced their trauma.
People say this will help in women empowerment. Call me a cynic, but really
will it?
Empowerment
refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educational, gender, or
economic strength of individuals and communities. - Wikipedia
Simply put, empowerment is the delegation of power to the less
powerful. As far as Indian women are concerned, in any case, be it spiritual,
political, social, educational or economic, the law has not considered a female
inferior to men. There is in no way gender bias by the law. Then why do Indian
women need to be empowered? In a country political leaders like Sonia Gandhi,
social activists like Medha Patkar, education motivators like Shaheen Mistri,
why does the woman considered powerless?
It is because the Indian woman herself believes that. She
believes that the purpose of her sheer existence is to serve others. The
centuries of male-dominance has shattered the self-esteem and self-respect of
the Indian woman along with the courage to get it back. So, the empowerment of
Indian women actually needs to be done on the psychological front. Women in
India have a predefined set of psychological barriers which they think they
ought to follow. And men! They have always taken care that she doesn't come out
of these barriers. She in turn has taught her sons to keep other females barricaded
just to make sure she isn't the only one tortured in the name of culture and
religion.
That culture and religion which gets a rational person
into doing the most irrational things ever. The culture and religion that
blinds people to the extent that they can take a person from rags to riches in
the name of God! Asaram Bapu, the preacher of "taali ek haath se nahi
bajti", the human face of God for many, a top notch criminal, an assaulter
of minor girls and what not, he is an epitome of an Indian's blind-faith in his
culture. Its a shame that India has such self-proclaimed saints who think a
girl can save herself by calling every assaulter her brother and begging for
mercy. Could anyone think of a more disgusting solution! India has people who can
stand below the feet of an Idol to whom they pray and dare to molest females.
Yaar, these people are nothing but bloody two-faced hypocrites!
The good thing is women have started coming up with
complaints. That in itself is a huge step for Indian women. Now I don't know if
the changed laws will really help improve the situation. But sometimes a silver
lining in the dark is enough to enlighten the path.
Sometimes the mind can't foresee what the
hopes can do. Fingers crossed!!!
