India’s Daughter. India’s Abandoned Daughter. Nirbhaya. Damini. Amanat. Jyoti.
Do any of these names ring a bell? Let me give you a hint. The Delhi Gang Rape Victim. Oh wait, are you confused about which victim? Aww. Let me make it easier for you. Remember the 2012 victim? Yeah. That one is the one who moved us all. A 23 years old woman who moved the nation. She was a wakeup call.
2012 to 2015.
It has been three agonizing years for the soul of every feminist who lives in this country. In this world. For every man and every woman who knows the difference between right and wrong. But what has changed in the past three years? Are women not getting raped anymore? Are people still not objectifying women? Are women not being told what to do anymore? Or how to dress? Or how to conduct themselves publicly? Or who to hang out with? Or what time to be back home by?
NO. We’re still the same. Even after all the self defense classes and all the pepper sprays and maces in our handbags, women still get a chill on a lonely street at night. Women still don’t feel safe out there alone. Not just women, but men who are protective of their daughters or wives or sisters or mothers or friends or girlfriends make it a point to make sure they’re safe or that they have safe company when they’re out.
No matter how many help-lines the government sets up. No matter how many CCTV cameras they put up. No matter how many Android applications they develop. No matter how many “Real Men Don’t Rape” T-shirts you put on. The 2012 Delhi Gang Rape is always going to be a matter of disgrace for us. And we’re always going to have to look down to the ground in shame that such an incident took place in our country. And they continue to take place.
In a recent documentary titled “India’s Daughter”, a British filmmaker showed the convicted rapist Mukesh Singh citing horrifying statements on air internationally. The documentary was dismissed by those close to the victim saying that it was a facade. A huge discussion was kindled about “How could they even want to publicize what a convicted rapist had to say? Their opinions don’t even matter! The media is so irresponsible.”
I agree. Their opinions don’t matter. But what matters, is how we, as a society, respond to such opinions. Because they’re going to have their opinions no matter what. The media despite of being irresponsible and exaggerative is STILL the mirror of the sorry state of our ‘modern’ society.
Interestingly enough, “India’s Daughter” was replied in head-on collision by another documentary titled “Britain’s Daughter” made by an Indian who got offended by it. Britain’s Daughter showed how the United Kingdom has a higher count of rape cases than India. The center of all attention was once again, RAPE. And not the solution to it.
Britain’s Daughter was applauded by some as the work of a true patriot. “Dikha diya angrezo ko!” How THICK could we get? I demote any attempts at trying to belittle another country where we point our fingers out and say “Bhai tere udhar zyada rape hote hai. India wins. UK loses. L-O-L.”
It is not a competition between countries, my dear ‘patriots’. It is a matter of shame that rapes take place in our majestic motherland. Rapes happen because some men still feel that women are answerable to them, that they’re in every way, inferior. They have had the dominant ideology of patriarchy drilled into their minds. Everyone was outraging when these documentaries were aired. Some were outraging about the fact that India’s Daughter was fake. Some were cheering the person who made Britain’s Daughter. Meanwhile, the soul of the 2012 Delhi Gang Rape victim kept turning in its grave.
Someday, I hope that the youth of this country will awaken and outrage about the right things. That it will end this directionless rebellion. That it will protest not just out of sympathy or empathy or anger about the rape. That it will not just light candles and take police beatings and forget all about it the next Friday when a new movie releases. But that it will protest every single day against any misdemeanor to any woman. Some fine day, I hope, that “Don’t wear short clothes.”, “Don’t go out at night.”, “Be back before it is dark.” Will all be urban legends and every single woman in every single street will feel safe. And on that day, she will refer to herself as “India’s Proud Daughter”.
