A braveheart dies..

As Indians we have to bow our heads in shame!  We have collectively allowed a savage assault on an unarmed girl.  We can point fingers at the politicians, at the police, at the law.  But in the end we all have blood on our hands!

This girl – Amanat or Damini or whatever name you call her by had the courage to fight on and the will to live on.  She epitomised the anger and hope of millions of girl children in India who want an end to crimes against women.  But in the end her bruised body succumbed to the severe organ damages and she breathed her last.  India has lost a daughter and a fighter.

Her suffering and death has brought together many youth onto the streets  to fight for the cause of women in our country.  Every day we hear of numerous cases of girls being raped, eve-teased and killed.  Many of them are heard in the media only months later.  Our draconian laws allow the perpertrators to come out of jail through bail and there is no deterrent for such crimes.

Recently, a police officer in a Punjab rape case asked the victim to marry the perpretator or settle the case outside court.  So, how can we expect any change if the police force itself is not revamped?

A  lot of questions will be asked –What was the motive of the Indian government to shift the patient who was already in a critical condition to Singapore?  What about the numerous other cases in different parts of India?  Are we going to take action only after the rape has occurred?  Can we promise such treatment to all victims of such crimes? What change in laws are being enacted?   Are our police and outdated laws able to bring the culprits to justice?

The mourning, anger and strikes go on in India but usually after a month or so everything is forgotten.  There is a need for education, laws, fast-tract courts, justice and drastic changes in the law, police force and politicians to address the root of the problem. But in the end even these are just containment actions.  However, the need of the hour is that we start with actions that address the immediate problem.

The long-term need is a transformation of our male chauvinist attitudes and patriarchal systems which establishes the male as the supreme authority .  And I call it a long-term need as such attitudes are ingrained in our social fabric and it is going to take years of education to transform these attitudes.  But only a change in these attitudes can address the problem of crimes against women.

Every male Indian has to take an oath not to show disrespect to his sister, his wife and mother first and to also to every other woman .  We cannot be a witness to such incidents any more.  We must inform the police, our friends and mobilise ourselves to catch the culprits –  these savage men who make our country a dangerous place for women.

Let the spirit of this braveheart awaken in us the urgent need to bring justice to every single girl in our country who goes through abuse.  Let the spirit of this girl make us fight for equality and dignity for every girl in our country.  More than our prayers  the spirit of this braveheart demands our action!

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