Kuch Hum Sab Milke Karte Hain, Mann Ki Baat!

I have been ruminating on this post for quite a few days now, and have been watching, reading and observing everything that is being dished around. As always when something of this nature happens, I see outrage, debates, candle light marches, protests, and a whole host of social media posts, and yet what have we achieved, I wonder, and how many more, before our conscience wakes up.

I presume everyone in this country has the freedom to say their Mann Ki Baat, and social media only helps us to do that better. But not many Mann Ki Baats get the required attention; especially not when and where it matters. Few days back, a beautiful, young veterinary doctor who was on her way back from work, also said her Mann Ki Baat. She called her sister when her two wheeler broke down, and spoke from her heart, about how afraid she was! She saw danger, a terror of the unknown fate, in front of her, and she cried- for help. She had reached out and was asking to be helped and saved from the gruesome turn of events that could easily have been averted, had we truly built an ecosystem that was meant to help women in such situations. Remember, this was not an uneducated girl, she was a doctor, and yet she was not prepared; only because my country’s system is failing in this department, again and again, and again!

We want our daughters to study, go out, be independent, and make a living for themselves, and yet in an IT city like Hyderabad, this can happen to any of us. A girl, who dreamt of a wonderful future, and perhaps, struggled and sacrificed a lot (even her parents) to reach where she did, and yet, she was snubbed out, so cruelly, and mercilessly. Nirbhaya, all over again, and why not? When all her killers are still living on our tax payer’s money, despite the fact that it was a high profile, and fast tracked case, what else can we expect? And there are many more, happening every day across the country, some are reported, most are not. 

1. And by the way, no rape is less of a rape, and I don’t understand the qualifications around such crimes, about what is gruesome and what is not. To me, each one is a gruesome attack on a woman’s dignity. And there should only be death penalty for those convicted. Yes, I am saying, let's please put the fear of death in them!

2. A society is rapidly going downhill with their approach to women, and we need to seriously look at the social angle to these crimes.Awareness and gender sensitization, and a general discussion on the topic at family levels is a must.

3. We need to have exclusive, reach out help lines for women in such situations with a guarantee that they will be helped within minutes, to overcome the situation. There should be awareness about it among the population and it should be made a must on phones of all women. Perpetrators should know and fear that they may well be caught red-handed and tried and punished.

There is a far greater responsibility, with the government and the law and order system; and even more with our justice system, so boggled with the pending cases and an extremely unreasonable time taking process, it defeats the whole purpose of justice!

4. I wonder why in this country we cannot have special courts that work at express speeds to only address the rape cases. This, along with a committed, law and order system, is a must to address this issue at the core. Justice in such cases should be delivered within months, and no perpetrator should be allowed any kind of mercy petitions. They don’t deserve it. No two ways about it! So, let;s please start the reassurance by hanging those convicted of the crime in the Nirbhaya case and send out a strong message.

I have said my Mann Ki Baat, and I wish someone had listened, to that of the doc who did so a few days back, when it desperately needed to be heard.  Before some day, someone has to tweet and post about you and me and ours, I think, our Collective Mann Ki Baat should reach the powers that be of this country, and they should understand that there is a time, when it is time to say No More, and that is NOW. Zero tolerance. Period.