Goddess of wealth, goddess of knowledge , goddess for target of torture
This December has been noticeable in many ways. The strongest of them all : the battle fought by the brave heart , Nirbhaya within the confines of the intensive care unit which brought about the attack on the conscience of a nation.
Named Nirbhaya by some, known as a brave heart to all , the victim of the horrific crime in the national capital Delhi has been a reason for a beginning of a sea change in the peoples movement.
Do we need such a trigger and the unjustified loss of a life to raise this issue?
The hypocrisy we face as a society is staring back at us: On the one hand we worship goddesses and on the other, the atrocities against women are ever rising.Do we not see the writing on the wall? Do we need fear of law to safeguard the modesty of women?
Do I need to make a news article about being hassled in the bus during the daily commute to office? Do I need to wait for times like this to stand up for my safety? Do I need to be told where to go and when to go in my own country ? Do I need to be proud of my democratic and free country- A society where I celebrate independence and yet I am not free?
While the victim of the recent heinous crime has lost her life, she has no doubt led a sea change that we want to see. While the news channels and media coverage keep it alive so far, there are reservations about how far this can go on to change the mindset and the laws.
Its about changing the laws to change the mindset. Do humans need laws to behave human?
Its written all over the scriptures in all our religions because of which we worship women as Goddesses of power, wealth and knowledge...Are these forms not seen in the human woman?
And, when someone has the sense and courage to stand up against such atrocities, like in the case of Keenan and Ruben last year, they have also not been spared.
If a "living thing" doesn't realise the worth of a human being, they do not deserve to be "living". The only laws possible for such people is that they take their unjustifiable actions to another world. They do not deserve to be living while making another life "unlivable"
While the political class spit out excuses about "changing laws for more stricter punishment", its possible to see how easily the same laws are bent and broken conveniently more often than not.
We as citizens elect the policy makers and lawmakers and later succumb to the laws and policies. Its now we the citizens trying to fight the law, trying to fight the law makers, trying to fight the political class. Why do we forget that politicians and lawmakers are citizens first? Why do the lawmakers and political class forget that they are citizens with more responsibilities? Why do the lawmakers and political class forget the responsibilities and misuse the power ?
No actions, words and laws can justify what has happened and what continues to happen. The only homage and tribute to Nirbhaya will be if the objective of the protests is not forgotten. That the battle for the dignity of a woman is continued and brings about a change the society that we live in. Where the worship is not of idols but of a thought and ideology.
