I don’t disrespect elders.
Disrespect is something that has never been tolerated in my
family all through my growing up years. The elders were always right, we never
saw their flaws but reasoned out all their wrong doings that we observed, making
excuses for their sloppiness, their carelessness and the rude remarks they
made.
But today, I am running short of excuses for elderly Guru who
made insensitive remark.
I am shocked with what the self-proclaimed guru, AsaRam had to
say. “The rape would not have happened if the victim was more careful” he says.
Excuse me? Address the rapist as ‘brother’ and he is likely to change his
intention? A man who is charged with lusty desires and has no sensitivity nor the
respect for a woman will change his intention (just in a flash) as soon as he
hears the word ‘brother’ spilling out of woman’s lips?
Give me a break!
His spokesperson, Neelam, defends her Guru and blames the victim
too, saying that she would never board a bus full of men and would rather take
a taxi.
This is ridiculous!
When too many auto-rickshaws refuse, it gets so
frustrating that we normally look for an alternative route, we don’t get
suspicious if we are offered a lift by a private bus, specially if we are asked
to pay for the journey.
Honestly speaking, I cannot understand people’s blind faith in
Gurus. Why do people dote on them so much and believe them to be Gods? They are
human beings (just like you and me) who are here to guide their devotees to follow
a path to spirituality, to find the supreme power within them, to maintain
peace within. But only some Gurus are sincere and focused. Most of them are
still trapped in social circus and will do anything to bring the attention,
even if it means making a fool of themselves with their insensitive remarks.
It is unfortunate, that 23-year-old was raped so brutally and
was not able to survive, but to blame the victim for the crime committed by men
is not fair at all.
Instead of learning to respect women and changing their mind
set, the men continue to blame women for the cruelty of men.
What has dress sense and decision to make a living got to do
with modesty?
I am not sure whether these men are foolish or they wish to be
in limelight, but since December 16th, when this horrendous incident
took place, except for our Prime Minister (who just utters ‘theekhai’ and a
complete silence from Sonia Gandhi(the decision maker?), there has been
continuous stream of insensitive remarks made by some or the other political/religious
leaders.
Is there some kind of competition on who has the worst
‘foot-in-the-mouth-disease-with-disgusting-comments’?
What has mobiles and noodles got to do with women’s behavior
Why can’t men change his mindset and learn to respect women?
Men have never learnt to respect women, history tells it all.
The great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana offers insight on how the rape
works in India: Abduction by Ravana of Sita who dared to cross the
Laxman-Rekha, thus blaming the woman for going beyond her restricted area and
entering the open space.
“Women should wear overcoats and travel in separate buses”
“Fashionable women provoke rape”
Women should sit at home like private property of men”
The wrath of Draupati on Dushashana’s assault while her husbands
and the clan watched silently, cannot be ignored. She promised to keep her hair loose till she got her justice and a possible war to destroy the clan to get her revenge. She berated men for their inability to defend her and reminded them that
her body belong to her and not to be used as a property to be given away to
Kauravas over a gambling game.
The protest that followed after the assault of 23years old girl (whom the nation addressed as Braveheart) was
the similar anger at the government for not taking necessary action to protect the
women and making streets safe.
Not just in India, but women around the world are exploited,
molested and raped by these deplorable men.
Women's rights activist and author of The Vagina Monologues, Eve
Ensler, tells NDTV that she sees a breakthrough happening in India with the
nation breaking its silence on rape.
On 14th February, V-day’s 15th
anniversary, one billion women and girls from around the world will come
together to express their outrage and rise in defiance of the injustices women
suffer.
Indian women will also participate, demanding an end to violence against women that include rape, molestation, dowry, girl-child abortions, etc.
World is changing, more and more women are getting educated, they are
going to become important decision makers in the future, and such insensitive
comments has to stop.
Whatever they decide to wear, it’s their body; it does not imply that they are asking for rape.
Whatever they decide to wear, it’s their body; it does not imply that they are asking for rape.
the comments made by asaram are sexist enough, he need not have made matters worse by trying to deny or explain..he should have realised that talking about important matters is not the same as addressing a group which blindly follows what he says without thinking. what was disturbing me more is that he himself is so ignorant about whats happening in the society. hasnt he read in the newspapers about a very recent case where the girl was raped by her own brother and father? what should hte girl have done in that situation - called out to him? and we have enough evidence that even these "Godmen" are not all that holy or clean. each day is another painful reminder about the general lot of men and our distinguished leaders who think like the neanderthals (i didnt mean to insutl the neanderthals but thats the only closest conneciton i could think of). before i vote the next time, i'll check what they said.
ReplyDeleteI guess the only way is to teach our youngest ones respect, right? Start with our own little sons.
ReplyDelete