What does it take to create an outrage of such a scale? What does it take to make the outrage prudent enough to ask deeper questions? What does it take to sustain the outrage? And what entails for it to subside?
I do not know the answers to these questions. Women have been subject to sexual violence since ages, but it took the rape and painful death of a 23 year old woman to make people leave there comfortable positions and get on to streets. Questions did not remain limited to stricter punishments for rape, people started probing into questions of how social constructs of gender have been unfair towards women and the third genders. I don't know how long the outrage would sustain. Will it subside once the rapists in the above case are hanged to death? Or will it lead to a rather populist decision of sanctioning death penalty for rape?
Either ways the problem remains. And as Dushyant Kumar wrote:
'आज ये दीवार पर्दों की तरह हिलने लगी
शर्त लेकिन थी कि ये बुनियाद हिलनी चाहिए'
..the 'buniyaad', the bases of injustice remain intact.
I don't know whether to feel hopeful or hopeless by this outrage. I can think of it as a little something that happened as opposed to many 'nothings'. And as one of the guest speakers in a class I attended, remarked that she was surprised to see at least as many men protesting as there were women for the same cause... this definitely offers hope.
But, then once the outrage subsides then what. What do we do at our small, personal levels to keep the flame alight? Do we as mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, girlfriends, wives, resist the objectification of our identities, assert our identities as humans first? Do we as fathers, brothers, sons, friends, boyfriends, husbands, do the same?
The men who were outraged will certainly not become rapists or perpetrators of violence against women. But that addresses the problem at the surface. Everytime a father would stop and respect the fact that a daughter or a daughter-in-law is not a commodity for sale and purchase in the dowry market... Everytime a brother would stop considering his sister as his 'responsibility' or try to be her 'protector'... Everytime a son, a brother or a friend would think before casually using swear words that demean women.... Everytime a boyfriend would stop making casual remarks on the way his girlfriend looks or dresses up...Everytime a husband tries to adapt a portion of 'his' life, 'his' career, 'his' ambitions according to his partner's life and aspirations and not do so as a favour....we would move towards a change that is more fundamental and lasting.
..the 'buniyaad', the bases of injustice remain intact.
I don't know whether to feel hopeful or hopeless by this outrage. I can think of it as a little something that happened as opposed to many 'nothings'. And as one of the guest speakers in a class I attended, remarked that she was surprised to see at least as many men protesting as there were women for the same cause... this definitely offers hope.
But, then once the outrage subsides then what. What do we do at our small, personal levels to keep the flame alight? Do we as mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, girlfriends, wives, resist the objectification of our identities, assert our identities as humans first? Do we as fathers, brothers, sons, friends, boyfriends, husbands, do the same?
The men who were outraged will certainly not become rapists or perpetrators of violence against women. But that addresses the problem at the surface. Everytime a father would stop and respect the fact that a daughter or a daughter-in-law is not a commodity for sale and purchase in the dowry market... Everytime a brother would stop considering his sister as his 'responsibility' or try to be her 'protector'... Everytime a son, a brother or a friend would think before casually using swear words that demean women.... Everytime a boyfriend would stop making casual remarks on the way his girlfriend looks or dresses up...Everytime a husband tries to adapt a portion of 'his' life, 'his' career, 'his' ambitions according to his partner's life and aspirations and not do so as a favour....we would move towards a change that is more fundamental and lasting.
