I recall an incident that occurred years ago where a friend of a relative was groped while walking down a busy street in Bangalore. Her reaction was instinctive. She turned around, slapped the person and blasted him profusely. The coward apologized, cried and tried to get away from the place as fast as his legs could take him. I haven’t met her since, but I am pretty certain that she has kids and has trained them not to take things lightly. That is what we must do, stand up for ourselves and not give in to insolent nasty looks or gropes by nefarious men.
Newspapers and television channels flood us with information about rape across the various strata of society. We also hear about the so called ‘custodians of virtue’ professing that it is the fault of the female! Seriously! Then what gives when elderly ladies, babies and little children are brutalized? Damn it man, when will this nonsense stop?
There is another scary problem – the problem of looking away. I suppose the fact of the matter is that, most of us pretend that we didn’t see a thing. Even if we did! A person who I knew was walking back from work one day on a relatively busy road was nearly pulled into a car by rogue elements. Luckily she managed to get out of the situation. There were passersby who saw what happened and looked away. She hailed an auto tremblingly and reached home safe and sound. It took her a while before she ventured out on her own.
To the people who believe that women are the cause of these incidents they are totally illiterate and insane. A man with a dirty thought is the menace, not the female. The people who believe they have the answers should keep a check out their own backyard before trying to set standards for every member of the fairer sex. In short, rapists are rapists and they will target women either way. They do not seem to have a particular ‘type’ of female in mind. Their bottom line is to get on with the dirty deed and believe that the person asked for it. Even if the person is a baby, young girl, a pregnant woman, elderly lady… anyone will do.
We debate the issue at family tables, parties, social discussions, and other avenues about punishment for these crimes. Many want blood and believe that hanging is a solution. Some want a life of solitary confinement. Others believe that castration will do the trick. But I suppose the best solution (a placard I read a couple of days ago), is to castrate the mind first. Aptly stated and very true, because the mindset should change and change for the better.
What say me dahlings?
Newspapers and television channels flood us with information about rape across the various strata of society. We also hear about the so called ‘custodians of virtue’ professing that it is the fault of the female! Seriously! Then what gives when elderly ladies, babies and little children are brutalized? Damn it man, when will this nonsense stop?
There is another scary problem – the problem of looking away. I suppose the fact of the matter is that, most of us pretend that we didn’t see a thing. Even if we did! A person who I knew was walking back from work one day on a relatively busy road was nearly pulled into a car by rogue elements. Luckily she managed to get out of the situation. There were passersby who saw what happened and looked away. She hailed an auto tremblingly and reached home safe and sound. It took her a while before she ventured out on her own.
To the people who believe that women are the cause of these incidents they are totally illiterate and insane. A man with a dirty thought is the menace, not the female. The people who believe they have the answers should keep a check out their own backyard before trying to set standards for every member of the fairer sex. In short, rapists are rapists and they will target women either way. They do not seem to have a particular ‘type’ of female in mind. Their bottom line is to get on with the dirty deed and believe that the person asked for it. Even if the person is a baby, young girl, a pregnant woman, elderly lady… anyone will do.
We debate the issue at family tables, parties, social discussions, and other avenues about punishment for these crimes. Many want blood and believe that hanging is a solution. Some want a life of solitary confinement. Others believe that castration will do the trick. But I suppose the best solution (a placard I read a couple of days ago), is to castrate the mind first. Aptly stated and very true, because the mindset should change and change for the better.
What say me dahlings?
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