I am very angry, in fact i seem to get angrier by the day.Every morning the newspaper greets me with yet another gruesome rape/molestation/abuse.However, angry as i am, my shock slowly becomes outrage as many of these acts are attributed to some apparent provocation from the violated party. In the event of a violation that occurs after late hours, the general reaction is "This is what happens when girls venture out so late at night". If the lady in question is dressed a little "differently", she is blamed for provocative dressing.So I am compelled to ask certain people, some very pertinent questions.
Not so long ago, a seventy year old lady, grandmother of five was found raped and murdered in her Delhi apartment, so I ask these guardians of morality..... how provocatively or indecently could that lady have been dressed ?
Some months back, a six month pregnant woman was raped in Bihar, so i am extremely curious to know how lasciviously could that woman be behaving to invite such torment?
It saddens me to know that such cruelties take place but what makes me sadder is the reaction of not only the authorities but the general public. When will we stop blaming the victim for what happens. When will we stop bringing character, tradition, western influences and time(special favorite "New Year's Eve") into the picture and punish the perpetrators .
I would like to clarify here that i am not some bra-burning feminist.I would always encourage all my friends to be careful, dress safely and not put themselves in a vulnerable position, but never in my life would I condone the people who commit such heinous crimes,just because someone wanted to wear what she wished. I would never be able to rationalize such a crime , just because of the time at which it was committed. My indignation here is not just for the crimes that are committed, but more so for the blame game that ensues.What i am asking for is not just punishment, but also some sort of sympathy for the victims. The last thing they need is the society(and i mean you and me) to point fingers at them.
What i really want is, that people who commit such crimes be asked why they did what they did?Is the divide between who to rape and who not to, so thin that a change in attire can trigger it?So I ask these criminals, what if your sister is wearing a mini skirt?What if you meet your grandmother, strolling the roads after dinner? Then what ??? I shudder to think of the answers and I hope that somewhere in their rotten hearts, so do they...........
