There have been enough words printed and enough protests about rape and the continued harassment of women, yet the words remain unread and the voices unheard.
Two incidents – One, where a girl was burnt alive because she would not relent to her attackers. Another, where the victim of the Uber tragedy wrote a devastating letter.
Two sides, same coin, same old story. Both upsetting and worse, appalling. Upsetting because of how incapable and helpless they feel. Appalling seeing the ‘system’ they put their faith into, failing them.
Reading the open letter by the Uber Victim printed in the Indian Express , one cannot help but notice the helplessness seeping through the words as she says:
“Today, I find it difficult to sleep. Memories of that night keep coming back in flashes to haunt me. I try to sleep but can’t because of the constant fear. The incident has left a deep impact on my psyche, I feel scared to go out alone.”
In the holy city of Varanasi, the woman was burnt alive by three men after she refused to heed to their sexual advances. But a minor detail in the story stands out as the most shocking bit.
The deceased girl’s family had been trying to lodge an FIR against the violators for a long time. But their pleas fell on deaf ears.
An unnecessary death, a preventable crime, the girls COULD have been protected. They weren’t.
Why did the parents of the Varanasi girl have to reach outside India for justice?
The doors of the government need to be rattled for answers. The people need to open their eyes, and the wolves who wear the mask of being men in our society need to be collared.
This article is just like any other. It calls for action against the accused, protection of women from harassment, stronger policy regarding rape and most importantly, empathy on the part of civil authorities. Maybe repetition is the key.
If we write about it enough, maybe we could shame people into fixing our society.