The dawn of 2008....and what a magnificent!? welcome the men of our country have extended.
So you must know about the gang molestation of two NRI women outside the JW Marriott hotel in Mumbai...yeah? If you're the obsessive idiot box-er type then you must also know about the eve teasing incident involving a Swedish girl on New Year's eve in Kochi. It's pathetic!, yes, it should be brought to public notice, yes, the culprits should be put beind bars, yes. What about more important things though? What about this 14 year old girl who was raped, murdered and then her body was hung from a tree!!? What about this poor pregnant woman in Andhra Pradesh who was brutally raped by TEN! men?
From news channels to morning dailies, from Shabana Azmi to Koena Mitra, from Congress to Shiv Sena, from acclaimed columnists to noname bloggers, everyone seems to be obsessing about the JW Marriott incident in Mumbai. And yes, they should! If it were in my hands, I'd make all those nasty lewd buggers stand in a queue, strip them of all their clothing, ask them to bend over and set a horny Gorilla free on them. But, and forgive me for being so forthcoming, I think this incident has been blown out of proportion. Everyone is seeking his/her share of writing space and limelight for something which happens almost every second day in some corner of this huge country. That these don't get reported or don't make it to National TV is another matter. Yes, I personally know many women who've had experiences which are as horrifying, if not more. Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad,Delhi..in the bus, on the train, on the road..you name it, you've got it. Kolkata always remains the noble exception to such travesties. Not that it means we should start taking it in our stride, hell no! These scums of the Earth need to be taught a lesson, and a severe! one at that. But there's something about this JW Marriott incident, and the media hullabaloo that followed which smells of sensationalism to me. You can't tell me that being groped by a group of men with your brother and husband around is more traumatic than being raped by 10-12 men, when you're 8 months pregnant, and your husband is beaten up and tied to a tree!! You can't tell me it's a more heinous crime than raping a minor girl, mudering her and hanging her dead body from a tree! So why isn't everybody crying hoarse over these events? Why is it that the vanity of 2 NRI women, supposedly modern women(who didn't even want to report it by the way) given precedence over the vanity of a poor rural woman? Why is it that a 17 year old boy pinching the buttocks of a Swedish girl makes for more important news than a 14 year old girl who was raped and murdered? I've been trying to find the answers..if you know them...please do share...
Anway, some points to remember...
1) If you think someone is following you don't wait till he comes near you, walk briskly towards a crowd or call someone(or pretend! to call).
2) If you're alone and someone passes a comment, ignore! Do not look, stare at him or call him names. If a policeman is around, report to him.
3) If you have to stay out late, always carry something to get you out of tricky situations. A small kitchen knife, red chili powder etc. in your purse would do.
4) If you're stuck in a situation, and you actually want! to fight, aim for the crotch..always!
5) Accept lifts from only those colleagues who are also acquainted with your family, husband, brother etc. Make sure you tell someone at home that this guy is driving you home(make the call in front of him!)
6) If it's dark, whether it's the company's cabby or one from the streets, no one is to be trusted. At stations and airports--make sure someone is there to pick you up. In the office cab, make sure you're not the last drop!
7) Do not take shortcuts while walking in the night. Narrow alleys, muddy strecthes near rail/metro stations, parkways, deserted subways etc. are a strict NO. MAIN ROAD, always!!
8) Keep the mobile car service numbers handy. If you're driving in the night and the car breaks down on a long and deserted stretch--pull up all the windows, lock all doors, call the service guys and lie down..on the back seat!
9) If you're out to party at night, make sure there's atleast one male friend who can and will! fight for you. For only-girls parties, make sure it's someone's home.
10) Although this point might irk some of the feminists out there, but mangalsutra, a hint of sindoor or anything which says you're married might help sometimes. Yes, it can!..there are varying degrees of evil in all bad men you see.
Adios for now....
2 comments:
Don't agree fully with what you have to say. An assault is an assault, whether molestation or rape. Liked your TipsNTricks part though, thanks :)
I was waiting for this argument. For me, it isn't. Molestation, rape, homicide, murder..all mean different things to me. What if it were a man? Would you say a group of men/women forcibly fondling a man's crotch is equivalent to 10 men/women raping him? Think about it....
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