Some random thoughts
Every year the winter takes its own sweet time to make its presence felt; this year is no exception. The fog bank in and around the national capital declares the formal onset of the best time of the year in the region. As the misty while blanket envelops us in its bear hug, the days become a lazy, relaxed affair and the nights seem to be a stupor of warm comfort with room heaters and blowers around.
The fogbound commuters like yours truly enjoy the time. Last night, it was a night of celebration and cheering. Christmas brought a much required smile to the denizens of the city. The malls were crowded, the roads were jammed and the eateries were full. Though a sizable number of females must have been armed with pepper sprays, knifes and appropriate armouries (including me) in the wake of the recent incidents of rape and molestation, it seemed there was a need to look into the future. There were placards announcing support for Nirbhaya (the name coined by the Times of India for the South Delhi victim of abuse). The Delhi Police was extra alert, and vehicles with tinted glasses were stopped, properly checked, the passengers frisked and the black films torn down. The entire exercise seemed encouraging; was it just the repercussion of the recent events or the practices will take roots as permanent features, only time will tell.
The otherwise anodyne denizens are now taking the stance of retaliation and reaction. A couple of days back, during the recent protests at the India Gate, a female friend was dragged and scolded by a policeman. When she asked why he was behaving like this, guess what the policeman replied? He simply said, “ Protest kar rahi hain na, ab maja le (You are protesting; now enjoy.).” In spite of this, she stood her ground. Will 2013 be the annum mirabilis when not a single woman will be raped or abused? I am keeping my fingers crossed. The day when the police or the lawmakers will receive plaudits for their concrete and bold decisions in punishing the offenders seem a faraway dream. Repetitive platitudes about the issue that die a natural death either in newspapers or the visual media, or in social networking sites, do not seem helpful enough. So, are the advocacy and the practice of “bobbitt” ing the culprits going to help in anyway? The issue is not to prove that Delhi is an anomie. Rather, there should be a plausible solution to this increasing menace.
As I stand in the cusp of the New Year, the lovely fog and the magical weather notwithstanding, I wonder at the words of the radio jockey who says that we first need to kill the demons within ourselves. The big question is, are we really willing to do so?
The fogbound commuters like yours truly enjoy the time. Last night, it was a night of celebration and cheering. Christmas brought a much required smile to the denizens of the city. The malls were crowded, the roads were jammed and the eateries were full. Though a sizable number of females must have been armed with pepper sprays, knifes and appropriate armouries (including me) in the wake of the recent incidents of rape and molestation, it seemed there was a need to look into the future. There were placards announcing support for Nirbhaya (the name coined by the Times of India for the South Delhi victim of abuse). The Delhi Police was extra alert, and vehicles with tinted glasses were stopped, properly checked, the passengers frisked and the black films torn down. The entire exercise seemed encouraging; was it just the repercussion of the recent events or the practices will take roots as permanent features, only time will tell.
The otherwise anodyne denizens are now taking the stance of retaliation and reaction. A couple of days back, during the recent protests at the India Gate, a female friend was dragged and scolded by a policeman. When she asked why he was behaving like this, guess what the policeman replied? He simply said, “ Protest kar rahi hain na, ab maja le (You are protesting; now enjoy.).” In spite of this, she stood her ground. Will 2013 be the annum mirabilis when not a single woman will be raped or abused? I am keeping my fingers crossed. The day when the police or the lawmakers will receive plaudits for their concrete and bold decisions in punishing the offenders seem a faraway dream. Repetitive platitudes about the issue that die a natural death either in newspapers or the visual media, or in social networking sites, do not seem helpful enough. So, are the advocacy and the practice of “bobbitt” ing the culprits going to help in anyway? The issue is not to prove that Delhi is an anomie. Rather, there should be a plausible solution to this increasing menace.
As I stand in the cusp of the New Year, the lovely fog and the magical weather notwithstanding, I wonder at the words of the radio jockey who says that we first need to kill the demons within ourselves. The big question is, are we really willing to do so?
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