“Like every morning, my alarm goes off at 6:30 AM and, I don't want to wake up as always. And with not much satisfaction, I get off the bed. It was Sunday(20th Sept) and, my mom was asleep, my dad always goes for a walk every morning and, my sister was sleeping like a baby. It feels like home alone. The first thing I would do in the morning is to feed my chiniki and chittu(my pet fishes). And the morning routine goes on. And my mom gives me the world's best coffee. At 7ish, I would take my laptop and start reading the newspaper. And reading the newspaper was not my thing before I started writing the blog. Also, the main purpose of writing my blogs is that I could read the newspaper regularly. So its been 2 and a half months! And reading the newspaper has become my regular habit. I majorly focus on crime news. I have a problem that I would mentally connect to the happenings around me. I was so angry, worried, frustrated, scared, disgusted on that day because the news I see and read it's just hurting my heart. Is this what happening around me? The rape cases, sexual assault and harassment cases, cybercrimes, domestic violence, abandoning, kidnap, robbery, suicide, murders are occurring even during this pandemic situation. Especially crimes against women at it's worst. I used to wonder ' Is there an end to these brutal acts? Why is it happening? Will it stop? I don't think so. Is misogyny still the problem? Ok now, What is misogyny? Hatred against women. Simply male privilege, patriarchy, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification. Still - women are being suppressed, women's rights are neglected, women are restricted to household chores and birthing, women are harassed at the workplace, women are groped in public places, women at every age are getting raped at every place in India, women are judged by the clothing and, some men still feel women must be dependant to men. There is no doubt that the progress made by women over the centuries are tremendous and there is a massive change in society. The fight will continue until the 'still women are facing' vanishes and the root of misogyny is removed from the Nation. You can read the flipbook I have attached below. It summarizes the crimes against women that has happened this month(September). Do not skip or skim. Do give it a read.“
Image Courtesy: Online news portal A detailed study on violence against women indicates that there is always an increased hype in the crime rate. Even in this national crisis, women face violence. The above flipbook(Don't skip it. Give it a read) has in-detail explained the crisis women have faced this month(September). But many incidents traumatized me in this lockdown. Exceptionally speaking, two women had allegedly thrashed and tonsured by local villagers and, they were half nakedly paraded in Muzaffarpur village in Bihar. As they were suspected of being witches. I think there is no use of this 'come on people we live in a modern society where'. Witches? Seriously? Are they even real? I do not know. But to me, it would remind a fictitious character. Comparing two women to some dumb word of a witch and torturing them is just not fair. Many of us did not know this incident. But this news devasted me the most.
The next, an actress named Samyukta Hegde has been slut-shamed publicly for wearing sportswear in a public park at Bangalore without disturbing the public and maintaining social distancing. A congress leader Kavitha Reddy slut-shamed them and started assaulting her and her friends in the public place. Where people started raising slogans. It's goddamn 21st century, and its high time society stops blaming women for what they wear, where they go and what they do. Apologizing just because of political pressure and taking the apology note down that had publicly shared is utter bullshit.
The other terrific incident is Bollywood actress Rhea Chakrabarthee was media trialled. What is a media trial? This is popular in this 21st century, where the television and newspapers coverage on a person by tarnishing their reputation even before the verdict in the court of law. Rhea has been investigating for the suicide case of late actor Sushanth Singh Rajput by the CBI. The investigation is going on and, she is not found guilty for the offence. But the social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook are accusing her of the murder of the actor. It is right to fight for the justice of Sushanth Singh Rajput. But at the same time, one person cannot be cornered without even she has found to be guilty in the eyes of the law. She had physically molested by hundreds of media persons surrounded by her intruding her private space. The sarcasm is that the media covers the news of daily happenings to women like a woman stalked, a woman groped in a public transport, a woman touched by stranger inappropriately, a woman sexually harassed etc. But the image I had seen shooked me the way the media persons juggling into her amidst the security. And it also has an impact on people misjudging her. I think these media are after TRPs and not justice. The right to freedom of the press is for serving the public with what is the truth and that can be known after the judgement.
And I also like to add another incident. Two decades, ago one upper caste Sandeep's grandfather had arrested booked under SC/ST prevention act and served in prison for three months for thrashing the Dalit(victim's grandfather) for a petty issue. And crimes against Dalit women is familiar in UP's Hathras district. A Dalit 19-year-old woman was gang-raped in Hathras by upper-caste men. They always had a family problem and the upper caste often called Dalits by names. The accused Sandeep is an alcoholic and, he used to harass women but no one ever files a complaint. On 14th September, the woman was gang-raped by four men in a field where her mother works. The woman was taken to the hospital by cutting off her tongue.(the accused did that while raping, so she could not cry for help). And her spinal cords had severely injured and, they strangulated her with dupatta. Four upper-caste men had charged with gang-rape and attempt to murder. Later yesterday, the victim died. Protests have been staging over outside the Safdarjung hospital by the Congress and Bhim Army activists. While the BJP remains silent, the congress party calls UP as 'crime capital'. People tweeting the incident wanted a fast-track court to intervene and hanged the accused to death. It's been 12 years Nirbhaya incident happened. The society has gone nowhere, though the laws were made stringent. I can only sigh that this has to STOP. What do we see here? Upper and lower caste problem. It still exists. I understand that problem arises due to casteism. What I don't understand is that we still say the lower-caste people as lower-caste people. Here, there is no need for adding Dalit to the inhumane offence. A 19-year-old young girl was raped. Where comes Dalit here? We must stop referring them as Dalit. Their community names referred to as a bad word. Let us stop adding community names. All lives matter and, we are known as human beings. You see, the offenders referred upper-caste and, the victim referred to as Dalit. Why it's always Dalit versus upper caste? I nowhere read upper-caste woman raped. I see only the names and ages of the victim. The reservation quota may pop up. But you know what? It is a constitutional right. They deserve it for all that they are facing. Firstly, all people should get rid of caste and the 'crimes because of caste' must be reduced and we all can work together and talk about the reservation. 'Dalit raped, Dalit killed, Dalit angry, Dalit need justice'. Why do we use Dalit? Because they lack equal rights. Let us please stop calling out anyone by their community names.
“Violence is not something that advertises itself. It is not written on my face- he is too careful of that, of course, aiming his fists at my body. As long as a woman cannot speak, as long as those to whom she speaks do not listen, the violence is unending.”―Meena Kandasamy
"I can add another incident, another incident, another incident and another incident. Because there are a lot of things happening around us. If the reported cases are this much, then think how many would have unreported. And these reported crimes maybe not true after the trail. But for now, everything believes to be the truth. I get disgusted when a man stares at me for more than a minute in an inappropriate way. But these women had faced a lot of violence again them. They have endured so much pain. There is a Tamil MGR's song called Thirudathe Papa Thirudathe which I consider suitable for the current situation. The song lyrics go like this, 'திருடராய் பார்த்து திருந்தா விட்டால் திருட்டை ஒழிக்க முடியாது' (If the thief could not change himself, the theft cannot be eliminated). We can't blame society for everything. Every individual is part of this society. Let every one of us be the change. Let us knock down this #iscrimenewnormal!"