Protesting against the system? Criminals are born among us!

We gathered. We gathered in large numbers. For once I felt proud of the high population in my country. India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan were the places where we gathered.

They too were there in large numbers. Our dear Delhi Police. But they could not match up to our strength, will and number!

Shame, anger, disgust, frustration etc etc etc was what we felt today....

We shouted slogans for justice, strict punishment (read CASTRATION) and safety.

It amazes me that the kind of police force our State had sent to STOP us is ABSENT when such crime against women and children occur.

Sadly, as Delhi and several other states in India HEAT up in anger, I saw a small column in a national daily reporting 8 FRESH rape incidents. One among them was a case of a 3 year old! Yes, you read it right, a 3 year old pre-nursery school going girl child was raped!

As I protested in full force with some of my friends, another FRESH case was taking place in a remote village, 22km from Agartala (In the State of Tripura). A woman was stripped naked in public and raped brutally.

Today so many of the young protesters present at Rashtrapati Bhawan were demanding for a change in the legal system! But is that enough, I wonder?

What about change in society? Well thats a tough one! Many will turn back on asking them to change THEMSELVES first! Where do the rapists come from? Not sent from hell, they are one among US.

I swear in the crowd that had gathered today, I could see some potential rapists (no kidding), who were there just for fun and entertainment sake.

You’ve got to respect Women! You’ve got to see them in a different light (beyond sex objects!) And as far as this is concerned, there is a LONG LONG way to go. These crowds will disburse soon, the government will announce some short cut, face saving measures and then those ‘actions’ will fizzle out too. A documentary called ‘Rape diaries’ on a news channel depicted first hand victim accounts.

Most of them said: “We were discouraged to register FIRs!” ; “We were humiliated by public prosecutors in court”; “Our character was assassinated”.

And the most chilling anecdote was: “After getting raped by a man, I was raped again and again by society”.

So, I appeal to all the Men and Women in this country to Change themselves.

If you are a man, respect women and do not commit such heinous crimes.

If you are a woman, please report any cases of molestation, eve-teasing, unsafe elements and places to the police immediately.

If you are part of the system: Law maker/Government/Police: If not castration or death penalty, atleast imprison the culprit for 20 years or more and implement this in the same year the incident occurred! 

And my message for everyone: Many incidents occur in public sphere, in broad daylight, in presence of the public, please Stand up against such acts and support the victim openly. Do not fear, don’t be a coward, just STAND UP AND ACT. Remember, crime can be prevented in this way. Be active and not passive. Do not tolerate so called ‘small’, ‘petty’ ‘stray’ incidents of verbal comments, eve-teasing and harassment.

Remember you are the ones in majority! Your number is larger than the number of law makers, politicians, police force in this country! So make use of it.

You want a safe world? Its in your hand!