On Independence Day, A Letter To Those Who Demand Proof When Women Say “I Feel Unsafe In India”
Not a "Happy" Independence Day for women!
Well, we are in the 77th year of Independence and as a citizen, I feel proud. I express pride in the fact that as a country we have come a long way in the journey of progress, evolution and development. I feel proud to be part of a country that celebrates such diverse cultures, ethnicities and creeds. But, as a woman of this country, I do not feel proud, rather, I feel ashamed. The fact that not a single state, city, town or village is free from crimes against women makes me want to cry, but at the same time, the thought of it fills me with anger. And in order to remind ourselves of the heinous crimes, we do not need to dig into the past. In these six months of 2023, we have seen heartbreaking crimes that are worst than a nightmare. And what makes me sad is the fact that some men in our country still remain in the delusion that India is “Safe” for women.
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In the first six months of 2023, shocking and gut-wrenching cases of rapes, murders and assaults made headlines. After the Shraddha Walkar case in which a man murdered his live-in partner and cut her body into several pieces, many similar cases followed. The brutality and the degree to which this crime was committed were way beyond anyone’s imagination. However, even during the conversations around this case, many people were of the opinion that women should listen to their parents and not break ties with them for a man. Basically, the entire fault lies in a woman and she needs to behave!
Talking about cases of rape, not a single day goes without reading a headline about rape. A minor’s gang rape in Delhi’s Shahbad area, the Hathras gang-rape case, and the very recent one where a 3-year-old was raped by a 10 YO boy are some examples that should boil our blood. Sometimes the victims are a newborn, and sometimes an old lady. Women and girls of any age group in India are not safe. But, we are still not getting over the conversations about a woman’s dressing choices.
Also Read: In Indore, 36-Year-Old Man Kidnaps And Rapes A 2-Year-Old Girl. Such Monsters Should Be Severely Punished!
Cases of cyber crimes are on the rise. Actresses, journalists and female celebrities on social media are subjected to threats and demeaning messages on a regular basis. Why? Either because they are living or dressing the way they like or sometimes just because there’s a difference of opinion. In our country, independent women are scared to speak their minds on social media because who knows, they just might get a rape threat from a random social media handle?
Also Read: Rana Ayyub Receiving Derogatory Messages Makes Our Blood Boil. Why Can’t Women Have A Voice FFS?
If you read the news, you know that domestic violence cases are rapidly in the country, and mind you, these are the ones that are registered. Just imagine, how many go unreported because Indian women are taught to keep their mouths shut for the sake of their family’s reputation, and also because they are financially dependent on their husbands.
The recent case in Manipur where two tribal women were gang-raped and paraded naked should make us question, where are we heading as a society. After 77 years of Independence, this is how the women of our country are treated.
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Murders for dowry, honor killings, eve-teasing, physical assault and the list of crimes against women is endless. But despite that, you will find many people in India who still demand proof, facts and reports whenever a girl says, I Feel Unsafe! You know what, the fact that women do feel unsafe in this country no more needs statistical data. If we are still hesitant to go out at night alone, we are unsafe. If we always have to stay on high alert in public places because a man can make unwanted gestures and attempts to touch us, we are not safe. If we are still not comfortable wearing any kind of dress because we fear cheap comments from a roadside Romeo, or those creepy stares, we are unsafe.
Also Read: 10 Years After Nirbhaya, And The Country Still Fails In Women’s Safety
So yes, our feeling unsafe in this country is very much justified. There’s one city in this entire nation Mumbai which is comparatively better when it comes to women’s safety. But well, this city too was in the top 10 list of unsafe cities in India as per the latest reports.
Maybe, now is the time when we start thinking about what is wrong with society and why our women do not feel safe here. Instead of asking women to change themselves and fit into the mould created by our patriarchal society, let’s create an environment where women feel at par, and where men look at them like humans and not an object! Law, rules and the government has many faults when it comes to curbing the crime rates against women in our country, but as a society, we need to work too. So, Happy Independence Day, but real freedom will only come to us when the women of our country also feel free in every way.
First Published: August 15, 2023 8:00 AM
