the Thinker

India completed sixty years of independence this year. “Big deal!” Someone smirked from the side on seeing me write this. “It completed that two months back and you remembered that now. Awoke from a long slumber or what?”
“Don’t tell us you will bore us with a very belated patriotic post now?” said another voice filled with ridicule and contempt. I replied back with a wry smile, “I remember that. Don’t worry; I am not exactly in a patriotic frame of mind. Was just wondering exactly what does freedom mean to us at this stage and specifically, what does it signify for the ‘WEAKER SEX’ today.

Read a news report today morning and remembered other incidents synonymous to it. So, here is my overview of the kind of freedom we tend to enjoy even now:

Every second in this country a women is raped, molested, accosted and assaulted sexually; either in a remote and inaccessible area concealed from our view or in a BPO center security van, which is meant to carry her safely to her home from office or vice versa. It happens in a bus, train, auto, in a school, college or tuition, a hospital or a clinic; or practically any nook or corner. After being ravaged, most times the women are either killed or some organ of their body is mutilated in a manner so that she remains mute and helpless for the rest of her life. FREE, aren’t we- to rampage, ravage and brutally destroy HER integrity and honour to satisfy our savage LUST?

Every minute in this country, in some place where all eyes do not reach, the air is filled with the deafening cry of an infant as she is denied her right to live by the hands of the person who brought her into this world. Her central flaw remains the fact that she is a SHE. People around watch silently as the newborn is drowned into a bowl of milk or if not killed, dumped in a trash can or at the foot of a temple or clinic. But there are a few ‘LUCKY’ ones who don’t even have to open their eyes into this world because they are murdered in the womb that holds them. FREE, aren’t we-to snatch, end and deny HER life just because HER gender is not suited to our PREFERENCE?

Every day in this country, behind closed doors a girl is consumed by a vociferous inferno that was ignited to get some good riddance and to avenge her father who could not pay the promised amount during her marriage, owing to the fact that he had already sold his land or every last material possession to get his daughter married. SHE is fortunate if the flames kill her rather than leaving her half burnt with angry red scars and deep painful burns for the rest of her life. FREE, aren’t we-to burn, beat and torture HER at the hands of our merciless GREED?

Every month in this country, a mother is thrown out of her house by her children, where she was wedded and brought years back simply because she becomes a ‘BURDEN’ they can no longer afford or she is no longer of any specific ‘USE’ to them. Some are abandoned in a decrepit old age home so that they can die there in peace. FREE, aren’t we-to expel, eradicate, abandon and isolate HER because SHE no longer serves any of our selfish NECESSITIES?

In every office of this country, sometime or the other one can hear snide remarks about a girl from her colleagues about her recently acquired promotion. “She got it before us this time, did she not?” shoots one of them. “She is bound to; she’s got it all-body, face and sweet words for all. Must have slept her way up,” replies another. A third guy laughs at their remarks without knowing or realising how long she stayed back in office and worked laboriously; leaving her three year old fatherless child back at home waiting for her to return till late hours of night. FREE, aren’t we-to disrespect, disregard and humiliate HER just because we do not have any other way to channel our vain JEALOUSIES?

Every year a girl is rejected somewhere because of her height, face or complexion, simply because she does not fit to the idyllic notion of beauty that many of us cater to. She bears the brunt of it throughout her life and keeps hearing comments from people who have no other business but to make cruel, embarrassing jokes about her physical being. FREE, aren’t we-to reject, scorn and ridicule HER just because we cannot tame our inherent MEANESS?

And now for the biggest joke that you get to hear sometime every year-International Womens Day, Mother’s Day, Sister’s Day and all other such lame excuses to sell some cards and increase profits of retail stores. “There she goes, another feminist in the making,” someone snorted. “Oh, don’t bother, these women have nothing to do but complain about everything,” another one added.

So what? FREE, aren’t they-to say and do whatever they have done to others like me? To rip me, whip me; slash my existence, to crush my being, to wipe my respect, to shut my voice? So what are we waiting for? Let’s celebrate 60 years of barbaric, uncontrolled and spineless independence for many more such years to come. After all, this is what we ‘LIVE’ for, DON’T WE?