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?

I STAND BY YOU .. It is not that SHE fights for some space always ... SHE is just voicing out when people who need to sup[port her both mentally and physically subdue her .. kill her both values , emotions and lives !!!

Actually one more point has to be mentioned ..
it is that women when are bold and strong toface such atrocities .. are branded as a arrogant and a lady whose character can be questioned ..

Changes are happening every moment .. and every second .. but then they dont realise we are changing for the worser .. But then every man has his day .. So this cannot continue for long .. probably this is the means by which they are provoking our fire within !

Just a silent prayer to God ( to bless them with a courage to fight against this injustice)for all those innocent lives who have been denied the right to live, to be respected, to be living a life as a human .. in this so called FREENATION !!!  

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Hi meenu,
welcome to my blog and thanks for that comment of urs..high time i got such a comment such as yours...actually..i dont see any change in people's perspectives..domination and atrocities have been continuing since centuries...only the form has changed and the social scenario has undergone a change..but on the whole, its the same picture...actually i would say its quite naive of me to sit here and write a post about THEM..those who have gone through such experiences or are undergoing such experiences...only they and God knows what they have witnessed! anyways, thank u so much for ur comment...do keep blogging.  

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ohh i dont believe this. You are back after 2 months. Though i am here after long gap that too after your visit on my blog...Same on you me (vikas) :)

what u wrote is very true but i would say up to some extent. Yeh it still continues ,but a lot chages are there. Todays girl , women and mother have become more strong and confident and also hold good position in society.

well i am gujju but what abt u ??? are u gujju toooooooo?????

Take Care
Vikas{V}  

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hi vikas,

thanks for dropping by..and yes, wish all my fellow bloggers a very happy diwali! guessed that ur a gujju, no i am not...but i do know gujarati.  

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oh ic :) tamne gujrati aavde che pan tamari mother tounge kai che ??

Happy diwali and prosperous new year to you too :)  

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hi again vikas,

maara mother tongue bengali che.  

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amritha ,
what you said is very true , we are just posting and we have people around who have been victims but since we are girls ourselves we can really empathize them understand that pain and pang within and hence we need to do our every bit of support be it blog , paper , voicing out or what ever .
Btw CHANGE IS INEVITABLE ,, IT WILL HAPPEN WHAT EVER HAPPENS HAPPENS WITH BELIEF MAY BE WE ARE STILL CHANGING WITH THE WORSER THINGS HAPPENING BUT I AM SURE ALL WIL HAVE TO END ., EVERY DEMON/ DEVIL DID FACE HIS END SO SHOULD THIS DEVIL

:)

WE NEED TO KEEP DOING OUR BEST

BTW WHEN IS YOUR NEXT POST ?
AM WAITING TO READ ANOTHER BEST FROM YO U !
TAKE CARE  

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Hi Amrita,
Wat i like most on ur page is page presentaion and language..its not i dint like content then but still does not go wid me...
One of my frn is in US and she never leaves office wid out any male colleague....
One another my frn was in same office as me but she faced very bad time and bad appraisal caz she was talented but bold. And in our society men are not easy wid their counterpart challenging them....
Now US has got freedom long back and we only 60 yrs back....this exploitation is not realated to freedom but to society. In our society not only girls but boys are also being raped and sexually harrassed.Point is post independence girls are more free and daring to come our against any atrocity.  

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Quite a meaningful post.. I've loads to write but running short of time..:(

And hey u've got a wonderful blog here :)

Happy writing :D  

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been reading the local newspapers and some international e newspapers ( local of that country) i found it is common in every part of the world. May be the precentage is different. The better developed malaysia is also in this kind of phase. Singapore is better. States is pathetic. Uk too.. As well most of the asian countries. Is it something related to Independence or is it related to the realisation of each one ? just another thought.  

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Very well said. the country need more people like you.
when every Indian starts to think like you the atrocities will end  

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hi meenu,
good to see u back...ur note is really optimistic...it exudes itsef as u choose to capitalise it...great thinking and cheers to what u think...i however, excuse me, ted to be pessimistic slightly..afterall, over many centuries these rituals are being fed into the brains of men.anyways, i really pray what u say becomes a reality. and my next tpost...sure, i have an idea in mind but as of now, i havea lot of things moving on simultaneously in my life...so gotta b slightly composed. keep visiting.

hi anuj, thanks for dropping by, m glad u liked my presentation..yes, ur right that US saw the face of liberalisation long back..but i am particularly referring to india and believe me, even nw, these things are unfortunately happening in this country. actually, i think that it is the society that guides our actions.if it condemns them then we retreat in a shell and if it allows us freedom we do what we want like ur friend in US...so restriction is not always bad, but it should never b oppressive. dont u agree? do keep blogging!

rohit, thanks for ur comments n m glad u liked my little blog..do keep dropping by.


hi known stranger,

good thought...well, i guess independence today is a state of mind, but in a society like ours there are certain rules and norms that guide it. in a woman's case, see it is what i too have read in papers-she's being tortured to death by her husband orinlaws for dowry at some places...but she chooses to conceal it fearing that if a court case comes up her family and its name will face the brunt. our society is not too cordial towards divorcees too. so there...the realisation comes only when one id not binded by circumtances.

vasanthan, thanks for dropping by...i am no patriot and there are many people like me who think, just think and do nothing. but i am humbled by ur kind remarks.  

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i thought i am the lazy one to blog. i have a company here  

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i thought i am the lazy one to blog. i have a company here  

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Dear Amrita,
If it be so that NO woman will ever be raped, NO infant will be killed, NONE will ever be abused if one person is willing to be shot, then I am willing to be shot right now. This is not a stunt and I am not a politician.

Everytime I hear of those crimes you have listed, I feel sick in a visceral sense...and it hurts like hell.
The silence of the righteous is worse than the atrocities of those who aren't, and this is very much a lesson from the Mahabharatha.
As a male (God, for someone of the supposedly 'stronger' sex, I feel pretty small when I think of what's been done by men), I can only resolve to respect the sanctity of womanhood...not as a means of further enslaving women (as some religious jokers do), but as a way of acknowledging a fact...women are special.
Do not worry...the world won;t be this horrible forever...things will change...they HAVE to change...I'll do what I can to make that happen...
and I never speak in vain (anrtam nokthapUrvam na cha vakshyae kadAchana)

Take care

Happy New Year

SARVAM SRIKRISHNAARPANAMASTHU!  

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