Yes, that is exactly what my country the so called largest democracy dishes out to its citizens. My friend who was horrifically raped and then pushed out of a car in Kolkata 10 months ago feels just like the same. Neither the justice system nor the society at large has been by her side through her ordeal of horror of the past months. They were all too busy to suggest it was her fault to be at the wrong place - where? a pub at park street; at the wrong time - when? late at night; to be confident no sorry "westernised" - why? 'cause she was enjoying a drink or two..what men can do in this country women definitely have no right to.The reality is in India today my friend is just a statistic...a rape occurs every 40 minutes in this country and that is what she is, a mere victim of numbers every 40 minutes.
My friend has been always the smart one. She was the class monitor, school star athlete, participated in elocution and debating competitions. for many of us she was a role model. She was the one who was good at many things at the same time. She had courage, she could break open a glass sky light and cut her vein but not shed a tear. But what has her country done to her today is what I am ashamed of. She has been stoned and stained over and over again with character assassination as she is a divorcee and mother of two girls! So, why did she want to have a good time? Mothers have no right to feel tired and definitely don't have any right to drink! Why did she want to let her hair down and travel alone at night?
Today she repents to have opened her mouth because little did she know that Constitution of the country was just a book to be read in social studies class and never to be taken seriously. But somewhere she I hope still finds courage to fight for illusive justice so that no other girl child, woman, lady is harmed in this patriarchal society which only metes out lip service in name of justice.
At times her world crumbles but she fights and fights for her children urging herself to live, but the scar that the society has inflicted upon her soul makes me wonder for how long will she be able to fight? Will the daughters become motherless too? I just keep praying for her, keep praying that something in the souls of the stone like parliamentarians will stir and they will take crime so brutal and heinous seriously and act quickly to redeem themselves by putting fast track justice and harsh punishments - no less than life - for such dastardly acts...sadly even yesterday in these cases is too late!
More about Pragya Majumder
Pragya Majumder is a freelance writer and commentator.
Karan Thakur
Addressing suppressed sexualityThe ghastly and brutal gang-rape and murderous assault on a 23 year old by six men in New Delhi last month has shaken the national consciousness and hit our
Somesh Goyal
The gangrape and thereafterThe brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old girl by six criminals in a moving bus on Dec 16 has shocked the nation like never before. One positive aspect has been
Trina Nileena Banerjee
After the gangrape and death: the road aheadI do not wish to reiterate the emotional responses that most women I have spoken to have felt about the rape and the subsequent death of the 23-year-old girl.
Monojit Lahiri
No woman is complete unless she's a mother: true or false?"Hello?" the voice was vaguely familiar, muted, hesitant, unsure. It was from a young acquaintance. He sure didn't sound too bright. The reason, as explained haltingly in the next
Oindrila Mukherjee
One weekend and a tale of two tragediesNow is the winter of our discontent - Richard III, William Shakespeare.
Newtown. New Delhi.
In the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook,
Pragya Majumder
Raped: Speak up and suffer!Yes, that is exactly what my country the so called largest democracy dishes out to its citizens. My friend who was horrifically raped and then pushed out of a
Chandrabhan Prasad
Why UP's forwards and backwards oppose the Quota Bill on promotionsTake a tour of the newspaper archives of the month of May every year and when it comes to National Capital Region (NCR) news, there is a clear pattern.
Tanvi Mehta
What's with Indian men?A new show that hit TV screens this week asks the question, 'What's with Indian Women?'. But given the sheer volume of crimes against women in this country this
Vandana Anand
Towards an active citizenryA person coming out of a crowd could become a whistleblower, standing against what are disabling forces to raise his/her voice, setting a hard-hitting example for many others to
