The Pledge
India is a mysterious country. Driven by strange elements. Ramayana and Mahabharata are like the old testament for Indians. I would like to highlight some incidents in each of the epics.
In Mahabharata, Draupadi is shared as an object of lust by five brothers and used as a bet during a game of pasha. Yet Yudhisthira is regarded as one of the noblest mythical beings. In Ramayana, when Rama successfully rescued the love of his life from the evil, Ravana, he did not ask his wife about her well being, rather he questioned her purity and forced her to take the Agneepariksha. He would rather have Sita burn to death than accept her if she was forcefully brutalized.
Coming to the modern scenario, today's Ravanas are not as civil as the most (arguably) hated person in the Hindu religion. Ravana never actually tried to force Sita into anything but he professed his love again and again expecting Sita to give in. Today, however, it is Kalyug. Ravanas do not hesitate to unleash their animal instincts and take what they want. The question is, what are the Ramas going to do? If today Nirbhaya was alive would society accept her fully? Yes sure she would have got compassion and support and help, but would she find her Rama who will be rational enough to not burden her with the guilt of the brutal crime committed on her?
The unfortunate incident in Delhi brought out one amazing side of modern India, they know how to protest something evil without any personal expectations from it. The whole nation seemed to be crying for the girl, the girl who taught us to unite once again. But it also exposed the dirty underbelly. We heard comments ranging from ridiculous and pathetic to discriminating and demeaning. We have seen the unbelievable curiosity among many to know her name and put a face to the intriguing story they have been hearing. Unless we can change society we will not be able to stop this heinous act of barbarism. Nirbhaya was not the first and will not be the last (which is already proven by hundreds of molestations after 16th December)!
We demanded strict laws against Rape. But will that be enough? In the middle of the night a flock of drunk modern Ravanas supported by the belief of many, that a girl who is not covered from head to toe is "asking for it", will never think about the consequence that may (yes! not certainly) come to them. So the key is, of course, education. Not the one with books and pens, the one where they learn why the opposite gender is not an object.
One of my favourite poets wrote a beautiful line "E prithibike e sishur basjogyo kore jabo ami, Nabajatok er proti ei amar dripto drirho Ongeekar" which I can only try to translate into English as " I say with conviction that I will make this world livable to this child, That is my heartfelt promise".