I hail from the largest democratic nation. Undoubtedly, I am a proud Indian. My country is one of the top ten culturally rich countries. I am very glad about my country’s heritage. But at the very same time, one should realize the fact that India is one of the top 15 countries which are providing a worst habitat for women.
We do not want India to be the richest country in the world. Neither do we expect India to manufacture the maximum number of weapons nor do we want it to invade other nations. India in our dreams is different. We want to live in peace. Our women are starving to have a better life. When our country owns a powerful military why cannot it provide a better living condition to its female citizens?
A few days before, a young law student, Jisha, was brutally raped and murdered while she was at her own home. She was attacked when the sun was shining and even on hearing noise from her house nobody dared to reach out to her. ‘Ha! Who cares? Why should we bother her? She is not my daughter’. This is the attitude of most of the people around. In fact, they are forgetting the pledge they take, ‘India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.’
If it’s Jisha today, it can be you tomorrow. After school hours, I return home alone. And on the way back home, I find some men sitting on the road side drinking alcoholic beverages. What if they attack me? Nobody will come out to help me. Will you? No, you want your life and not mine.
Why do we suffer from gender inequality? Is it because women commit great crimes? Ah! It is only because we are females. In a zoo, it is the animals which attack us who are locked up and not we, humans. Similarly, if you want to cage someone inside, it should be those cruel men and not us. We do not harm anyone. And now I think that was our mistake. We would have spoken up in the very beginning of all these problems. But we remained silent till everything turned for the worst.
I remember me asking to my mother, “When can I walk out alone without any fear like boys of my age?” I was born like any other boy. So I do possess the exclusive right to live like any other boy. 1 in every 3 rape victims are below the age of 18. Every 20 minute a girl is raped in India. If I can think about all these things, don’t I have the sense to realize that something similar could happen to me as well?
What are the laws prevalent in India, today? Whatever they are, are they followed or executed? I do not think so. If the execution of laws were right, Govindachami, a rapist wouldn’t have put on weight while he was in prison. How will India bare the tears of women? India has 60.4% people without private toilets. Whose responsibility is it to make sure that every house has at least one toilet? You know, due to lack of private toilets men are getting an opportunity to rape women when they come alone to public toilets. We do not want our constitution to be the longest but to be the most followed.
Rapes’ rate in India is increasing rapidly and if this continues, I will soon become one of those victims. ‘One minute of silence for Nirbhaya’. Stop! Stop remaining silent. We do not have even a single second to wait because it is already too late. It’s high time a Malala rise from our country to speak up for the rights of women and young girls. I wish I could stop writing about women’s rights and witness a beautiful sunrise without crimes.
Whatever you read above are the worries of a 15 year old teenage girl. As a child, why should I worry? It is the time for me to enjoy every moment that come across me. But the label, ‘female’ is curbing my freedom. I never curse my fate in being born as a female. Instead, I am ashamed of you who have brought up your sons to be rapists and daughters to be the victims. I will speak up because God gave me my voice not only to cry but also to speak for my rights.
Freedom is my birth right and I shall have it.
– Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Note: Image used in this post is only for representational purpose.
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