Spread the Word

I am angry. 

I am scared.

These are the two emotions that many of us deal with every time a shocking rape is reported in a city. Angry, because we know that we can't do anything about the situation, other than write blogs like these, or rant on Twitter or Facebook. Scared, because of the randomness of the incident. Guess what? It is okay to be angry and scared but it is not okay to only crib about this situation for a month and get done with it. Let's try to do something about the situation.

Step One: Switch off that goddamn television. Watching the same report on the girl from 9 to 5 becomes mind numbing. We sit there with our eyes glued to the television while the reporters repeat each and every excruciating detail of the incident. No one needs that and media just showcase it to increase their TRPs.

Step Two: Educate people. How, you ask? You have a maid at your home? A gardener, a driver, a helper? Or the office boy who gets you tea everyday? yes, talk to them. Tell them about the incident and I'm sure you will be surprised that they didn't know about it! Tell them about the horrific incident. Tell them to keep their eyes and ears open, keep their kids safe. Ask them to teach their children what touch is a bad touch and help them if they come to you with a problem related to this. It might sound like I am a bad person, spreading a scare, but you see, a little fear has some strange effects on humans. It makes us alert to things we never thought would harm us. Also, try telling it in a way that they don't panic and never come back to work again. I'm trying my best not to sound oxymoronic. Maybe I just did.

Step Three: While you're "spreading the word", you will meet two kinds of people, one who may listen to you blabber and think you're some kind of a fool (like you're thinking about me right now) and other who may grasp what you're trying to say and spread the word to others. We need more of the second kind of people. If you work in an organisation, get in touch with your HR and ask them to organise a talk on sexual harassment. Or if you're interested to go into social work, call an NGO which deals with sex education and provides counselling and rehabilitation to rape victims and help them out. Please do something, just don't sit on your backside and criticize the system. If you don't have the time to do the above, at least donate a small amount of your salary to the people who do such noble work.

Step Four: The most important step. RESPECT WOMEN. Do you know how difficult it is for your mother to stand for hours together every day and cook you a meal? Make an omelette on a hot day and you'd be sweating like a swine. Remember, your Mom makes a lavish three course meal in the same weather. Women give a lot, sacrifice a lot for their families. All they ask for in return is love and your acknowledgement once in a while. Dear Men, keep the women in your life happy and safe. You are the alpha male of your family, it is your job to protect your family, not that women can't protect themselves, but that's the least a man can do. Listen to them, hear them out, lift their spirits up when they're down, give them respect. Not too much to ask for right?

I may have bored you with this post but I'm just pouring my heart out. The fact is that I've had it with people treating women like an object of desire or a robot whose job is to run your house and feed your kids. People like these need to be slapped on the face (figuratively or literally) and taught to respect women. It is only then that we, as a country, will progress.

                                                             
                                                                       Jai Hind!