Its Not Us Its You.....

As Mahatma Gandhi once said “The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved Independence”. It is so depressing that even in this 21^st century our women have not received Independence. This independence that women thirst is so basic and humane. It is not some kind of luxury or privilege. True independence will start once we start treating women’s issues and their health problems just as any other issue and not as a taboo. But one thing that no one wants to talk about are the rapes that are increasing in our country. She may be your 3-year-old daughter or your 80-year-old grandmother, she is not safe. And the most saddening part is that the victims themselves are accused for their rapes because they were out late, or were wearing short dresses which is not in our Indian culture. It’s like blaming the tiger for its extinction.

Instead of being a shield to these girls and women we are treating them like sinners. Instead of asking the girls to cover up why can we not ask the boys to improve the way they look at a girl. This mentality of looking at a girl as an eye candy is sick and misogynist. From a very small age girls are restricted from doing certain things under the pretence that they should act like a girl. But then why not teach the boys from a small age that the one who molests a girl or shows his superiority over her is not a real man. Just because a girl dresses up and is comfortable around men does not mean she is available or you can have your way with her. Some men need to understand that NO means NO, nothing more or less. Its high time we evolve our mentality and protect our women from these predators instead of restricting them from having their freedom.

None of us can ever know or understand what a rape victim has to face or feels. And instead of giving them justice, they have to face these misogynist comments about how they wore the wrong thing or how they should not have been there. Well, to all these nationalists out there making these statements – ITS NOT US ITS YOU. Its not us its your sick mentality that needs covering up not our bodies. Okay, say we accept your criticism that it was the girl’s fault because she dressed a certain way but then what about those 3 year olds and the infants, was there something wrong with their dressing style. So, no matter what you wear, no matter what age you are, women are not safe, why; because BOYS WILL BE BOYS, right?

It has been 72 years since our country became a free nation but still our women are slaves to such crimes and oppression. Women are not weak they are strong and can speak for themselves and their rights. But how is it fair for them to be always ruled out as the second sex, the weaker gender, the ones who need to be confined within the four walls. Our country does not need development; our mentality needs development. The concept of BOYS WILL BE BOYS need to cease and it is high time some people are made to understand that ITS NOT US ITS YOU.