Twisted tales, hidden screams

It was everywhere. There was no escaping it. I had deliberately cut myself off from the world in a way and thought not reading the newspapers would help, imagined that shutting out all sources of information would perhaps make things better. Well, better is a word hard to come by of late, worse being the more ubiquitous one, when one looks at the daily scenario. So not having followed the news for a really long time, for reasons as mundane as bad reportage, slipshod follow ups, corruption and the like, I unfortunately, only came upon the horrendous Mumbai-rape case three days after it actually happened.

Turmoil in heart, mind and soul is the only way to explain the feeling of unease that washed over me. Disgusted and disturbed in equal measure, I tried to follow up every little morsel of material that was being shown, aired, and written about the sickening incident to understand if this was going to in any way lead up to stricter laws as was the mood after the equally inhuman act in Delhi nearly eight months ago. The whole nation had come out on to the streets to take up cudgels, hold night vigils and the media too had gone hoarse trying to keep the heat on. Then as has been the case in the past, the steam vaporized and the whole urgency of bringing the culprits to book and or reframing laws petered off. In between there were several other such incidents all across the country, but the pigeon kept its eyes tightly closed wishing the cat away, every time.     

Maximum city Mumbai, that has plenty of problems in terms of infrastructural challenges and the like, certainly has a cutting edge as compared to the Capital in terms of how it treats its womenfolk and prides itself in more ways than one in being a few shades better to them: thus a sudden gang rape of a very young journalist did make the mood somber and morose. Everyone was pained. There was vociferous condemnation of the act through interviews, tweets and on other social media sites; everywhere from everyone who mattered. 

Activists wondered and tried to attribute a reason, news studios were abuzz with discussions of the judicial system being too late and too far between in delivering justice. Members of Parliament felt that justice should in such a scenario be left in the hands of the public, which in a way would probably lynch the culprits. But is that a sane way to operate in a democracy is a poser they themselves threw at the public. What then is the solution? Where do the answers lie?

Some came up with bizarre solutions suggesting that boys and girls should change their mindsets, should look at each other with respect, and should consider each other brother and sister (as if incestuous relationships are therefore accepted). Some senior people in important positions opined that one should not react with anxiety as that again would not resolve the issue but only compound it further. Some came up with the age-old reaction of wanting girls or the female of the gender to be more careful, dress more respectfully, avoid late hours till the string of instructions went into a convoluted self-immolation of sorts, leaving as always barely any ash to sift through at the end for solutions.

So where then are the answers? Will fear of law act as a deterrent? Will changing mindsets create the necessary ripples? How does one begin, where does one in fact start? The old norms are no longer applicable. Some even reiterated the fact that since we live in a very large and diverse democracy, framing laws was difficult. As if, that has got anything to do with violation of a person’s rights. As if that has anything to do with stemming the rot. As if that has anything to do with a sick mind per se! So whether it is a hidden camera installed by the owner of a house rented to young girls, perversely enjoying a voyeuristic advantage, to a God man raping a woman in the name of exorcising her, to a depraved, deprived human indulging in necrophilia in the Capital and getting away with it, the truth suddenly stares one in the face.

There is no escaping it, it is everywhere; it is in the air. There is a sense of fear as she steps into the street. There is an ominous feeling as she bids her daughter goodbye as she goes to work. He waits impatiently till she comes home. She is skeptical to leave her little girl with the school driver as the bus drops her off last. She is insecure herself, it is a feeling creeping around, in the alleyways in the buses, in the streets, when will she be able breathe free, when will there be some relief?  
 ©Copyright Suverchala Kashyap