Change is the Law of Life.
Hence the transitions……
Stone-age….Evolution….Civilization….
…Techno-advancements….Globalization….Break-down of Natural Equillibria….etc etc etc…
Citing a small example, when My mom was in Medical College, 99% grls, wore Sarees….when I was in Med College, 99% wore salwar-kameez…..and now, most wear, slacks-tops, jeggings, leggings, denim etc etc ….God knows what it’d be like when my daughter goes in…..
So, when Change is inevitable, the deciding factor is not the Change itself, but how We Choose to deal with it, and that is what shapes the Present, the Future….
In present day, now that it took the Delhi Catastrophe, to shake the country out of its reverie, the Problems, have they lessened, I think not. but again, there is Change, and a Big one at that. Till now mostly what we did post such calamities, was to bring out our Index Finger and go on…pointing it at all the possible directions, towards all the probable culprits, for awhile till the fire goes off or our conscience rests-in-peace.
Not this time…this time the power house of our Society, the Youth took it on themselves. When We are at risk, When it’s the matter of Our Safety, and by this I mean, not just the Girls, but the boys, the young and the old, all of Us who Form this Society, its We who have to prove that We are Responsible, and its We who need to actually find Solutions. Everyone of us, has to put in their bit.
Many things have been said and many things will be done. As of me, when I think what would I need for safety measures, apart from others, some can be,
-Young Girls should move in Groups. Everything said and done we cannot deny that a single person, whether a girl, a boy, an old woman, or an old gentleman, all can become vulnerable preys to muggers and wrong doers.
-there should be Portals for Cabs and easy Conveyances with numbers and identity and other credentials of the drivers and the vehicles, where if I need to go somewhere in the middle of night, I can call and get a taxi at my doorstep. If there can be Home Pizza delivery, why cant this culture be used for this purpose ?.
-We should make sure that the girls living in Hostels or as Paying Guests don’t exceed time limit or stay out late nights. When we have jewellery in our House, we Lock our doors, and not rely on the conscience of the thief, not to steal them. Same should be the approach here too.
-We need to take comprehensive measures.
On the one hand we need to inculcate morals in our kids from childhood, a very simple way being daily one small story with a solid Moral. Kids grasp fast.
On the other, we need to educate the girls to understand the difference between looking Good and looking Vulgar and how to decide their attire for various Times and Places, plus the Boys to respect the girls as comrades and fellow human beings and not as just some object of entertainment.
-Again the emphasis comes on the girls being educated and self reliant. For example, chances are that a smart girl will raise her voice and protest against any sort of bodily insult or otherwise compared to a timid uneducated one.
-These wrong doers are not of sane mind. the culprits of the Delhi Catastrophe would never have been caught if the couple had not survived, and this was their very intention. and God Forbid, had they managed this, just imagine, the very next day they would have mingled with the people undetected, loose.
So the main point is try not to give any opportunity to such perverts to do something wrong. Authorities are working hard, but is it very difficult to employ our own Guards to patrol small areas and colonies at night in shifts ?! I think not.
The bottom-line is Change can be Steered in our Favor by Consistent efforts with everyone doing their bit sincerely. We have immense potential. We just need to Recognize and Harness it, Work With each other and not against, and surely we’ll see Change happening…the One, That We Want !!
Hence the transitions……
Stone-age….Evolution….Civilization….
…Techno-advancements….Globalization….Break-down of Natural Equillibria….etc etc etc…
Citing a small example, when My mom was in Medical College, 99% grls, wore Sarees….when I was in Med College, 99% wore salwar-kameez…..and now, most wear, slacks-tops, jeggings, leggings, denim etc etc ….God knows what it’d be like when my daughter goes in…..
So, when Change is inevitable, the deciding factor is not the Change itself, but how We Choose to deal with it, and that is what shapes the Present, the Future….
In present day, now that it took the Delhi Catastrophe, to shake the country out of its reverie, the Problems, have they lessened, I think not. but again, there is Change, and a Big one at that. Till now mostly what we did post such calamities, was to bring out our Index Finger and go on…pointing it at all the possible directions, towards all the probable culprits, for awhile till the fire goes off or our conscience rests-in-peace.
Not this time…this time the power house of our Society, the Youth took it on themselves. When We are at risk, When it’s the matter of Our Safety, and by this I mean, not just the Girls, but the boys, the young and the old, all of Us who Form this Society, its We who have to prove that We are Responsible, and its We who need to actually find Solutions. Everyone of us, has to put in their bit.
Many things have been said and many things will be done. As of me, when I think what would I need for safety measures, apart from others, some can be,
-Young Girls should move in Groups. Everything said and done we cannot deny that a single person, whether a girl, a boy, an old woman, or an old gentleman, all can become vulnerable preys to muggers and wrong doers.
-there should be Portals for Cabs and easy Conveyances with numbers and identity and other credentials of the drivers and the vehicles, where if I need to go somewhere in the middle of night, I can call and get a taxi at my doorstep. If there can be Home Pizza delivery, why cant this culture be used for this purpose ?.
-We should make sure that the girls living in Hostels or as Paying Guests don’t exceed time limit or stay out late nights. When we have jewellery in our House, we Lock our doors, and not rely on the conscience of the thief, not to steal them. Same should be the approach here too.
-We need to take comprehensive measures.
On the one hand we need to inculcate morals in our kids from childhood, a very simple way being daily one small story with a solid Moral. Kids grasp fast.
On the other, we need to educate the girls to understand the difference between looking Good and looking Vulgar and how to decide their attire for various Times and Places, plus the Boys to respect the girls as comrades and fellow human beings and not as just some object of entertainment.
-Again the emphasis comes on the girls being educated and self reliant. For example, chances are that a smart girl will raise her voice and protest against any sort of bodily insult or otherwise compared to a timid uneducated one.
-These wrong doers are not of sane mind. the culprits of the Delhi Catastrophe would never have been caught if the couple had not survived, and this was their very intention. and God Forbid, had they managed this, just imagine, the very next day they would have mingled with the people undetected, loose.
So the main point is try not to give any opportunity to such perverts to do something wrong. Authorities are working hard, but is it very difficult to employ our own Guards to patrol small areas and colonies at night in shifts ?! I think not.
The bottom-line is Change can be Steered in our Favor by Consistent efforts with everyone doing their bit sincerely. We have immense potential. We just need to Recognize and Harness it, Work With each other and not against, and surely we’ll see Change happening…the One, That We Want !!
Interesting
ReplyDeletethanx a whole lot sir !!
DeleteImpressed
ReplyDeletemany many thanx sir !!
DeleteWell written Shruti. Most of the points are very valid and I fully agree. However, restrictions on timings for women who stay in hostels/are PGs is, I feel, not the correct approach. The analogy drawn ie the jewellery owned, is not admissible as these are living human beings that we are talking of, not some inanimate objects.And then , what is a decent timing? It is a very relative term and perceptions can vary. Nine PM in my opinion is not a very late hour but that was the time when this incident occured.Also these are independent grown up adults. No one has the right to tell them when they can move out of their residences/ by when they should return or how they should talk, laugh,dress, who they should move around with etc. Lets not end up punishing the victims. More proactive policing and prompter reactions by security agencies, gender sensitisation at all levels( starting at home) and prioritisation of individual rights is the need of the hour.
ReplyDeletethanx fr the read sir, and very valuable inputs too...
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