Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Oh Nirbhaya..We haven't moved a bit.




There are still stories around, candle marches, twitter salutes, facebook sharings, TV debates, and headlines like always, raising a voice for the pain a rape victim go through. One year has been passed since a crime of such heinous nature was committed with such brutality that it dragged out every one’s heart. One year has been passed today and we are still spreading the news of agony and trauma rape victims had always went through and still going through. One year has been passed and we are still crying for police reforms, new laws or judicial reforms. One year has been passed and we are still haphazardly hearing announcements such as Nirbhaya fund, women bank, workplace safety, night shift safety and broadening the definition of rape. One year has been passed and we are still talking about women safety hypothetically.
All can feel that a part of their being human is brutally murdered whenever a rape happens in the society. All have their eyes moist when they read about another daughter, sister, friend or mother being raped somewhere. But we are yet to witness intelligent minds going beyond the routine outcry of safety for women and advocating for a holistic approach to deal with this tragedy of modern day’s humanity.
First we need to actually realize that how grave this pest had gone down the veins of our society framework. A stat shows that around 240 rapes reported in Mumbai alone in first eight months of this year taking the average of one rape a day and that too the reported one. 3-5 rape news can be easily read about in every regional newspaper every day. As per data around 24000 cases were reported last year that comes to 65 rape cases a day and one rape every 22 minutes. And please keep in mind that these are only reported number where a news had been succeeded to come out or an FIR had been registered. As per another stats more that 50 % of total rapes happens at home by a closed relative and that too leaving aside assaults and rapes girls face while growing up in the locality. If one will ask a girl about being assaulted in childhood from known one, we will come to know the horrible face of our own self.
If something has gone that wrong, we can’t escape our responsibility of being culprits too being part of that society. If we are unaware of what our loved ones could have gone through as well is just like keeping our eyes closed to a grave tragedy.
What are we fighting for to deal with it? Safety? Is it possible to provide security to all females in the country of such large population? If they aren’t safe even at homes, will we keep a security personnel in every home? Security could be provided up to certain extant and that should be provided at any cost without any delay. More PCR vans and more policemen doing honest duties in night (obviously need to be motivated to do so as well) is surely a necessity of the time. But that too is an immediate action among many that must be taken to eradicate the disease from roots. We can also keep following the thought of Male mentality only the root-cause and let that disease harm mankind or understand that there are equal males if not more than females fighting that evil and they too share a same distress. We need to rise above typical mindset of male vs female and pinpointing the lifestyle or mentality of one and dig deep into different directions and possible ways where we can start the cure.
We need to deeply analyze psycho-socio-behavioral aspects of those who have been found guilty in the crime.  We also need to analyze vulnerability of victims in those cases. We need to see what had made those culprits go beyond their conscience to commit such crime. We have to see if the victim was a planned target or a vulnerable random prey. We need to see if that sexual desire to be satisfied was momentarily or a longer state of mind. We need to see what had lead to that uncontrollable urge or what other factors society, education, upbringing, behavioral, occupational par se had contributed in it. A detailed study of biological male behavior to environment around is too need to be conducted. As per research sexual arousal in the males is far more than being in females and they can get aroused even with a sensuous talk or sight of a female. On one side we need to look for the factors inner or outer which had made their arousal beyond the level of conscience and made them commit that crime. And on the other we also need to see what factors contribute in high conscience, will power and wisdom that control our actions to go beyond what harm the society as whole. Ironically, it is evident that sources which make us stronger in our will and conviction, which make our character stronger, which had held our conscience level high are slowly depleting from our society. And sources otherway around are ever increasing.
In extreme words, if walking naked on the road doesn’t give anyone a right to assault, feeling most comfortable without clothes doesn’t mean getting a right to walk naked on the roads. We have to raise our bar of thought process and look for positive and negatives within a larger range. We have to strike the odd from both ends. We can not escape from the reality by mere asking for security for females and terming the culprits insane for their crime. Whenever there is a dead end, we should start from basics.
We first need to protect our future youngsters. Things taught at childhood stays longer in mind. Children all across the sects need to be protected and developed with moral principles. Roots of our morality and principles need to be inculcated with the help of cultural, religious and traditional values. Cultural organizations, religious organizations, non-profit organizations and all the societies playing their part in social causes must come forward to inculcate these values in males since childhood. Books such as Panchtantra, of teachers and disciples, bedtime stories has been replaced by TV & internet where there is no watchdog. Role of parents to teach their sons how to respect woman as well as keeping an eye about what their child is learning has become extreme important. School level education which plays a far greater role in character building must be designed to develop them the way we wish to see our future and right to education must be implemented in such a way that no child in India could escape from schooling. Once character building is done at tender age an environment has to be created to further keep them busy in society with the help of employment opportunities and talent recognition while they grow into youngsters and then a man. This way only we could build a nation of real men. Only this could lead to growth story of our nation as well.
Talking about other end from where we need to strike, we first need to stop linking everything with a dent on our freedom or modernity and raise our bar of thoughts for the greater good of society. When a college or university issues a dress code for girls we start questioning without even knowing what kind of dress code has been ordered. Whether it deals with revealing clothes or advocate for descent clothes as like in majority of cases. Whereas, we never utter a word for the dress code of skirts in our schools which can easily be substituted with suits or trousers for the girls as per their comfort. Discomfort, embarrassment or shiver in the winters of north india, a lot of girls may have felt in skirts but it never become an issue because binocular in front of our eyes sees only in one direction. Where girls should always be careful while going somewhere alone with someone or in an isolated place or travelling in night that they are not exposing themselves to any kind of risk and they are never far from a phone call to a help, they should also be careful that in any way they are not indulging in something which may act as an arousal for a weak conscience person and some other weaker vulnerable girl fell to be a prey.
With two such forces in play, we need to create a fear of getting caught and executed too. And for that, filing of report must be easiest, investigation of genuineness of the report must be stronger and deeper and conviction and execution of the punishment must be within three months.
Discussion could be a lot more, but it must lead to ways to eradicate such a blot on mankind rather than just fulfilling a responsibility by keep telling the stories of horror. By thinking more and trying to analyze the root cause I have played my part. I may be wrong in a thing or two but at least it will lead to further thinking by more brains which in turn could lead to a complete eradication of Rapes from our society. I hope for that day to come soon.


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Pride and Tragedy of being Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

No one expected that they would come that far when they accepted a challenge from established political leaders full of arrogance and power to fight elections and that too from heart of India, Delhi. Everyone from political analysts to ever debating journalists kept them on sidelines till the time they could. Questions ranging from funds required to fight elections, issues and vision to run a government, ability to turn sentiments into votes to finding right candidates for seventy constituencies kept arising and they kept dealing with one by one in their own style of truth and honesty. They were Aam Aadmi Party or in simple worlds AAP.

If they became first to show details of all the funds received on their websites, they also became first to stop its followers for further donations. They were first to form different manifestos for all the constituencies in consultation with the people. Their campaigning on roads of delhi, on social media, or asking people from all India to call the people of delhi to vote for AAP was all a work of brilliant team work. While they were busy twenty four hours building their credibility in the heart of common man, politicians around were busy criticizing them wholeheartedly in their traditional Illogical way and ever debating TV journalists along with political analysts were trying their best not to give ears to that noise of change and showing it in true colors. Where AAP spokesperson kept replying every illogical statement of other parties’ spokespersons, their volunteers from across the country and abroad kept coming forward in their support.

On the day of final verdict, people of delhi gave a historic judgment and AAP emerged as second largest party winning 28 seats with BJP the largest one winning 32 seats leaving the ruling congress in single digit number of 8 seats. But what followed that historic and miraculous result left a sour taste what could have been the sweetest sight for democracy. First almost all applaud AAP’s efforts which resulted in a magic win and few who were doubtful of their successfully fighting of elections started their second round of doubts on their skills of running government now and after that started the actual politics.

But what was disheartening to see for those who were expecting a new start in Indian politics, was perhaps AAP’s slow fall into a trap made of their own ideological words and a start of showing traits of whom they were fighting against. Arrogant has started showing up. Logics behind arguments have started fading away. Criticism has changed its target from ideology to party. Too much idealism seems to diverting solutions away.

BJP refused to form a Govt as they were short of numbers and there wasn’t any feasibility to get support from either of Congress or AAP. But this time AAP gave an illogical statement asking BJP if they won’t form a Govt at center if they will be short of 272. There will be obvious options to get support from so many regional parties at center and who will engage in horsetrading or buy MLA’s as per AAP’s statement, when everyone is watching them in Delhi.

Then an unconditional support (A support to complete numbers and letting government execute their agendas) came for AAP from congress and again a statement from AAP that they will stick to their prepoll stand about all others being thieves and neither they will accept any support nor will lend theirs. On one side AAP had said they were ready to dissolve their party and will not fight elections if Congress pass their five major agendas including Jan Lokpal bill, right to reject and right to recall on other side if congress is giving full support they are refusing to form the government. Even if congress in future doesn’t support them in passing the said bills, AAP can easily dissolve assembly and in that case at the time of re-election who knows eight congress may go to AAP making them a party with full majority.

Then came support from BJP as well who will be sitting in opposition in case AAP form a government with congress, which is a bonus if we see an opposition giving a constructive support to a party which is going to govern.

But AAP came this time with eighteen conditions which includes bills they want to pass and other actions they want to take for the betterment of Delhi. If the party who is giving unconditional support or the one with constructive support oppose for the bills in the assembly,  they can dissolve the assembly and do a better campaign for majority in elections. For other agendas in the list of conditions, they do not need any support from the assembly, infact these are decision to be taken by CM or his cabinet.

Perhaps its long campaign of AAP projecting both BJP and Congress corrupt as a whole which is halting their further thought process. Originally they were against bad practices in the politics by both the major parties but now they are against parties itself even if they are bending themselves for the larger interest of the state. Even if it is not the real interest, it is avoiding elections for the time being and will show their true colors if they will not allow AAP to function or pass the bills in assembly. But neither congress look fool enough that after losing in four states they will cause any kind of hindrance in the process of good governance by AAP nor BJP look unaware of news hungry media or open eyed public that they will risk their national interest by causing any troubles to AAP. If it delhi comes to elections again because of non co-operation from either of congress or BJP, AAP will be an obvious gainer.

In the recent developments in the case of Jan Lokpal Bill where Anna Hazare is satisfied with Lokpall bill proposed by select committee but considered weak by AAP and as per AAP’s statement, once a teacher and mentor Anna Hazare seems to be misguided by opposition. Its strange to think a mentor who didn’t get convinced by his team members to be with them for their election efforts can be misguided by political parties he was fighting against.

BJP in its statement has highlighted a couple of clauses amended by congress in select committee’s recommendations and same AAP is crying about. But instead of coming along and getting that portion strong, they are refusing whole bill terming it as Jokepal.

Calling anything against ownself a conspiracy, terming all others bad and ownself clean, not coming along with oppositions even for the national interest are few traits of traditional Indian politics these days and AAP seems to follow the same footsteps now as they want re-elections in delhi and force common man to shift sides this time. But in the whole process, it is hope of Aam Aadmi that’s getting deluted once again. That common man still don’t know when the sun will rise.
SimplyArsh