Roshini Sharma - the gutsy young lady who rode her bike 5453 kms from Kanyakumari to Leh by herself proving in her own words "But, there is no difference between a man and woman. If a man can do it, then there is nothing stopping from me from doing it". You are an inspiration.
And then there is the women councillor and head of the kangaroo court in West Bengal who ordered a 15 year old to lick spit because her father had not paid for a power tiller he had rented. The girl, who stood up for her father and defied the orders of this court was found dead on the railway tracks with no clothes on a few hours later. Auntyji – you are beyond any word in my dictionary. In simple words you are a shame to humankind.
What defines you is You. But what also defines you is what your parents have taught you.
There is a story, I remember having heard, of a young boy who was never stopped by his parents when he stole petty things from his neighbour's home. Once when was caught and punished – he told the judge – why do you punish me for I was never told this is wrong. Punish the hand that did not stop me from doing the wrong in the first place.
If it is ok with parents that their sons have just stripped the dignity of some women because they have the money to bribe the police to close the case – they are the main hand in the crime. If rape and abuse are to be punished - punish the parents who think that their sons are born to uphold the powers these parents have by unleashing themselves on women. As a lady in the Muzzafarnager rape case recounted - the boys who raped me were as young as my own sons. To think that a mother and a father actually allowed their sons to go out there and perform such an inhuman act and with such casualness is appalling.
And to think that these parents are as young or old as you and me - my friends - is even scarier. We are not talking about someone else or some other generation or era - we are talking of parents of the 21st century who still 'USE' their sons as the ultimate ammunition to wield power.
If you are a parent - be a responsible one. Teach your children to respect the dignity of the other sex. If you are a parent - reach out to any parent who believes that men will be men and it is in their blood to protect or harm women as is their mood on that particular day and that a woman is and will always be ultimately dependent on men. Teach them that we don’t want those genes anymore. We want a generation of sane young men and women who want to live together - respecting each other.
And if you are a parent know that you have a voice. Do not accept abuse. Teach your children – boys and girls to never be an abuser and teach them never to be a silent spectator to violence too. If you speak out today – there is still a chance that your grand-daughter can safely go to school, chase her dreams and live her life just as well as your grandson can. It is as simple as that.
IT BEGINS WITH YOU.
