Once more a national statement has been released by the Indian patriarchy for the girls and women of India, this time dipped in the blood of a 31 year old trainee Doctor as she was gang raped and murdered in the very hospital where she studied and worked. Her last dream was to be a gold medalist .
A grim and solemn reminder of the 2012 Nirbhaya case in the heart of the capital city of Delhi which shook the conscience of the nation on one hand and on the other taunted the very law makers and law keepers below whose noses the crime happened.
This time it was in the city of joy where the statement was released; Kolkota , the land where goddess Durga is worshipped, where Mother Teresa left a wonderful legacy and which is ruled by a female Chief minister.
A well crafted strategy that was executed ; a double pronged approach targeting a female Head of state and a young career woman. Hitting two birds with one stone and once more grabbing the world by its eye balls.
An aghast and confused world gropes for answers as India is the fastest growing economy of the world and sends rockets to the moon and yet can allow such crimes .
The statement is the same; be it Delhi, Kolkota, Bangalore…. You stay in your pants(in other words stay in your place ) or we will strip you naked and kill you. “
As girls receive education and become financially independent , breaking free from the clutches of fear, subjugation, oppression and sexual violence which is a daily occurence in manjority of homes, villages and towns , patriarchy senses their power slip away.
Females in leadership or in roles that used to be the sole domain of men in the bygone eras serve as role models and more and more of them are gathering the courage to dream.
Such crimes send out a chilling statement that instills fear in the minds of girls and women who are forced to constantly look over their shoulder . The fear paralysis restricts/prevents them from moving forward and fulfilling their dreams. They are safe nowhere; neither in their homes , nor in schools, colleges or work places.
History reveals that during the time of social transition , those in power have raged as they have felt power slip for their hands and they tend to resort to violence.
There is variety of ways in which folks respond to such a horrific statement .
For most it will be another news item which will soon stop being a national headline as other pressing issues take its place in the media. Indifference or ignoring would be best way forward for them as such news has become a norm as far as India is concerned.
Many others will give in to fear , engage in fear mongering and ensure that even in the 78th year of India’s independence, girls feel far from being free; they feel shackled.
For others it may be a time to stand strong in the face of such a statement and give a push back by joining protests before it all simmers down.
For a few, it will be leaving aside what they are doing and come to the aid of such girls and women who are brutalised daily in India.
What must happen to bring about a change is that all women and men champions of women need to come together and condemn such mindsets that prompt such violence against a fellow human being. What has happened is barbaric and exposes the underlying thinking that has been taught by none other than religious institutions that women are inferior to men and need to be objects to be seen ;not heard.
On behalf of the Church in India , we strongly condemn such violence targeted against girls and women from the womb to the tomb.
We are acutely aware of the adversary who is seething with anger and foaming at the mouth as he sees the few in India actively push back at his attempts to steal, kill and destroy.
We pray and ask for Divine intervention. We pray for men of courage to stand up and become the champions for women’s justice. We pray for mindsets to change by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We pray that as Christians we would stand up, speak up and act so that an equitable society comes into being.
Recently a serial killer was arrested because he would use the very sari/scarf of the woman wore to throttle her to death. He had killed nine before he was finally arrested.
When our male audience call in furious at our broadcasts/podcasts that encourage girls’ education, independence and equality, their words give away their fury , “ I wish you die. I wish you all women die.”
We respond to the statement of the enemy the Sword of the Word of God and say,” The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4 : 4)
“So do not fear , for I am with you ; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and uphold you with my righteous right hand. :(Isaiah 41:10)
Ultimately, the question that we need to ask ourselves as a follower of Christ is ” what statement am I making with my life , if at all any ?”
I can speak for myself. After the 2012, Nirbhaya gang rape and murder in New Delhi, I stood up and am committed to prayerfully change this scenario. I firmly belief that this is possible only with God. Without Him, we are nothing and can do nothing !
May the statement of Martin Luther King Jr. in Stride towards freedom prompt us to pray and act.
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”