The Rape Republic

“She was roaming with her boyfriend and she back answered us. The girl had to be taught a lesson”

- Rape accused in Nirbhaya Case)

"A woman means it immediately puts sex in the man's eyes. The India Culture is the Best Culture. There is No place for woman in Indian Culture"

- Defence Lawyer in Nirbhaya Case

"My husband can never do such a thing. I have full faith in him"

- Wife of Accused in Nirbhaya Case

Months back, my Mom had instructed me to prepare a dish when my 4 year old nephew comes home the next time, the idea was to make him see and realize that it’s normal to find men in the kitchen. ' Yeh auratonwale kaam kyon kar raha hai ' (why is this man doing a woman’s job) was the reaction my friend’s nephew gave while watching a male chef on a cookery show. India is plagued with gender prejudice/stereotyping/policing and the gender sensitization vaccine needs to be administered at an early stage in life.

Gender prejudice is one of the many high yielding seeds that ensure a rich harvest of the heinous crime. In a nation that clocks a rape every 20 minutes and averages a score of 76 rapes a day with victims ranging from 6 month year olds to over 60, it is far beyond just a law and order issue. It warrants a study of the psyche of a society that comprehends horrifying statistics with remarkable apathy. 

To begin with it is important to understand the mindset of the specie at the centre of this storm - the  Indian woman. Years back, my then boss asked me if I have seen a woman running for a bus or a train. The image gave me an insight – in addition to physical clothing – the Indian woman also needs to protect her social attire. And handling this attire affects almost everything she does - her walk, her talk, her laugh. She can't burp , hogg like a pig, yawn like a child. She needs to be cautious with this attire or risk being 'socially molested' or even 'socially raped'. And the perpetrators of this rape aren't males alone.

The term slut is one of the epitomes of 'social rapes' and ironically most often used by women to describe other women. While it is considered very derogatory to be termed a slut - the corresponding masculine term is supposedly a compliment. This social attire of women accentuates physical rape to the extent - that it is the only crime where the victim’s identity needs to be shielded - which in effect means - the victim needs to be more ashamed than the rapist. Modern science is still grappling with the location of ‘honour” in the female genital area. 

Women scrutinizing women for weight, pimples, body hair also take its toll. This over emphasis on packaging lays ground for a society that views its women as objects. So ladies – be easy on other women and yourselves, burp when u feel, 8 out 10 men will find it cute, the remaining 2 are not worth your time.

Meanwhile, India needs to give extra care to its boys while they grow up – misplaced sense of gender superiority and misinformation about sex are prime concerns. India has ended up giving undue importance to sex because it has failed to give sex its due importance. Raping women in community clashes or family feuds stems from an age old patriarchal mentality of considering women as property. India needs to strike at the heart of this mindset. Children should be given surnames of both parents. Name of the father and mother should be given equal importance in legal formalities. .

A shocking statistic about rape is that about 98% of victims know their assailants. This brings the focus how we treat our women – which is the byproduct of upbringing. Universally in India males are brought up with the air of superiority which is drilled most enthusiastically by society – parents in particular – and most tragically by mothers. Put your son in place so that your daughter can find her place in society.  If your daughter is questioned about her whereabouts and activities, so must your son because the activities he engages unchecked is what makes this country fear for their daughters.  If men are not found amidst household chores, and woman are not found amidst decision making , then this country will continue to move from one nirbhaya to another.

The tormentors of nirbhaya, grew up in hinterland on a regular diet of seeing their mothers being battered like cattle by their fathers. The defiance of women hence comes as a cultural shock to these men. As my mother prepares to vaccinate her grandson – I see hope and the onus lies on the parents of this generation to create conceivable gender utopias in our homes – so that in time it will spill on to society. This will ensure that the prospective tormentors of a future nirbhaya will see a girl with dreams in her eyes and not the defiance of an animal in need of discipline.  

WHY INDIA CANT AFFORD AAP TO LOSE

In 1999, while doing a part time job during college, one noon sitting in office I read an article on some political outfit started by some ex-IITians. They had named it Parivarthan (Change). In an era where Laloo Yadav beamed from television screens, I remember marveling at the thought of qualified professionals entering politics but smugly wondered at what few guys can do to an established, strong fortress of a system. What I didn’t remember reading was the name of the guy who started it – Arvind Kejriwal.

Today Arvind Kejriwal has stormed into this corrupt political bastion with the fearlessness of a suicide bomber. Sections of all the pillars of democracy (judiciary, politicians, administrative and the media) are working overtime to bring him down. The corrupted system unlike the large sections of the Indian populace clearly understands Kejriwal. For the CORRUPT system, Kejriwal is cancerous - hence they are using the radiation of scrutiny to burn AAP’s progress before it spreads through the country and kills them.

Otherwise, can anyone explain the media scrutiny of a party that the media itself claims will get only 4 seats? The relentless attacks by senior leaders from BJP, Congress, and Shiv Sena, etc. on a party who they claim will not win any seat outside Delhi. Why are all of them scared of Kejriwal? Why is the unintentional falling of 2 metal detectors in Churchgate station more important than the numerous instances of intentional vandalizing by political parties (burning, breaking property worth of Crores?) The fining of the rickshaw driver who ferried Kejriwal more hyped than BJP and Congress giving Lok Sabha tickets to Kings of Corruption – Yeddyurappa & Srimullu (BJP of Raping Mines fame) and Pawan Bansal (Congress of Coalgate fame).

Please fine AAP’s rickshaw driver or its leaders for breakage of any laws however small but also scrutinize the list of candidates from BJP and Congress which is more like wanted list of criminals. AAP on the other hand, is asking the public to source proof in case any of their candidates have any criminal background, and publishing the source of its funds – why is no one highlighting this? (According to Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), 35 per cent of Modi’s BJP candidates face criminal charges; of them 17 percent are serious charges. And, 27 per cent of Rahul’s Congress candidates face criminal charges, with 10 per cent facing serious charges.) ). Meanwhile Kejriwal has ensured topics that were spoken in hush tones – are now mainstay in political discourse – from Robert Vadra to Adani, from Paid Media to Ambani. 

When the entire intelligence machinery was unable to find anything corruptible in Kejriwal, the political class latched on to a term he uttered in sarcasm – Anarchist. Anarchy is not when a CM sleeps on the pavement in 4 degrees on a cold Delhi night to fix accountability on the police force to check rapes happening there. Anarchy is when a strong CM with 56 inch chest can’t stop the public rape of women, flinging of toddlers on rocks, burning of pilgrims in a train or the relentless and well organized mass killing of over 1000 people in 2 weeks. Anarchy is when a death of a PM is used as an excuse to mass murder an entire community with no justice even after 30 years. Anarchy is when bombs explode in trains during rush hours – one station after another- and you are frantically wondering who you will lose at the end of it. Anarchy is when Kashmiri pundits find themselves homeless one fine morning. Anarchy is when you buy onions at 100 rupees and the prices of petrol have the guts to compete with Sachin’s milestones. Anarchy is when you go to a railway station or a five star restaurant and witness some gun toting men spraying bullets like kids spray coloured water during Holi.

This Anarchy exists because the ruling class in its failure to address core issues of governance has distracted the population with divisive and emotive issues. The BJP calls us Hindus and Muslims, The Congress – minorities and majority. Mayawati calls us backward and forward castes. Shiv Sena/MNS pit us as Marathi Vs North Indians while the left parties classify us as rich and poor. Here is a party which is making an attempt to call us INDIANS. If we don't respond to this call then we will risk the DNA of our nation. As Indians, before we get swayed by the emotive rhetoric, we need to understand that onions costs the same for Hindus and Muslims, your Maratha pride or Gujarati Gaurav can’t save you from a pothole on pathetic roads, a bridge doesn’t collapse after counting the number of backward castes travelling on it. The emotive issues are a perfect foil to cover the core issues – corruption and bad governance. Corruption breeds lacunas and bottlenecks in everything from defense to development. It also plagues seemingly unrelated issues - Nirbhaya’s ordeal could have been avoided if the corrupt collusion between Delhi transport authority and the bus owners didn’t allow busses to ply with curtains. 
Meanwhile critics found a new name for kejriwal,  "bhagoda" (desserter or one who runs away). A man who challenges the might of Ambani, Sonia, Modi and the Paid Media has not come to run away. In a country where people hang on to their positions even when they are half in their graves - here is a man who gave up power and decides to go back to the people for a majority mandate and be in a position to pass the anti-corruption law rather than warm the chair. In the meantime , the critics are still searching for another government that has done so much in 49 days. http://news.in.msn.com/national/what-the-aap-government-achieved-in-49-days . 
Electing AAP is not electing a new party – it’s an attempt at changing the system. A systemic change that will make sure that if a Rahul Gandhi is born 20 years from now, he won’t do the mistake of thinking his surname will get him anywhere OR a future Narendra Modi doesn’t need the plank of hate politics to stake claim to the PM’s chair. Modi or a Rahul or the political classes are not from Pakistan – they are our own – and we are here not to destroy them but to change their thinking. We are here to change our mindsets, fight our habits.

Rahul says Congress is the answer, BJP says Modi is the answer but Arvind is saying WE (you and me) are the answer. BJP and Congress will always remain with its reserves running into crores – but AAP may not survive if we don’t support it today. Are you comfortable with a babysitter who has a criminal background to take care of your children? Will you hire criminals as domestic helps for your parents? Then how can you trust convicted criminals, rapists and murders to protect your family or wealth, to lead you and society? Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of our constitution once remarked, “Rights are protected not by law but by the social and moral conscience of society”.

This is India’s chance in history – to set things right – so that our children will breathe in an air of hope, of equal opportunities, the men who protect us – will get their due, our women feel safer on the streets, our young can prosper here and we can soar together unchained beyond the horizons – and set an example that we a collection of 30 states – as diverse as 30 countries – can be united in our resolve for a better tomorrow like a smile that would erupt from Kashmir to Kanyakumari when Sachin would raise his hands to the heavens.

(Author is an Entrepreneur and AAP volunteer. email : jimmyforaap@gmail.com)

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To, Whosoever thinks this ANNA movement is a meaningless circus

Will this movement eradicate corruption? Is Anna, the second Gandhi? Just because I don’t support Anna, does it mean I am lesser Indian? the answer is NO but yet there are reasons we need to back this movement

A Day Lost in History

It was a few days after 26/11('08), we received a SMS of a protest rally at the Gateway. We reached there and saw a small crowd building into a colossal sea of humanity. The wounded city was out there expressing its angst – no media really covered and no organization really organized it. My senior ex-colleague quipped – “This is the beginning”, the army was ready and the writing was on the wall – Anna was waiting to Happen.

Miracle or Madness on the Streets?

Cut to the present – there are toddlers piggy backing their parents, children breaking their piggy banks to donate, youngsters running riot - galvanizing, organizing, volunteering and energizing , senior citizens with wobbly steps and stern resolve - everyone is out there braving rains and muck. ANNA is not the purpose or the reason – he is the rallying point.(This nation needs Heroes that unify – none in the political class). The Miracle – is the way this battle is fought, bloodless but intense, non violent but engrossing. The entertaining slogans (ek chai, do khari, anna pad gaya sab pe bhari) bordering on insanity reflects our melodramatic DNA and in Mass movements like these – pagalpanthi bhi zaroori hai.

The Ganges of Revolution

We are part of the corruption, how can we blame the political class ? Yesterday, my friend who took part in the protests earlier was caught by a traffic cop. He for the first time in his life asked for the legal procedure for the fine. He was ready to pay the fine but didn’t want to handover the license so payed the bribe, but his narration had a regretful tone(his battle with his conscious has begun). When we partake in revolution, it’s like bathing in Ganges, or taking holy communion or offering namaz- we face our conscious and strengthen our resolve to fight our evils and we realize that this fight (as a friend put it) is not US vs Them – its US vs US. Politicians are not aliens they are one among us

The Method in the Madness

The Anna team – most critics seem to be questioning their credentials etc – To take this argument forward, I am going to agree to the supposition that they may have ulterior motives. But the crux is , what is exactly wrong with what they are demanding and how will they benefit if the Bill is passed. FYI – the bill in whichever version was possible only coz of this old man.
Below are some points :

• Govt’s Lokpal will only cover class 1 officers (some 600-700) at the central level. So the adarsh scam, and CWG will be out of the purview while the Jan Lokpal insists on state level Lokayuktas
• The corruption at the base level . i.e if u go for ration card – within 14 days if u don’t get it – the office will pay u 250 per day – this is as per the citizen’s charter already existing in every government office - The Janlokpal will ensure this . GOVT AS OF NOW DOESNT WANT THIS.
• Raja has pocketed 300 crores in the 1 .5 lakh he has cheated the country with. As per Government Lokpal , he will be jailed etc but the money won’t be recovered. The Janlokpal has provisions to recover the money.

Anti Virus - Yes , Vaccine - No

This Bill will not eradicate corruption. It’s like creating an effective Anti-virus not a vaccine. And this movement does not seek to circumvent democracy- but it wants to reminds the political class that you can’t take parliamentary democracy for granted. Politicians are just manipulating the atmosphere and trying to make this a agitation against the Parliament RATHER than discuss the specifics of the bill. We need the above clauses in the bill - you can call it Jan Lokpal or Man(Manmohan) Lokpal or Rajiv Gandhi Lokpal Bill. THE CLAUSES - DEBATE THAT - not the ego centric RHETORIC

The Great Indian Dream

As I write, the74 year old man with ulterior motives has lost 6 kilos in 10 days but refuses to take drips – and his health on the verge of collapse. Hence, instead of questioning his credentials and funding, let’s focus on the issues in the bill. Debate each of them and strengthen the bill. You can disagree and suggest changes. THIS IS NOT CALL TO SUPPORT – THIS IS A CALL TO PARTICIPATE. Young India (7- 22 yrs) believes that they are designing a change – don’t let them down and kill the belief that they can change things. From a cynical "kuich nahi ho sakta hai" , we are moving to a "we can do something" tone.

THIS is NOT TEHREER square or Arab SPRING, we have evolved much more and this is “churning” and “tuning” for a better tomorrow , Indians have begun to assert themselves and unknowingly drafting – ‘The Great Indian Dream’. (defining "kamyab" in "hum honge kamyab").We are nearing the end of this battle but the war is long-drawn. More Annas will rise – the dream will stay on .


(Please join www.indiagaisntcorruption.org or any organization and raise your voice. Agree OR DISAGREE but participate)

ALL FOOLS DAY

ALL FOOLS DAY - (an amateur attempt at poetry)-

It’s All Fools Day, its our day, lets Celebrate!
The foolishness of the helpless prayer to feed hungry others -
when there is enough in our homes to feed ten others

The foolishness of man’s every invention -
nibbling away at nature’s peaceful existence

The foolishness of defining God, his glory, his might -
can a fence be built around the infinite?

The foolishness of the smoking lips, the grinding thumbs –
to feel the high that isn’t, while the ecstasy called life passes by.

The foolishness of a creative mind, to stamp his ink on the design -
when he is nothing but a channel, chosen by the divine.

The foolishness of a lovelorn heart seeking love , showering love –
knowing not where to seek thyself , how to love thyself

The foolishness of a selfless womb to feed the young one like her own –
knowing well that when it wings it shall fly and be gone.

The foolishness of the fingers that count our wealth, our acres, our possessions -
knowing well that six feet is all we need, to rest in peace.

The foolishness of the feet on pilgrimage to lands far away -
knowing not that the only way is the way within

The foolishness of the nose held high –
knowing not that nothing matters when we die

The foolishness of the ego that seeks to collect mass and evolve in size and in might -
while the soul seeks to shed its weight and dissolve into light, to melt and degenerate
Its All Fools Day, its our day, lets Celebrate!

The Crow and the Child

Terror has returned with a vengeance – not that it had become a distant memory. Pune lost its innocence and enrolled itself into a never-ending list of dangerous places to live in. The crux of the matter is not terrorism or Pakistan (this would have happened even if Pak didn’t exist) but a religious divide – an inconvenient truth that is slowly shaping into an open confrontation with epic names like “The Clash of the Civilizations”. History is no stranger to such wars but in an advanced age where reason is held above religious ideologies- it is ironical. Although in a peaceful manner – we all hold prejudices against other religions. The violent rendition of this resentment can be termed as Jihad, Crusade or Dharmyudh respectively. Religious Terrorism isn't just about violence - The other day, my Hindu friend’s 9 year old daughter came home sobbing because her friends at the convent school told her that she will go to hell because she did not believe in Christ.

In my early teens, I was asked by my teacher to defend my religion, which led to a lot of introspection culminating in my inability to continue with my beliefs and religion. I ceased to be a Christian, the identity that I had grown up with. During those trying times, while standing at my balcony gazing into space on a breezy afternoon, I saw my four year old neighbor being chased by her mother. Balancing a plate in her hand, the mother was in hot pursuit trying to feed the little one. After an unsuccessful cat and mouse routine, the anxious mother sat on the steps in the compound thinking of an alternative plan. As she looked up, she saw a crow perched on a tree making its usual sounds. She turned to the little one and announced, “ Sweetheart, if you aren’t going to eat your food now, that crow there will turn into a monster bird, lift you and fly away”. Since in those days discovery channel and animal planet hadn’t made their way into our living rooms – the kid gave in and ate her lunch. The moment calmed the storm within me and eased the pain of being without a religion. Like the little child who  has limited understanding to know how food impacts her nutrition levels and growth – we with our limited vision and intellect need an edible story to put us on a path of growth when our mind is still in infancy and fails to understand the glorious truths of this universe.

Religion is important for discipline and growth but no ‘Christianity’ can ever be greater than humanity. The idea is not to do away with religion but to understand the essence of all faiths which can be compared to pure water, it quenches our thirst while curing us of every disease known to man – but when it gets diluted or contaminated with say alcohol or colors or preservatives, it could lessen the essence and even cause harm. Being good, loving and compassionate to others automatically makes us believers in Christ, gives us a place in Allah’s Jannat and makes us part of the Krishna consciousness.

Little children going to school need fancy school bags and pencil boxes to keep them interested in education – we need to identify these frills in our respective religions and learn to unlearn these fixations or else we will continue to be victims of the 'war'. The other day I saw this status message on my friends account “We have divided ourselves into groups with arms ready to kill or die just because we don’t agree on whose fairy tale is more correct”. Moral of the Story: Keep the faith but cut the hate - else we won’t have to worry when the glaciers will

melt.

Waiting for Obama

“Change has come to America” roared the first black man set to enter the white house. Unlike his predecessors, Barack Obama is a phenomenon even before he enters the sprawling presidential mansion, built 200 years ago by black slaves from Africa. So is all the hype because an Afro American has made it to the highest office of the world’s most influential country. Fortunately NO. The magic of Barack Obama is beyond his origins, beyond racial divides or empowerment of immigrants in America.

The answer lies in a belief; that is connected to an emotional chord. As children we do believe in superheroes (la superman, batman or even our parents and elder siblings) to ‘set things right’ even in the darkest hours. America today is in the deepest pit of cynicism. Adding to the emotional bankruptcy affected by the erosion of the family system is the worst economic meltdown in a century. Like the rest of the world it is facing severe environmental issues, 2 costly wars, unemployment,oil crises - an endless list of woes. Enter Obama, “This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can” . This stoic reassurance from an endearing Rock star President stirred emotional frenzy, tears rolled down while others were left wide eyed in a speech that will be documented and dissected for generations. It isn’t about his capability but the belief that he will deliver.The bleak realities wont change overnight but Americans will find a new spring in their steps tomorrow morning. Only time will tell if their 'Captain America' would stand up to their expectation and bring about change, but one thing crucial to that change is the belief in the people that things can change – and that emotional mandate is with Obama.

This President elect also has an uncanny ability to unify people, even his opponents’ root for him. “It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America”, trumpeted Obama. A line that blurred all lines that divided America.

Back Home, a billion people, an unrivalled Democracy, a historic legacy of leaders and yet currently we don’t have a single one who can unify this nation. While the Thackeray cousins battle for patent rights of the Marathi Manoos, Laloo and Nitish play to the north Indian gallery, Congress appeases the minorities, BJP is hard selling Hindutva while “Dalit ki Beti” – Mayawati sings the caste tune. Ironically we have iconic leaders and visionaries in business, social work, the arts and now even sports. But not a single political leader who can strike an emotional chord that unifies a melodramatic nation? Guess we get leaders we deserve Or are the right people caught up with the wrong jobs? Guess Monster.com is not so effective in India……… but the wait is worth it as change will cum sooner than later coz we are not waiting for Godot - so I believe.

Kindergarten

In the plot next to my office, there is a residential building with a recently opened kindergarten. Prior to its commencement, the lady proprietor was facing problems with the society because a retired gentleman ,residing on the first floor, wasn’t comfortable with the tiny tots invading his peace. As there was an earlier consensus on letting the ground floor for commercial use, the Kindergarten was given permission to commence operation and the grouse was to be settled in the AGM scheduled in a few months time. The playschool opened its doors and tiny little cartoons made a beeline, much to the dismay of our grumpy old man. Everyday, as the old man stood in his balcony he saw the little ones showing their usual histrionics. Since our man was the only sight that broke the monotony for the little kids from uptight teachers who constantly chanted the hand on the lip ritual, they showered all their pent-up energy on him. During breaks, he used to be the sole audience to their hysterics; some gave broad smiles to him, one constantly waived to him, some made cute faces and without much delay the oldie melted.

Its strange how these little dumplings(in the form of grandchildren, children, nieces/nephews, neighbors) invade our space and capture our hearts while unassumingly staking claim to our computer screens , mobile screens and wallets. I silently wondered as to why they don’t enter our lives with greater frequency since they help us access goodness locked away. Sensing my predicament, God answered, “Son, you really think that you don’t have enough children around you!” saying that he handed over his spectacles.

The sight through them was revealing to say the least. Saw a 20 something girl crying coz her boyfriend had dumped her like a child would cry for a denied candy, a few boys in their twenties were hitting hawkers and rickshaw drivers like school boys venting their pent up energy during un-monitored free periods, A few girls in their 30’s marveling at the exploits of their little sons like little girls comparing the finesse of their new frocks, a 60 year old boy on the church committee turning non-cooperative coz the priest had missed mentioning his name in the vote of thanks, a 30 year old unmarried girl who kept her life aside for her younger siblings like little first borns sharing their coveted candy to see the smile on the face of their siblings. God quipped, " Son, the essence of growing up is to accept and understand that we never grow up. Making peace with the child in us, gets us on the path of self-realisation"

A few days later, as I stood on the balcony facing the kindergarten, I saw our old man playing with the kids, the only thing that differentiated them was their physical appearance. At that moment, I realized why “Dooms Day” was continuously eluding us and that it may never come. Because when a mortal old man was unable to pull the plug on a tiny playschool, then our compassionate father in heaven will never be able to stamp his feet on this huge kindergarten with millions of adorable little ones squealing, playing, plotting, hurting, scheming, helping, loving, caring…. Suddenly heard a loud screech, a little Einstein had just discovered that our old man’s moustache was real.