Gang rape of the Delhi woman and her subsequent death left
everyone shocked, sad and insecure. I was no exception. Being a woman myself, a
daughter, a sister, a mother, a chill ran through my spines when I first heard
about the incidence. Immediately after the incidence, the news papers are
flooded with so many rape cases. The news channels are constantly talking about
how to bring out a preventive law and whether the rapist/s should be given
death penalty or not. The social media became active too. People built up
communities, forums and groups to discuss about the issue and many of us showed
personal ‘touch’ to the issue by putting our thoughts through our status
messages. I personally have signed on-line petitions praying for preventing such kinds of brutal torture
to women and bringing in stricter preventive laws against the rapists. However,
as a civil society using the social media to express concern, I noticed that some
of the users of the Facebook and Twitter are circulating pictures of the poor victim
and encouraging (almost forcing) others to do the same. I know this could be an
unreal picture. But still then, PLEASE
DONT. Women like me want to remember this victim as one who could make people
feel the need to change the stigma attached to rape. The entire nation stood up
to accept her as a brave girl and slammed the rapist. But at the same time, I
have also seen some discussing if she recovers how can she face the society. I
felt angry and simultaneously sad. A sect of the society ( a large chunk) still
think that women are raped or physically assaulted must shy away from the
society. Why ? Just because someone other than her husband penetrated her
vagina against her will? Just because someone crushed her bare breast without having the tag of being
her husband ? I don’t support such mentality. Time has come to accept the rape
victim as a victim of a cruel man made brutal and torturous ‘accident’. And for
this I congratulate those who made the government to think of changing the laws.
At the
same time, I was asked by many to wear black spot in my profile picture as a
mark of shame. I refused. As a woman I will show my protest through my own
self, not through a blackened picture. My answer to those who had been urging
others to wear the black spot is, black spot
is bold but dumb. If you have the courage, protest against the rapist, the
government in activities and administrative failures through your own identity.
The issue has gained a momentum and no one wants to shut the other protester. If
women start wearing black spot, it will symbolise that we are letting the male
dominated society to think that we are ashamed of our womanhood. For men, it
will symbolise that they are shying away from the responsibility of promising
to build a safe world. As the things are turning, there will be rape news every
day in every news paper now. It may have tremendous effect on the society. May be
the educated, aware citizens will finally wake up to understand that such
creatures who are called ‘rapists’ must be blackened and not the victims. Hence
face the phase with brave faces and protest with strong words.
** The
author does not intend to hurt anybody’s sentiments. This is an independent
view of the author and the author has expressed her views in her own right
towards exercising freedom of speech. If anybody feels hurt, the author
apologises in advance.
Please Note: Do not violate copyright of this blog. If you would
like to use informations provided in this blog for your own
assignment/writeup/project/blog/article, please cite it as “Halder D. (2012), “The black
spot: I say NO”, 30thDecember,2012, published in http://debaraticyberspace.blogspot.com/
