Umang
Sabharwal has taken up cudgels against an issue which may not be palatable to
many, especially in a male-dominated society as is prevalent in India. There is
no doubt she has struck a chord in the mind of many, both young and old.
Definitely women need to be protected, especially in the current age when rapid
changes and rural to urban shift leads to gullible victims being taken for a royal
ride. Ms. Sabharwal’s ‘Slutwalk artharth Besharmi Morcha’ should be given
support if only to highlight the status of women in Indian society. Though the Slutwalk
event in Toronto may have taken the issue to a more aggressive level, here in
India such a demonstration will make it a subject of discussion at all levels
and women in general would become courageous enough to protest against the
indignities heaped on them on an everyday basis.
It is often
argued that efforts taken to protect women through legal means only favour a
few and they are often misused. However these are few in number and this is
largely because of ignorance. Women should be made aware of the reason for such
measures being taken in the country and warned against severe repercussions in
case of misuse. This cannot preclude the need for protecting the interests of
the many. When Supreme Court gave the verdict in the Vishakha case many office-going
ladies used it as a shield to create an atmosphere of laissez-faire in office.
Still the many who have been protected merely because of the existence of this Act
are innumerable. The Act itself is a matter of grave concern to many male
predators wandering the corridors of government as well as private
establishments.
Women are
silent sufferers. Their instinct is to search for security in life - financial
and otherwise – both for themselves and their offsprings. They need to feel
proud of their body, to attract males naturally, so that they can carry good
genes to the next generation. The choice for this should be entirely that of
each individual woman. Nobody can invade her private space – not just by touch
but neither through spoken words or even suggestive glances. A society is
formed by an individual’s acceptance of the need to follow the rules and
regulations formulated. A mature individual is meant to curb his/her instinct
when moving in public space. He/She also has to accept that liberty is only
permitted in society to the extent of not interfering in the private space of
the other individuals - be it their own family members. The society has the
responsibility to protect every individual using the laid down laws. In India
today, having adopted the western legal system, many are still immature enough
to think that laws are applicable only to others and they have only to follow
the degenerated traditional systems which have never been reviewed. It is true
that originally all systems are made by society in an idealistic frame of mind
but with time, changes need to be incorporated and for this every system needs
to be reviewed. Our constitution permits such reviews and a healthy young
democracy that is India is still undergoing the growing pains and it is every
citizen’s responsibility to see that the system is maintained. Finding
loopholes in laws to facilitate moneyed individuals to escape, media closing
their eyes or even pampering well-known people has to end.
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