Nirbhaya speaks up!

‘I wasn’t the first, but wasn’t even among the last’, Nirbhaya speaks up. It’s been three years and a month since that cursed December night. Was the incident a silent message to every girl, asking her not to step out after dusk? Or was it another reminder of men being the physically superior gender? Or a glimpse of the dire consequences parents will face if they let their daughters out alone? Was it a warning to all the gentlemen about the implications if they tried to protect their female companions from a gang of demons? Ridiculous it is! I wasn’t the first. But what tears me apart is, I wasn’t even the last! Such incidents have become more frequent than ever! I apologise to every woman in India, for not being able to bring about a change, even after giving up my life. My body has lost existence, but my soul has witnesssed everything thereafter. My heart aches for my parents who lost a young daughter for no fault of theirs, or of hers. It is not that I had done anything offensive or unacceptable. I was returning home with a male friend after a movie. My only little fault was boarding the bus, which in no way justifies my rape and brutal murder. It’s high time we stop blaming girls for stepping out in so called ‘provocative’ clothes. The fault lies in our mindsets. ‘Provocative clothes’ are no more than a medium used by molestors to shield, rather justify their crude actions, which is utterly nonsensical and unacceptable. Ironically, we call ourselves a civilisation, my dear friends.   Why is it so, that my government does not allow the press to publicize a rape victim’s name? My real name is Jyoti Singh and I refuse to conceal my identity. I take pride in who I am. I deserve to be respected as much as you do. It is those animals who should feel the need to escape the eyes of the world. Three years in a correctional home-that was all for the one who at 20, is too juvenile for a harsh sentence, but at 17, was adult enough to be a part of a brutal gangrape. Going by latest trends, I’m sure he would see worse times if he called India intolerant instead of committing a rape. I see ‘R.I.P. Nirbhaya’ all around. But I’m afraid ‘R.I.P’ in my case will remain limited to a mere social media lingo, for my soul CANNOT rest in peace till the time complete safety for women remains a utopia. No amount of women helplines and safety campaigns can get my parents their daughter back. It is the cancerous ‘rape cult’ that has to be uprooted.   ———— ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This article is written by Sanchari Pait.