ashokbhatia

You can be forgiven if you think we, the people of India, have let you down,
We have deeply ingrained prejudices upon which many of us do frown;
Like an ostrich, or like the three monkeys of the Father of our Nation,
We refuse to hear, see or speak evil, or to examine our value fixation.

Our society needs to stop mistreating and tormenting those of your kind,
Killing the likes of you in the womb, denying them a healthy body and mind;
Treating them like mere toys, made to fulfill the males’ lustful impulses,
Prisoners to their patriarchical mindset, ignoring your appeals and curses.

Some of us would like to know why at all you went out on that fateful day,
Why did you have to flag a bus full of maniacs while finding your way?
Were you not being stupid when you dressed the way you did that night?
Did you not realize we will continue to mentally undress you with all our might?

Some claim that you never had the right to resist even a ‘normal’ assault,
Hoping for a shred of mercy from your tormentors was only your fault;
When they tried to force themselves on you, you were naïve to protest,
You were expected to meekly surrender and be subservient to their lust.

You stood up, you resisted, you protested, and sealed your fate,
Escaping ignonimity at the hands of your family and a future mate;
Had you lived, lawyers would have made you relive the horror repeatedly,
The butchers who disemboweled you would have gazed at you heatedly.

In your death, you have found silence and peace, an end to your suffering,
A freedom from the denial of opportunities to live life your way, with a zing;
But you have set for your sisters a new benchmark of courage and hope,
To face social prejudice, stigma and gender bias with a short rope.

Thanks to you, women are now fighting back, reporting misdeeds,
Politicos no longer sure of winning elections till they take care of your needs;
The delicately nurtured are now more aware of their situation and rights,
Standing up to be counted as citizens, demanding respect and scaling new heights.

(Related Posts:

An Open Letter to Damini

The Anguish of a Soul