Men

The nation mourns. The students protest. The public is seething with anger. The society is demanding justice. All this is farce; pure travesty; and unmitigated bullshit bordering on pathetic sham. A girl is dead. She was raped by six. And killed by all of us. Can we guys stop protesting for a minute; can we men look at ourselves for a second. If we do, and do so dispassionately, we will realize we are as much rapists as the six monsters on that fateful day in that wretched city of New Delhi. We condemn rape, as it should rightfully be. But don’t most of us rape women with our eyes? Stand on the road for a minute and look at how we men look at women. Look at the way most of us men monsters stare at woman as if we have never seen one before. Aren’t we rapists ourselves? What right do we have to condemn the six men in that bus? If some of us were in that bus that day, how many among us can say for sure that we wouldn’t have joined in that barbaric act ourselves? Don’t cheat yourself and answer this question honestly. How many of us even look at women – even if they are our friends, colleagues or classmates – in a way that would be truly platonic. How many of us would even be faithful to ourselves and admit ‘yes, I do see my own friends, colleagues and classmates in ways that I can’t admit to them’? If so, what right do we have condemning the six monsters whom we want hanged. How many of us treat woman as equals? If you think we do, then why do all abusive words in English or any Indian language have to involve woman? Why does it have to be son of a B*****? Why do we have to call someone B******? Why does it have to be Banc*****? No, we don’t treat woman as equals. For us, they are just..........bitches! People say they are ashamed at the incident; that they are ashamed to be Indian. I feel ashamed too. Not at the incident. Not for being an Indian. For being a man. I am ashamed at being part of a gender that rapes. I am ashamed of being part of a sex that brutalizes woman with eyes, hands, thoughts and words. Yes sir, I am ashamed for being a man. I want to unashamedly accept it without any compunction. And for all those men who claim the six rapists were animals to have committed that barbaric crime, please stop calling them animals. Coz animals don’t rape. It’s just men like you and me who do. What a shame. We have stooped even lower than animals. In all this, my heart goes out to that girl who grew up with so many dreams only to be destroyed by six men – men just like me and you. I have never seen that girl nor will I ever see her. Even if I could, I don’t know if I will ever have the heart to face her. My dear sister……………………sleep well in heaven. I hope there are no men around there.