India has a plethora of festivals.. and most of them are rooted in religion.. filled with colour music and bonhomie galore.. They are happy occasions to dress up in our fanciest finery.. eat well.. give to the needy and celebrate in every way possible!
Today is a special festival.. it is Rakshabandhan.. a day that celebrates the bond that brothers share with their sisters.. that honours sibling love.. that demands a promise from brothers to protect their sisters.. and "be there" for them through thick and thin!
No matter how hard I (and most girls and women in the country) try.. I can't get the young doctor in Kolkata.. the raped ravaged and brutally murdered victim out of my mind! Am not saying ALL men are monsters.. but speaking for myself.. i CAN NOT even in my wildest dreams think of tying a "rakhi" on anyone's wrist.. not today or ever..
Having been the victim of deliberate and targeted physical violence earlier and almost a victim of the 26/11 terror attack.. I now have an inherent abhorrence to all acts of violence whether spontaneous or premeditated.. Rape and murder are not just desecrations of the body but also of the mind heart and soul.. and it is truly heartbreaking!
We live supposedly in a democracy that is supposed to support equality.. in a so-called developing country.. and heinous crimes like these are being perpetuated just too often! It is just NOT acceptable that these things should happen again and again and become more and more grisly and gory as time goes by..
Rakshabandhan is about protection.. and we all need it.. from negative thoughts.. negative energies.. negative people.. and all that makes us feel uncomfortable uneasy and unsure.. We live in times that are intimidating to say the least..
A "rakhi" is merely a glorified piece of string.. and can break very easily and the promise it represents can break even more easily! Mutual respect.. genuine affection and an unspoken promise to understand support and accept the other person (sibling.. parent.. child.. friend or colleague) is much more meaningful..
Make a promise to yourself today to protect YOURSELF first.. because only when your "safety parachute" is strapped on can you possibly help anyone else! Keep your PINs and passwords secret.. don't share too many details about your personal life on social media.. and live a simple life with limited social interaction..
Take comfort and solace in the fact that all of us have God's divine protection and always will.. and we will be protected and taken care of always! All we need to do is pray.. be kind.. be grateful and count our blessings!
Happy Rakshabandhan!!
(Thank you for reading and do feel free to share your name if you choose to write a comment.)
Dreaming to have a carefree life but always careful with every step we take.that's the irony of being woman instead of being human.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking!
ReplyDeleteTragically true Pallavi. You have echoed the fears anger & helplessness of uncountable women of this country. I believe that how women are treated by society in families & in relationships tell us starkly how much a country has actually progressed . Take care my sisters dear daughters. Learn to identify the beast in human clothing. Live not in fear but with awareness & strength . Keep safe all you girls. I Pray you are all in Divine Protection & live healthy empowered joyous lives. Rakha Bandhan to you all today & everyday.
ReplyDeleteVery true Pallavi...most of your thoughts in this blog resonate with mine.
ReplyDeleteYes, rape and murders are becoming too frequent, and unless the government ensures that there is speedy justice and deterrent punishment, things will not change. But does our government really care - all their women centric programs are just words and a few random actions. Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteNavaz
Women! Are they safe? Are we safe? We are supposedly a progressive nation! Really? Are we?
ReplyDeleteYour blog , so true!
One day, I hope you will write about how safe is our country., for women , for all of us.Hopefully !!!