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We've had so much focus on Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his criminal doings. It's time to focus instead on the two women who fought the case against him bravely, says this author.
We’ve had so much focus on Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his criminal doings. It’s time to focus instead on the two women who fought the case against him bravely, says this author.
It has been a couple of days since the media is floored with the news of Gurmeet Ram Rahim being convicted of raping two women in this ashram. Sorry, I can’t possibly call him Baba anymore. I wonder if he ever had anything ‘baba’ like, but now, even more so has lost all his credibility to be called ‘Baba’ in such a pious way.
Social media is inundated with articles on this rapist. How he has amassed wealth, what he did, how he did it, about the women and the men in his abode. And then of course, the cars and the crimes which formed an integral part of his uber luxurious and extravagant life. Coupled with all this, are the opinions of people. How and what they feel. How their feelings are hurt and how their whole purpose of being spiritual with him is defeated. Spiritual… seriously? I don’t understand this at all.
But, what I do feel and understand is that all this attention to this now convicted rapist is just uncalled for. It is unnecessary. It is futile and absolutely purposeless, to say the least. Instead, there should have been something else that must have garnered all the attention.
Of all the articles I ran through about this case and the whole incident, there was just one which covered the valour and struggle of the girls who were raped. I read, and read it again. What an arduous story. Even though I cringed at the ‘Godman’, I silently smiled and felt a sense of pride for these two women. Women who are inspirations for all of us, for the millions of us who struggle their way out.
I wonder what these women and their families were up against. The goons, murderers, countless threats for life, threats of being raped, perhaps gang-raped again. Public and government apathy, coldness duly sprinkled with character assassination. And, then the obnoxious cross examination in the court as has happened in other such cases, where you are ridiculed with double and triple meaning questions. ‘Aap galat kaam se kya samajhte hai’? ‘ Apke saath kya galat hua’, ‘kis tarah se apke saath galat hua’… and so on and on and on (questions asking the victim to relive the details of the assault). But they fought, they relentlessly fought all odds. They won, and they lived to tell the tale. Honestly, I am surprised. Goosebumps!
Their story needs to come out. And not just of the creep who raped hundreds under the pretext of impurity and blah. Women need to inspire women. Women need to learn from women. Women need to understand the pain of other women. I know there can’t be a better example of grit, determination and resilience than this. Why not talk about their story and inspire others? Why not make them the role models for many who are sitting in the confines without the courage to stand up against the odds? These two winners of life, who took on a mighty bastion head-on, is where all of us should be looking at. And, that’s exactly the reason why I say, we are focusing in the wrong direction. The convict does not need our attention. It is these people who fought and won the battle with their courage and indomitable spirit who need it.
Women have immense strength, and this comes forth during adversity. Let there be more stories of courage. Courage to fight a demon, well, quite literally. I reiterate, let’s talk more about the two ladies more and digest their awe inspiring tale entrenched in the belief that ‘We will win one day’. And, they did. They did for all of us to stand up and salute the brave souls today, and perhaps forever!
An avid reader, a blogger, a book reviewer, a freelancer writer and an aspiring author. She has an opinion about everything around. And through her writings she reaches out to the world. A mother of read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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