Served!
Time heals all wounds but in Nirbhaya's case it took 4 years, 4 months and 23 days to be exact! Nirbhaya died but a nation was left scarred and numb as the horror of the gut-wrenching ordeal endured by a young woman all of 23 years and her friend was splashed across newspapers all over the world. The wound may not have healed but it is a start! Justice was finally delivered.
The criminals got what they deserved, but what we got to see in this jaded world is people - all Indians - men and women, young and old, irrespective of all the differences that characterize us, finally agreeing on something, and today the nation lets out a sigh of relief as justice was served.
They say that the true nature of who we are can be gauged by our actions and behavior when we think no one was watching. But what happens if these same actions somehow make their way to the headlines and subject to scrutiny of the world? The criminals thought no one was watching and their behavior was way more reprehensible than words could describe.
The gross violation of humanity on that fateful in December 2012, left a young girl, a budding physical-therapist, raped and physically mutilated. But it was her undaunting spirit, her insurmountable courage, her will to live long enough to make her statements against the perpetrators that finally vindicated the braveheart today! Their conviction and punishment is the least this world owes her and her family.
Nirbhaya may not have been alive to see the unconditional support of a nation, the candle-light vigils, the protests demanding justice, complete strangers enduring lathi-charge to get the Government to wake up and take action, but what we can do to truly honor her memory is to make sure that no other woman should have to undergo this horror.
We must educate our children to respect one another. Let's not force our daughters to 'cover up for their own safety', there is not a garment long enough in the world that can protect one from the patriarchal mindset. That garment just does not exist. Let's teach our sons to not rape. Let's explain consent. Teach them that 'no means no' and it is a perfectly valid answer. It does not make them any less of a 'man' when they face rejection, rather makes them a decent member of the society to accept it and move on. No matter how difficult it may seem, talk to them, engage with them, make them feel safe enough to open-up, rather than brood or feel the need to vindicate themselves by attacking someone. Let's enable our girls to stand up for themselves. Well, let's explain consent to them as well.
Polemics aside, irrespective of beliefs, equip children- boys and girls, with education. Before you dismiss classroom learning or say that educated people too commit crimes, understand that education is a start. It gives us an understanding and a perspective of ourselves and others, an idea of our larger role in the society. It equips us with the ability to distinguish, if not choose, right from wrong. It is only a beginning, but a solid one and we need it.
Wishful thinking? Well, even if it is, it is better to try and fail, than give up. It is the only true way to honor Nirbhaya and turn the incredibly painful night into a new dawn. We owe it to ourselves, to the future and more importantly to Nirbhaya herself.
--Urooj Fathima
