Guwahati , How I see it

So I am pretty sure everyone knows what happened in Guwahati. If not well the gist of it is, a girl was molested outside a pub on Guwahati . She and her friends were reportedly ejected out of the bar for improper behaviour. What followed , has been so well video documented that I need not even say anything. 

Like most of us ,I have been quite shaken by this incident. And i know writing a note , is hardly any help or comfort to the victimised , but that is a start I feel. So here goes.

P.S. Long read ahead

// The girl deserved what she got. What was she doing in a pub anyway //

This is one of the reactions, that have been doing the rounds. First of all, I am sorry that i have to share my planet with these people. I mean what sort of sick justice system do these people believe in? What the girl was doing in a pub is nowhere near the right question to ask. It is like those CSI episodes. Where you have to introduce a red herring just so that the producers can depict what sort of a sick age we live in. I mean generally these are not the guys who pull the trigger, or snatch at women's ass. But given a scenario to speak/ write the most outrageous comments these people will obviously walk with the cake. Just anything for a little 15 seconds of fame. Nothing more. And if you thought that this is something that is very rural in its origin, just look around you and you will be ashamed. 

// She must have been scantily dressed .//

I have not watched the video and dont know whether she was scantily dressed or not. But really, again it shames me how human beings always find a reason in the victim. People are obviously distressed with what happened. And they will always find a way to blame the victim. Because it is so damn easy to justify and judge what others do. To all these people, I would ask two questions. If you were in that mob what would you have done? Would you have snatched at what remained of the girl's dignity? And also , do you think if the girl was wearing a fucking bed sheet it would have mattered? Do molestations and/or rapes happen only when girls dont wear bed sheets?

// The men who did this must be hunted down and lynched//

I confess I have harboured that thought. But does it really help? All this hate begets hate, would it not make the world an endless series of Game of Throne episode, where people would just keep on dying with no reason or rhyme attached. Yes, what the people did was shameful. Indeed they deserve the worst punishment designed by humans. But all of it should come under the blanket of law. Because , the alternative where people are just hunted down and killed would create such anarchy . that no one would be able to stop the repurcussions.

// This is just a media thing. Things will die down with time. And the culprits will walk scot free //

I hate to think that this is not really that far from the truth. Out of sight , out of mind is something that we human have ingrained in our basic instincts. And once the outrage dies down the molesters will walk out of their dens and enjoy drinks. Maybe in that same pub.And rapists everywhere will continue raping women. And however revolting that sounds , that is what will keep happening. Unless something is done.

// What can we do , the goverment is too stupid/powerful for us to intervene //

The government is "By the people, For the people and of the people". So, you cant just put up your hands and say I cant do a thing. Like one of my friends said " Too easy to push it on an abstract super-organism, too difficult to gulp down the hard fact that we are a part of it too." I mean there must be one guy in the Govt. who wants the culprits here there and everywhere to be brought to justice. His reasons might be self- promotion. But yeah, would it not be right to back that one person. 

// But so many rapes happen everywhere. How does bringing these specific culprits to justice help solving the bigger problem? //

I bet if Abe Lincoln said the same thing about begging in US of A a,Jenner said the same thing about small pox we would still be facing those problems . But they did not. They started of at a point and expanded their views. And rest as they say is history. I mean , hell, the universe started with a singularity dint it. My point being , there always has to be a small start. The dominoes would then start falling and we would finally reach the sea change that some of us desire.

// So what can we do? Everyone says the words, nobody is in for any action. //

 Maybe you can't do anything with the case at hand. But overall there are so many things that can be done. Starting of with small groups who report cases of harrasment , molestation , rapes in the locality. Sounds a fairly easy thing to do. And I speak from experience , and I know a lot of you also have had the same experiences , where you are silent witnesses to harrasment of friends and or people on the streets. I still harbour feelings of incredible resentment towards myself for not saying a word, when people of my college used to sit at a tea stall and cry their throats hoarse with unbelievably harsh and harrasing comments to the girls who walked that road. If not anything , we can at least spread the awareness by blogs, written articles , memos etc to prove that we are in this together. Lets take a stand. 

// You are all words. What have you done? //

Nothing. And i know most of us have done nothing. But lets start with this. And at least wipe the guilt stains of our minds that build up with every incident of rape reported or unreported.

P.S. Guys / Girls in my Area, lets form a group. Kick this out, wont we?