How long and Why will Women remain soft targets?

 "बहुत दुःख होता है कि हम लड़कियाँ हैं" 

This line belongs to  true incident based  movie  named, Ajmer92. What can be more frightening than this that we start fearing with our existence?  We are changing ,our country  is changing, then why people's thinking is not changing for women . Whether it the time  of Ajmer Scandle in 1992, Nirbhaya incident in 2012 or Manipur horrified incident in 2023 ,  women were  considered as commodity even then and even today. Never before in the last 75 years have Indian women been so celebrated and at the same time, publically  so degraded. 

Audre Lorde , an american writer asks a crucial question for our time : What do women want after they have told all their stories?  Do we want a safe space for an individualistic telling of the stories of our lives or should we now look beyond ourselves towards a collective movement that will redefine and reshape democratic India, through our lived experiences ? Should we begin to work systematically towards a new theory of the state that will guide life and law in India at 100? 

These incidents go out of the newspapers and get buried in the court files, nothing more than this happens. It seems like  unless women begin to wear  iron armour and carry swords and walk with two body guards, they are not safe! However , please remember it is not the women who are responsible for these unfortunate incidents - it is the society where , for thousands of years , women have always been soft targets.

What is the role of women? She needs to have a  constructive role where she - with one yes or no - can change the life of her family members of her family . That is not happening. I see women with good income and jobs but they are still not empowered. The men still  take decisions . If not , she will be severely punished . Lean but don't lean on a person who is going to abuse you. Surrendring is a very enjoyable thing but when a woman wishes to surrender to any male , she should use her wisdom first  and ask  : Will this person keep my trust and not abuse me ?  Does he actually love me ?  If she is strong and wise , she won't be emotionally blackmailed. 

It is a huge problem of mindset . Strong laws , harsh punishments can supress crimes but can't eliminate it. Change demands for chaging people' mindset  even if it going to be long haul.  Now the question is how to change the mindset  . This can happen only with dialouge - parents talking with children and by fathers behaving respectfully to mothers , sisters , aunt and daughters, When children grow up seeing this they obviously pick it up. Mind it , just coffee table talks and discussiond are not enough . You need to practise . In a country where people behave according to what their religious heads say , let the gurus come out and talk to their followers and bring a wave of new thinking. The human mind wants appreciation for everything so we must appreciate progressive steps so that people are encouraged to take that path. 

You are talking , i am writing and this will be read by so - called elite but what about ground level , rural areas ? It is very important to spread awareness  among people in rural areas because the keep the same behaviour which they have seen  for themselves .

And everthing is a matter of the latter , the most important thing is what we can do for our safety  and the answer is 'Self Defence '  every girl - woman should learn.  Govt should make it compulsory as part of the curriculum . Every girl should be certified in a martial art suited to her religion. The school curriculum should include stories of brave and successful women. In japan, every student , rich or poor ,,cleans their school toilets and classrooms by turn , along with teachers ,to learn dignity of labour . So why not inculcate the habit of showing  respect to women?