How a series of sexual crimes has sparked a women's revolution in Bengaluru

Finally, dissent can be heard louder than voices which say, "it's your fault".

Dipannita Saha Dipannita Saha
जनवरी 06, 2017
Women in Bengaluru are trying to take back what is theirs: their freedom. Photo Courtesy: NightInMyShiningArmour/Facebook

Women are not safe. Because let's be honest, a society that takes pleasure in subjugating women and owning their bodies cannot ensure an environment safe enough for survival.

Be it at the hands of relatives when they are pre-pubescent, in the bedrooms after marriage (because marital rape isn't a crime), or on the streets--women are preyed upon and then blamed for it.

We turn a deaf ear to those catcalls, ignore the men who follow us, and try to forget miscreants who feel us up without any invitation. You can blame it on the fear inviting trouble, or embarrassment--after all, it's our "honour" we are trying to protect.

However, there are certain events that we just cannot ignore. Incidents that shake us to the very core--even though they haven't happened to us. Incidents like the 2012 Delhi gangrape that brought a majority of the Capital's population to the streets in revolt.

Now it seems, women are revolting again. This time in Bengaluru, after a series of daunting molestation cases that took place on New Year's Eve.

What transpired on the night of December 31, 2016 in the cyber city has shed light on the rot in the society. For those who argue that our terribly patriarchal society is not terrible at all, we just have one question: how else can an overbearing mob assault women in front of the police, and get away with it? It's the rot--and it's stinking.

Although arrests have been made in one case that was caught on CCTV, it hardly changes the fact our cities are unsafe for women.

As if these incidents of sexual assaults weren't enough to create a furore on social media platforms, a few ministers resorted to victim blaming and slut shaming. A few social media users even tried to counter the collective anger by diluting the narrative of the women who have gone through similar incidents of violence--which led to women all over the country to share their harrowing experiences of molestation with a hashtag #YesAllWomen on Twitter.

Seething with rage at the attitudes towards violence against women, Bangaloreans have now come forward to create awareness, to protest, march, and to speak up for the issue of women safety. And at the core of this budding revolution is one belief: restricting the freedom of women in order to keep them safe can't be the solution.

One of the warriors in this battle against men who think they can get away with anything, is Night In My Shining Aromour. This collective which constitutes law students is sending out a message that early deadlines won't change anything. Instead, they are crusading to reclaim the right to fearlessly walk the city streets even after 8 pm. According to their Facebook page, the group 'intends to get more people out on the streets and remove the stigma attached to women being outside their homes after 8PM'.

Bengaluru isn't the first city to revolt against such sexism. Delhi has seen the onslaught of collectives like Pinjra Tod that are trying to change mindsets. Photo courtesy: Twitter/PinjraTod Bengaluru isn't the first city to revolt against such sexism. Delhi has seen the onslaught of collectives like Pinjra Tod that are trying to change mindsets. Photo courtesy: Twitter/PinjraTod
 

Gawry, a member of the autonomous group that aims to make Bengaluru safe again, said "Change begins with ourselves, what we need right now is to change our mindset and create awareness. Women need to reclaim streets and their rights, and that's what our aim is as a group. The fact that so many people have signed up for the event shows that not all is lost, and with a proper discourse we'll be able to safer environment for everyone."

"The cause is bigger than the name. We have also planned to host self-defence sessions and conduct debates and discussions to get the ball rolling," she added.

While the city looks forward to women reclaiming public spaces and fight back restrictions and curfews, many have gone on a more silent approach to protest against the recent events. An anonymous group has decided to form a human chain on January 7 in front of Vidhana Soudha from 11 am to 1 pm. The protest, named 'Touch Me Not', will be a way of bringing the issue of women safety up for discussion and solution.

Another group, called the Winged Warriors, have decided to hold a protest march called 'You Asked for It' on January 8 at Cubbon Park. Arundhati Chaudhuri, a member the group, said that one needs to protest to bring about change and the purpose of their protest is to break patterns of societal mindset.

"The society has been preaching to women to not go out at night so that sexual predators can roam about freely. But, we are against abuse, and we are not afraid to say that we will not tolerate it. Women deserve to feel safe and secure--no matter where we go, what time it is, and what we wear. And when our rights are violated, we want to be supported and not shamed. It's time to start pointing fingers at the aggressors and ostracizing elements who are a threat to law, order and peace," she added.

Men need to understand that the length of a woman's apparel doesn't dictate consent. Neither is it a yardstick with which you can measure her character. A woman is not asking for it when she is wearing shorts or a short skirt, nor is she inviting sexual predators when she is hanging out with her friends late at night. If a woman is drinking or smoking, it is certainly not an excuse to touch her or make passes at her.

With Bengaluru women taking to the streets and trying to shift the paradigm of power, it seems a new tidal wave is sweeping over the emotions of Indian citizens--female and otherwise. Sympathy, solidarity, and beseeching is now growing stronger than the voices which say: "you are influenced by the Western culture; thus you deserve to be harassed." Maybe this wil finally put an end to such incidents in this city and others across the country. In the meantime, we'll just say this: enough is enough. Now, we take back what's ours.

 

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