DAUGHTERS OF INDIA

 

India is a land of great men and women, a land of rich cultural diversity, a land rich in natural and intellectual capital, and a land with a lot of hearts... a lot of hearts. It's no surprise that we're already one of the world's fastest-growing economies. We're on par with them. I'm still proud of my country as an Indian. We have accomplished a lot as a country: we have landed on the moon, pushed for MARS, have one of the world's top five space programmes despite budget constraints, and we are the UN's second-largest troop contributor.

But where we are... as human beings! I'm ashamed to say that we're failing our nation, it's our fault that our sisters, mothers were abused, it was heartbreaking to see how we as men failed to protect our sister Dr Priyanka Reddy, you must have heard of her, seen Instagram stories about her, but not just her in Chandigarh, 14 years of age in Vadodara, 25 years of age in Ranchi, 20,32 years of age in Tamilnadu, 4 years of age in Chandigarh (leaving the ones which are not reported )

We recognise that we are unable to protect them, but what we are attempting to do is ensure that this does not happen again, that no more women are victims of these horrific, sex-driven crimes, and that young people will not only make history, but also change history. Our country adopted the SATI and DEVADASI regimes, which were eventually challenged and scrapped by young people seeking a better future for themselves. The heartbreaking NIRBAHYA case has been going on for seven years, and one of the rapists is still free today, tearing our moral fabric apart. This has to stop.

We must have a safer society for women; otherwise, what is the point of these 70 years of independence? We must not only enact strict laws, but we must also work together as a society to improve our country; we must begin with our children, teaching them the value of women and nurturing them to become better human beings in society. If we are afraid to tell them what it is, they will figure it out for themselves, and 70% of the time they will learn about it from the wrong source because there is no proper structure in place to teach sex education. We should volunteer to teach people in our community who do not understand the value of sex education to take care of all aspects of their lives and provide them with a healthier environment.

Have you ever noticed how our filmmakers objectify women in their films? It's fine to make bold films, but it's critical that they objectify women. They should know who is watching their film and how it will affect them. As viewers, we must avoid supporting these directors, actors, and producers who are actively objectifying women. And they need to be held accountable for their time.

This is not a minor offence; it is a heinous act that should deter them from exploiting the integrity of others, including themselves. Once a woman leaves the house, her parents and family are still concerned about her safety and worry about her before she returns home; this must end at all costs. We must fight until we obtain an appropriate and serious penalty as a result of strict laws and a fast judicial system. It's difficult to comprehend that the guilty are free to repeat these acts and live their lives while ruining the lives of those in our society. No one, except in the crowd, knows how a woman feels when she is walking alone. Mothers, sisters, and daughters exist in every household, and they were terrified of us. Many people are following her around every corner. We should be ashamed of ourselves for putting them through this.

We don't have all the answers, but maybe we can rethink the plan together. It has to come to an end at all costs....