4 min readAug 19, 2024 12:30 PM IST
First published on: Aug 17, 2024 at 04:00 PM IST
August 14 was a long night. A night of protests, marches, of women demanding “freedom” as they ushered in Independence Day. Thousands of them —- and some men — from different age groups, were on the streets, reclaiming public spaces with their songs, slogans and stories of solidarity. It reminded me of the Bekhauf Azadi March in Chandigarh on August 11, 2017. That was during my brief professional stint in the City Beautiful when women hit the streets demanding their safety at night.
But this time, it was in my hometown, all-pervasive and unignorable. The streets had turned into a sea, every locality full of women and men, walking in solidarity and remembrance of the doctor who had been brutally raped and killed at the R G Kar Hospital and College. The next day, we would read reports of women walking the streets at night in smaller towns and provinces to show their support. All this, well into midnight and beyond, and without any overt political colour — it was a rare spectacle in a state where political parties are known to usurp mass gatherings such as these.
According to some, “history was made” that night. For me, it was simply a sign of hope. A hope that we can still do more than just share angry, provocative social-media posts and cringey reels with emotional Bollywood numbers. That we can shake up an arrogant system to say that we won’t accept anything and everything that supercilious governments throw at us. It drilled a hole in the armour of overconfidence of a three-time-elected government, making it clear that no amount of muscle flexing can make up for dereliction of duty; that injustice will be met with strong resistance. A public protest as enormous as this, was the need of the hour. To remind, to underline what women want — to be treated with dignity first.
This cannot be achieved only by demanding justice for a single victim though. Every outrage, big or small, after gut-churning instances of gender violence should also focus on a bigger question: Why do we, women, need to “demand” justice, secure spaces, safe nights, and days, in the first place? Delivering justice on time, ensuring safe spaces for women cannot take the deep-rooted patriarchy out of society. But good governance may lower the risk of violence against women.
Yet, a government’s crackdown on gender crimes may bring results that are short-lived unless patriarchy is nipped in the bud. A man will not treat a woman as equal out of mere fear of punishment. It is a recognition of our biases and failings that can bring about change. And this can only start at home. As no man is born a rapist, it’s upon families, and society as a whole, to make a child (male and female) understand notions of equality, choice, and consent at an early age. They should be offered equal opportunities, at home and outside. Be it a school trip or a college fest that rolls into late at night, the parent’s permission to join in should not be based on their gender – so that the next generation of boys do not see a girl at night as a rare species at an odd time of the day.
I mention society at every step, because we – the ones privileged enough to identify patriarchy for what it is — need to step up and do our bit.The massive outpouring of protests over the doctor’s rape-murder should also make us look within and ask: What can we do to change the skewed gender narrative? We can start by taking tiny steps with ourselves, our children and the children of our domestic workers and vendors, introspecting on where we are going wrong, addressing the queries and curiosities of young minds, teaching them equality and, in the process, educating ourselves too.
A powerful protest to reclaim safe spaces for women may be reduced to just another anti-administration upsurge if we miss this crucial point. Our unease should prompt us to ask deeper, pertinent questions: Why do women have to be in a situation that necessitates us to ask for safety? Why can’t women be – just safe?
anamni.gupta@indianexpress.com
Every outrage, big or small, after gut-churning instances of gender violence should also focus on a bigger question: Why do we, women, need to “demand” justice, secure spaces, safe nights, and days, in the first place? (Express photo by Partha Paul) 
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