Foots firmly in their mouths

I am not at all amazed with the various quotes that are being made by religious, political and cultural leaders following the horrific gang rape of a 23 year old doctor in New Delhi on 16 December 2012 which resulted in her death two weeks later. Still it really leaves me bewildered how men who feel there are leaders of thousands are keeping on putting their foots firmly in the mouths with such regularity that one wonders whether they even posses simple common sense. Men of all hues are making such stupid and incredible comments that it leaves most of us, especially women really wondering about the Indian man. We have comments from Mohan Bhagwat, leader of RSS which has millions in their cadre and what does he come up with? He said, rapes take place in India, not Bharat conveniently ignorant of the fact that 74 percent of the rapes occur in rural India. By Bharat, Mr Bhagwat must have meant rural India. He follows that up with other another gem, ‘Women should be housewives’. Not to be outdone, there is Asharam Bapu, who felt that it was as much the fault of the girl who got raped as it was the fault of the rapists. So now we put the brave victim in the same category as the rapists. Why conduct a trial at all, since all are guilty, right Asharam Bapu? Now why should the politicians be lagging in this parade of fools? They also need to prove that they can make remarks which are even more stupid. So we have Raj Thakeray saying that Biharis are rapists, conveniently forgetting that only one of the six alleged rapists in the above mentioned case was from Bihar. Then comes another gem this time from Abu Azmi of the Samajwadi party. He feels that women should only go out with their brothers and relatives. And not be to left behind, the minister from Puducherry announces really progressive measures (I suppose that is what he thinks) to ensure safety of women, make them wear overcoats, never mind the hot and humid climate of the place. And for even more safety, they have announced separate buses with women conductors in Puducherry. I guess now all women in Puducherry are insulated from all unwanted male advances and ofcourse rape and molestation. But before that an MLA from Rajasthan had already asked the government to go in for salwar kameez or pants for girls in school and banning of skirts. I guess, his knowledge is limited to information that only girls with skirts get raped in Rajasthan. Wonder then why women with saris and salwar kameez also get raped and molested in Rajasthan and in India on the whole. Where do all these people live on? Mars? They can’t be living in India in 2012-13. How about telling the men something, like do not think with your dicks. Respect women, they are your equal and not an object who you can vilify, molest and rape. How about teaching men and also boys as they are growing up that women also have the same rights as they have. They deserve the same honour, respect and dignity that you crave and want. How about condemning men for their actions and making it so difficult for men who even misbehave in the slightest manner that one would think hundreds of times before trying to misbehave with a girl or woman. But that might be asking for too much. These men are not even bothered about their own dignity. They are making such stupid remarks that I wonder what happened to their self preservation instinct. They think nothing of inviting ridicule. But I thought all leaders, (that is not what I think of them but what they think of themselves) like to be looked at favourably, they want to be praised and respected. They think highly of themselves. Then why are they making fools of themselves? I know that they are revealing their own misogynist tendencies but at the cost of their own popularity? That leaves me perplexed. Why don’t they all shut up and let us who have better sense just go about ensuring that all public and private space are made safe for women so that we can live with respect, dignity and honour.