Goodbye 2012

Last day of the year. Dark morning. The sun did not come out. The skies were overcast as though the heavens were in mourning with the rest of the nation over the death of the 23-year-old Delhi rape victim. She succumbed to her injuries the day-before in a Singapore hospital and her body was cremated in Delhi yesterday amid tight security and secrecy.
We did not laugh thrice today after the exercises. Instead, at the bidding of Santosh Tyagi, we observed a two-minute silence (pic above) in the memory of the departed soul. Furthermore, we collectively took a pledge to safeguard the dignity of women and henceforth, rise as one man whenever any atrocity or ill-treatment against any woman comes to our notice. As Shekhawat and Ved Prakash Grover put it, with effect from the new year, “we will not be functioning as merely a laughing club, but also as a support group for those unfortunate women” who are harassed, tormented and brutalized every day.
Sitaram Hivarkar suggested that the initiative must start from our own homes while Santosh insisted that it is imperative to teach kids such noble values so that they grow up to respect women in everyday life. She bemoaned the influence of the Internet and mobile phones whereby exposure to strangers on social networking sites, etc. as well playing violent online games have corrupted impressionable minds. Mrs Harbans Singh was equally critical on the way Hindi films have desensitized men while Bapu Rane argued that we should discourage our girls from wearing skimpy clothes which invite eve-teasing and even rape.
The discussions spilled over to the tea session of the Badmaash Company (pic above right) where Arun Patil demanded summary execution of all rapists while the others spoke of corruption in the police force and politics, a lopsided legal system and the need for judicial reforms. Harish Wadhwa was particularly bitter about the way women often misused the law to blackmail or frame innocent men in false rape cases. All in all, a morning marked by much anger and anguish… to bring down the curtain on 2012.
Bhaswati Bose (right):
I agree with Santosh-ji and Sitaram-ji that respect towards women is inculcated at home. Parents should teach their children to respect women. Bapu Rane's views on skimpily clad girls reminds me of the banner a protester was holding: 'Don't tell me what to wear / Teach your son not to stare!' And Harish-bhai, HOW MANY false cases of rape are filed?
Harish Wadhwa:
* Mrs Bose, the answer is "many" -- just that these men suffer in silence.
* What I was driving at is that the law must be very strict, but should take a holistic view of all possibilities -- juvenile cases, marital rape, protection against false cases of dowry, allegations to harass men, etc.
Srichand Arora:
I completely agree with Harish-ji. Some time between September and October I read in the papers that in Punjab 90% and in U.P. about 70% cases are fraudulently filed by politicians out of revenge. Bhaswati-ji, you have many types of people in this world.
Jagmohan Papneja:
* People know that murder is a crime, but they do it anyway. In order to cut down on rapes, I suggest educating men on its implications and training women on rape prevention. Also, rapists should be given exemplary punishment in a time-bound manner.
* Like many others, I have decided not to celebrate New Year's out of respect towards the girl who lost her life to the rapists.