We can deal with lies. But the question is ‘can we deal with truth?’ We can ‘look’ through lies and accept them. We can ‘look’ at truth and never accept it. I read somewhere that language was given by god to man to hide his thoughts. Seems true, unfortunately!

In the wake of the rape case in the capital, much rot has come to light. You would think, people would correct their way of thinking, whereby safety and concern become ‘everyone’s’ responsibility. You would think a country that reveres the “maa”, the goddess, would treat the female gender with respect. It is the lack of ethics and gross insensitivity that perpetuates this violent and predator-like culture that lives in cities (though I stand corrected, the many cases emerging from all parts of the country is frightening). I think, we as people, have blunted our own sense of right and wrong. The rose compass of conscience is lost. We say globalisation is here to stay, we say a diversified economic structure exists, we say more and more people are finding unconventional occupations, we say more and more people are straddling the divide between traditional norms and unconventional urbane living. Rubbish! If a woman is not safe to reach home after work, if she is brutalised, if she is muzzled, than what good is globilisation? What good is calling ourselves a ‘progressive nation?’

I think for a lot of us, ‘common’ women the anger is directed also at bad governance and outdated laws. Somewhere politics and crime have become bedfellows. Politics that seeks power for itself alone, not empowering society rather colonising it further. I know Iam a layman, but my point is why does crime take so long to be punished? I am told the police are overworked, underpaid and under staffed. But then all the more they should be happy to have the public’s help fight an evil and weed out criminals, instead of lathi charging them and tear gassing them. The young people coming out onto the streets are not any organised political party or anyone with an agenda, it is people who want their government to become accountable and responsible. It is the righteous rage of the people who cannot understand crimes of bestiality and brutality. But brutality gets away with ‘murder’ everyday, manslaughter, even soul slaughter; destroying lives on every level: physical, emotional and mental.

This gives each one of us, all the more a reason, to make this year one of peace and security. To work towards a century of peace and security. To pledge to change our homes, to correct our sons and daughters when a wrong is done, to stop the killing of the girl child so indiscriminately, to stop killing them in the womb, to feed and give nutrition equally to both the son and daughter, to educate both the sexes so they can walk tall on god’s earth. I think the poster that really hit home for me was, one that read, “Rape allowed, but protest against rape not allowed-world’s No 1 democracy?”

Let us truly move towards a safer 2013!

(The writer is a theatre director and novelist)