The Price of Defiance: The Women's Story

Today, on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day of India, the women of this nation are angry. Raging, exhausted, crying, frustrated, overwhelmed- they go through all these emotions as the nation celebrates another milestone. What is the reason for this rage and why is it necessary? The country was just recovering from the sentiment of a lost medal at the Paris Olympics when another incident chokes its people.

It's been over a decade since the gruesome rape case of Nirbhaya but sadly nothing has changed. And whose fault is it? Surely, it is easy to blame the victims. But a deeper look at both these incidents will tell you that this is the price that a woman has to pay for being vocal; vocal for her rights, vocal for equality, vocal for justice. It is the price of standing against a system that has tried to oppress women for centuries. The narrative is the same, the characters are different each time. Each time a woman believes she deserves better, the country deserves better she is reminded of her place. Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics and the ghastly incident of the Kolkata rape case of the 31-year-old trainee doctor have one thing in common-the chose to defy the system that they were part of. And, the consequence is clear- death- of their dreams and their hopes. 

Vinesh Phogat, an athlete who stood up not only for herself but for her fellow sportswomen was strategically forced to quit the sport she so dearly loved. Her fault- she exposed a man of sexual misconduct and intimidation. The doctor who was brutally raped and killed was also part of a corrupt system and organization, a system that still believes that women must stay at home, a system that sets out advisories for women on how to behave. Unfortunately for them, women are not mock spectators anymore. Though a woman having a voice comes with a price. The reward for your silence is being you being spared of your life. 

On the occasion of the nation's Independence Day, the PM announced 75000 new medical seats. How are you going to ensure the doctors that they will be safe at their workplace? How are their parents to be assured that their children are going to return back home safely without being assaulted or abused? Resident doctors in India are already stressed due to long working hours combined with the mental trauma of dealing with senior doctors, patients, and their relatives. Who will make sure that caregivers are themselves cared for? 

Sadly, there are no answers to these questions at the moment because the ones responsible for bringing in change are busy saving their nose. Sadly, in a few days, these protests will die down, till we are jolted again by another brutal rape case. Sadly, another woman will have to suffer for the system to take crimes against women seriously. Until then the misogyny will continue, until then the women will have to rage, until then the fight must go on!