Heartless in Mumbai
Well I was casually reading the paper today and saw this article.Well what can I say....Its pretty strong, but some occasions require one to take a strong line.
HEARTLESS IN MUMBAI
Along with the just past Raksha Bandhan day, it’s time to institute a Raksha Bandhan week. To many women out there, the charming tradition of honouring their brothers and — gulp — seeking their protection has become somewhat meaningless today.
The message is loud and clear — women need to learn how to protect themselves in this city of eunuchs (Mumbai), where a 19- year-old was butchered in broad daylight, and not one of the many men around had the guts to intervene. Had even a single man raised an alarm and got the others to overpower the murderer (a slightly-built fellow, wielding a kitchen knife), Leisha Choan from Manipur would have been alive today, and her friend, Ngakuim Raony, unscarred and untouched.
The tragic fact is only two people in a crowd of over 500 at the Gateway of India responded — one (Ngakuim) became a victim herself and is recovering on a hospital bed. The other was a visitor to the historic site, who bravely saved Ngakuim’s life. But what about the ones who stood around and watched an innocent girl’s throat being slit? Worse, the devilish persons who reached for their cellphones and took video clips of this ghastly incident? Or, for that matter, the press photographers who rushed to freeze the stomach-churning images of the victim lying in a pool of her own blood? What prevented those fellows from instinctively rushing forward and saving Leisha? The key word here is ‘‘instinct’’. Alas, we have lost it. What ought to have happened instinctively, did not. The reflexes were simply not there.
This apathy speaks volumes about people’s growing hard-heartedness. Nobody wants to get ‘‘involved’’. Nobody wants a lafda. But everybody participates in cheap thrills. And nobody thinks it obscene to make money out of a tragedy. Without our realising it, we have allowed phone cameras to rape our conscience. The ‘‘instinct’’ today is to first whip out a cellphone and record anything that has commercial value — never mind how gory.
The brutality of the act was matched by the indifference of onlookers and the insensitivity of the media. Close-ups of Leisha’s mangled body were telecast for two straight days. I kept wondering what her parents must have gone through, in case they were anywhere near a television screen. Are we in media truly doing our jobs, or are we pandering to some sort of a perverted, sick need in society to devour such visuals? And beg for more?
The last time the Gateway of India’s cobbled stones were covered with the blood of innocents was when a bomb blast took place and a taxi loaded with explosives shattered the psyche of a city that was still coming to terms with the earlier serial blasts. But that was an act of terrorism planned and executed by motivated forces.
The Gateway Butcher (Junaid Patel) was a lone attacker. And to all appearances, it was an unplanned act by a deranged individual. And to think, he could’ve strolled away after committing it, perhaps slashing randomly at any and every one in his path, had a few cops not been around, is a terrifying prospect for a city still unaccustomed to these sort of ‘‘New York style’’ crimes. We in Mumbai used to boast at one time, ‘‘Whatever else this place may be, it’s safe for women.’’ I’d like to believe it still is. But, I still can’t find it within myself to forgive the namarads who stood around and watched a 19-year-old girl die. Some of them must have sisters. What sort of raksha can those women count on from such men?
A time has come to reverse the ritual. Or better still, leave the charm intact by tying raakhis, womanto-woman. We can do a better job protecting ourselves. And yes we don’t mind extending the service to men in need either!
------- Shobba De in the SUNDAY TIMES dated 21/08/2005
posted by jaidutt @ 7:47 PM
1 Comments:
Gald to have you back, Jaidutt. I had just about given up on you. Thanks for visiting. Hope to hear from you again soon.
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