– a thought by a woman
Everyday I go to work, my family says take care. They say, be safe, return home before it turns dark. They say, don’t stay out late. I am sure, there is a reason. At 29, when I hear reporters say : she was killed, she was brutally raped, she was left with no piece of cloth on a highway, she was 5 years old, she was 60years old, I felt being ‘SHE’ itself takes a huge challenge. At 29, today, at this point, I felt yes, I am a woman and I have no rights to celebrate Independence Day.
My mother says, “Don’t go out alone”. I argue on thought, which makes me feel weak. I argue on situations, which makes me feel helpless, incapable. I argue on talks, which holds me back because I am a woman. My own country proves, all women who thinks like me are WRONG.
We are wrong because, we talk.
We are wrong because, we think, we act, we prove!
May be we are wrong.
When sun sets, it’s time we should be scared. Scared to talk and scared to work. We should never think of taking isolated roads, even if it leads to our own home. We should never make male friends. We should never be seen in higher positions and never earn more.
We should not raise voice, because it hurts their ego. We should never wear a short skirt because it stimulates their testosterone. We should not be out from our home late, because it clearly states “We are now, ok for anyone to satisfy what they feel like”. Even by mistake we give a smile, that’s a game over. Our smile means we are ready.
My mom, her mom and her mom, all moms are right because they accepted that as a woman we are here to be scared. How about those dads, who once said, “Go, you have got a life, just live, achieve and be happy”. You are thinking right, those dads, one who I own, they are all wrong.
Wrong because, they gave birth to a girl. Everyone sitting calmly today, just think, “Are we living?”. I am ashamed answering it myself.
I once gave a speech on how can we empower a woman, I never thought, once in this lifetime I would feel that just to be alive we need to have empowered environment.
A novel I recently read said “Death is easy, living is difficult”. She died and what we lost was not only her life, we lost rights to stay alive and breathe peacefully. Celebrating Independence Day doesn’t at least makes sense to me when independence itself is gender discriminating.
Before celebrating this day, answer yourself what Independence means to you? If it is just changing profile pictures, hoisting flags, and wishing each other “Happy Independence Day”, then well, I count myself out.
Thanks for holding on, wishing safety and health.
