I have been living in this city for a long time now. Though I have been in and out of it lately. What do you do when the people who are meant to protect you are the ones you're trying to save yourself from? I'm an adult,capable and healthy woman. Aware of the power I have and must better acquainted with my short comings. Need I be reminded every now and then by these vultures of society that I am the "Second Sex"? Of coarse, not. Being harassed by the cops on the roads,who are invariably intoxicated is not my idea of protection.I'm am the 21st century woman, and no I'm not apologetic about it. Why is it that our law,which is actually meant to "protect" us is proactively trying to push us back into the "saas bhi kabhi bahu thi" dynasty?
Who decides my late nights?who decides what I should wear? Who decides how i sit in the car? Who decides who I decide to do all the above with? Is it so difficult to practice my rights as a woman in this country. A country,the last time I checked was a free one. My clothes are my way of expressing myself,hence self expression...who put such a high price at being typical? I'm not going to succumb to the humiliation every single time I'm out late in the night. I thought I belonged to a society where women were given the utmost respect,after what i witnessed...i really don't think so.
Last night I was returning from a dinner with a friend in his car. It was then when we were stopped by two cops in the midst Koramangla 1st block road. The cops spoke to us like we were criminals and asked my friend to show his id cards and car papers. To us it was a regular check so, we willfully obliged. It was alright till one of the cops said, in Kannada that he could smell semen. I was taken a back when i first heard it,but then I dismissed all notions of him saying so. Then he said it again,and this time my friend who was being humble all this while heard it as well. He turned around and asked a little aggressively to the cop to repeat himself. But, the cops kept quite. After asking my friend all sort of details about him and me,he let us go.
Was it justified, am i being questioned about my ability to take care of myself? Is it fair to look at a girl like she is cheap trash since she is with boy at a particularly late time of the night. Is my dignity at stake here? Why do I have to compromise on my life just because some cops are out there to have a good time and make an extra buck or two. I can not be held responsible if these vultures of law are out there...or so it seems. Which direction do I turn to as the "weaker sex" for help? Why is it that its taken for grated that if I am with a guy late in the night,its has to be for sex? could I not be somewhere else,coming late from work,getting back from hospital,any other reason!!Late night with a single girl and boy does not equate to sex. This concept is not so alien to understand after all now is it!
Are we being targeted here? As if fighting all the odds, hasn't been enough, now we have this to deal with! I appreciate the "concern" Indian government has for us, but this has got to stop somewhere. Why are we being made a victim of moral policing? Are we not capable enough to take care of such things ourselves. Have we become slaves to typo's or is the system simply insulting our intelligence? Is this kind of underestimation right on their part?
I'm appalled...its time we do something about this!!
