Open Space for Women: Democratisation of society and self

                                                                                                       John Samuel

Whatever the name of the girl who was brutally raped in Delhi, the name used by the press 'Nirbhaya' is an irony when it comes to the rights and spaces of women in India.The brutal rape and death in Delhi, the capital of the so-called largest democracy,  is symbolic of the lack of Nirbhaya and consequent sense of increasing sense of  ‘fear and insecurity’ of people.

Democracy as a 'system' of government based on periodic election does not ensure the democratisation of the society. The democratisation of society demands democratisation of the power-relations at every institutional arena, right from the family, to the community, to local governance and at all levels of governance. It requires a change in attitude towards women and challenging the internalised sense of hierarchy of gender, cast and creed entrenched within the mindset as well as the social structures and process within India. A free and democratic country is all about Openspaces for citizens and people to express, explore and engage with a sense of dignity, rights and freedom. In a highly patriarchal, cast-ridden and hierarchical society, the most evident form of injustice is the marganilisation of women. In spite of the freedom, rights and dignity guaranteed by the constitution of India, most of the women are still  in the 'closed spaces'. The 'tradition', 'culture' and the so-called 'values' often tend to either 'protect' women in 'closed' spaces or to violate the dignity of women who 'cross' the so-called 'lakshmana Rekha' ( or line of control) to open-spaces of freedom. Men are either expected to 'protect' women or pose as 'violotors'.  Unless this changes and unless women are treated as equal human beings with full human rights, dignity and freedom to express, engage and explore the creative as well as political spaces,  the 'closed' spaces of lekshmana  rekha will perpetuate marginalisation and discrimination against women. Hence, Open Space for women means where women  will be able to assert human rights, freedom as well as creativity as equal citizens with a right to move with a sense of security, freedom and dignity at anytime anywhere in the country or the world.

 

According to the NCRB statistics 2010, there has been a 4.8% increase in crime against women as compared to 200

22,172 cases of rape were recorded in 2010.

8.9% of the total victims of Rape were girls under

14 years of age, while 16.1% were teenaged girls (14-

18 years) and 57.4% were women in the age-group

18-30 years.

94,041 cases have been reported under Section

498A IPC in 2010, showing an increase of 5% over

2009.

Nirbhaya- means Fearless. Nirbyaya should have been a symbol of fearless people free to travel at anytime anywhere and feel proud to live in a ‘free’ country. However, in the brutal rape and murder of Nirbhya, there is symbolic rape and murder of every citizen by an increasingly dominant power-nexus, cynical and indifferent, beyond capturing the comforts and power of the state apparatus. The Rape and death of 'Nirbhya' triggered the anger of people against perceived sense of indifference and cynicism of a class that seem to be more indulging in tasting the comforts and ‘security’ of state power- when people are increasingly feel insecure( physical, social and economic).  

The brutal rape and murder of Nirbhya should make us to see how the very preamble and fundamental rights of the constitution of India is systematically annulled by the perceived nexus of political and economic elites of this country. This should make us to reflect on why India and every Indian need to reinvent the ideals and core values of democracy and democratic governance. Democratisation of a society ( fighting for equality, human security and human rights of  all human beings irrespective gender, cast, creed, language or age)  And the barbaric act of brutal rape and murder of Nirbhaya is symbolic of the increasing sense of insecurity felt by people across the spectrum. When a state and government fail to ensure security and services to people, there is a crisis of legitimacy. And when politicians are increasingly perceived as a class who pursue a cynical career to get the comforts of power, there is also increasing lack of trust. When people are relatively more informed and connected, they also see through the 'disconnectedness' of political class from the real issues of real problems (beyond the election).The present protest of largely young people is indicative of so many issues- signifying an increasing discontent about an indifferent political class who are increasingly detached from the real issues of real people on the ground. And the brutal rape and murder of Nirbhaya was a trigger that helped to surface the discontent against increasing inequality (gender, social, political and even economic) and insecurity of people even in the 'capital'. And instead of challenging and changing the default mode of indifferent status quo- political parties are 'reacting' with a sense of panic. We need effective laws and responsible policing, effective public education and change of social attitude to fight against multiple forms of discrimination and violence against women, dalits, adivasies and minorities. In spite of the Sri Krishna commission report, Thakaray was given a 'state funeral'!- And fighting discrimination and fighting violence( sexual, domestic, cast based) requires political will, policy measures and effective law and order- that is democratic, and accountable. And 'castration' or 'capital punishment' is not the answer. It is a part of the problem itself of a politics of 'reaction' and 'fixing' based on reactive mode of thinking, rather than efforts to look in the causes and consequences of the present crisis of governance itself. Fixing won’t work anymore. People are beginning to ask hard questions and young people want to challenge and change the present status-quo of politics, where inheritance is more important than integrity, imagination or initiative to make change happen within society and in all areas of governance.

Hence, the death of Nirbhaya should be reincarnated as the courage of conviction of people to ask questions, demand accountability and claim rights.  However, courage of conviction can only happen when values of equality and dignity of all human beings  irrespective of gender, cast, creed, religion, race or language) is internalised. Democratisation of self is the democratisation of the society and that of the country. We have to challenge and change our own patriarchal attitudes, our own discriminatory attitude, and our own oppressive behaviour to challenge and change the society. Democracy begins with each of us within each of us.