After the terrible gang rape in Mumbai, there’s national outrage and rightly so. Since the survivor is a journalist, hopefully this outrage will not die out. Mumbai is a city where even if a vehicle slightly grazes someone’s foot or car, that person has hell to pay , rape then, is hardly a thing we’ll let off easy.

Don’t think that I’m being too insensitive by saying that this does not mean that Mumbai is suddenly unsafe for women. It really irks me that people in Mumbai are suddenly “UNSAFE” and “HELPLESS” in this beautiful city.Should I tell you about the time when I was dropped home by a stranger after I fell off from my cycle or the time when my scooter ran out of petrol in the middle of nowhere and a guy gave me petrol from his own bike or the time when my friends were stranded in Peddar Road on the eve of the 26/11 blasts and people offered them shelter? I could go on and on about Mumbai’s generosity, its kindheartedness and it’s never say die spirit.

Coming back to the crime,one thing that will definitely deter men from committing such heinous crimes in the future is that these sick men should be punished.According to me and most of my friends, capital punishment is not the answer, castration in public is ! They must feel the pain that they have given someone – An eye for an eye. Unfortunately, it’s wishful thinking and will not happen but such extreme action will definitely serve as a deterrent to future crimes.

I could go on about my feelings on this so I’ll put my thoughts in points :

  1. This national rage MUST NOT die out.
  2. The police must be sensitized so that women feel comfortable to go report rapes to them. Almost 90% of the rapes in India go unreported in India for fear of stigmatization from society. Women must be encouraged to report crimes against them and proper healthcare and support must be provided. Although at large, instead of encouraging women we must be discouraging men from committing such crimes.
  3. GIRLS!!!! Go to that goddamned self-defense workshop! It might not help you if 4-5 men come at you, but against a sole attacker, it will definitely help you.
  4. It’s very nice to say that I’ll wear whatever I want, wherever I want but the problem is that Indian men haven’t evolved and many of them are misogynistic. And until they evolve, it’s probably a good idea to cover yourself up when you travel by trains and buses. Many of you may not like this and may think that I’m being too conservative but I’m just being practical. Wanna go clubbing? – Unless you’re traveling by car, it’s a good idea to cover up and go there and change into whatever you want.
  5. This does not mean that all men are bad. Most of the men that I know feel the same outrage as we do. At the same time, there has to be a huge paradigm shift in the thinking of men, men who think that women are below them and want to hurt/ abuse/ show their superiority by heinous acts like rape/molestation etc. They must be brought up in such a way that they should treat women as equals and not x-ray scan a woman as she walks past him.
  6. And yes ladies, next time a guy looks at you that way – just give him a really hard, cold stare. So that he knows that such behavior will not be tolerated. Period!!!
  7. Those evil men MUST be taught a lesson. I’m sure the Mumbai Police will do that.

This does not mean that the city we all love, Mumbai is suddenly unsafe. Yes, we probably have to be a little careful but Mumbai is safe. People here are caring, loving and humane. Even at 11:30-12 at night, stations are crowded and the rickshaw and taxi-wallahs always take us home safely. I am saying all this from personal experience.

Let’s not let this incident tarnish the image of our beautiful city!Let’s punish these men so that no one else will commit such a dastardly act again!And as the Times of India pointed out today, let’s all call her a survivor and not a victim!

Also, and I can’t emphasize this enough; let’s stop being bystanders. Let’s stop helplessly watching any sort of crime. Let’s act. Let’s stop those evil men. Even a crime likes chain snatching; let’s catch hold of them. It’s time we take things into our own hands. Learn some self-defense/karate/ kickboxing. You can at-least use it to help somebody in trouble. And if someone cops a feel in the bus or train, just hit him or move away or give him a really cold state or all of the above. Just don’t stand there uncomfortably. Small drops make an ocean. It will make a difference. Believe me.

We are all capable of great change. So let’s kick some ass!

Kudos to that brave girl and hope she recovers soon!