Okay, I shall not continue to pretend that this new year, I’m high on festive spirit, very happy & merry. I am NOT!
In fact, I’m deeply disturbed, disgusted, disappointed, shattered, bitter, furious, helpless & utterly ashamed to belong a race of mankind that’s capable of unimaginable violence. Violence, whose victim was a helpless 23 year old girl from Delhi. I write to her parents…
To a mother & a father,
whose daughter had left home saying she’d be back soon, whose daughter had happily been to see the movie- ‘The life of Pi’ along with her friend; whose daughter, along with her friend boarded a bus to hell; whose daughter was butchered alive, whose daughter became the victim of the evilest of all evils, who’s daughter was brutally violated & raped by 6 lust filled monsters, whose daughter’s intestines’ were pulled out with bare hands while she was still conscious, whose daughter was barbarically assaulted with a rusted iron rod in some the worst unimaginable ways, whose daughter was thrown out of the moving bus, whose daughter lied naked, in her own pool of blood, on a busy street of Delhi for more than 2 hours battling for life in excruciating & agonizing pain; whose daughter was hushedly sent to Singapore in the false name of better treatment, whose daughter- teary eyed expressed to her mother, her will to survive each time she gained conscious; whose daughter wanted to know if all her rapists had been caught even while slipping in & out of coma, whose daughter wanted her violators to be burnt alive, whose daughter struggled to speak because of all the pain that she was in but still managed to write down the names of her rapists & give her statement in gestures, just to ensure the butchers were bought to books; whose daughter was pursuing medicine and wanted to help the people of her home town on becoming a doctor, whose daughter’s dreams were cruelly cut short by the barbarians, whose daughter breathed her last 13 days after she was ripped apart & her insides were shredded & gutted by the cold blooded devils, whose daughter’s life was a reason for many a political conspiracies, whose daughter was hurriedly cremated in the middle of the night before the world woke, whose daughter never returned home, whose daughter is now only a memory for her loved ones, whose daughter now lies beneath the starry skies awaiting her justice…
I pray for you.
To,
a devastated father who sold his agricultural land to educate his daughter, who lost his most loved & pampered princess to a handful of butchers; a mother who collapsed during her daughter’s cremation & had to be hospitalized, a heart broken brother who lost his fond sister forever & a friend who lost a best friend, confidante… I pray for you all. I have been and I shall continue to do so.
I pray God to give you all, the strength needed to cope up with this trauma.
_________________
She wasn’t just your daughter; she was India’s daughter too, India’s brave heart. She was a dear sister to every Indian, a dearer one to every man & woman who protested against the injustice braving the wicked water cannons in -8 degree bone freezing cold weather of Delhi at the Gateway of India. Along with her, a part of India has died forever too, leaving behind a wound that runs deep, a wound whose scar shall never be gone, a shame that shall live on to haunt our country forever!
She was the reason that launched a thousand protests & woke the insanely slumbering system by jolting it to reality. Her brutal death shall not go in vain.
_________________
Rest in peace, dear Nirbhaya, you’ve endured enough, endured beyond what one can imagine even in their worst nightmares. It’s time for peace now, child. Sleep in peace, nothing shall now torture or brutalize you, pain or hurt you. It’s all over, peace is finally here…
We assure you to fight your battle in the same courageous way that you intended to & we’ll stop not till justice is done, to you & to all of India’s daughters! We’ll continue your fight to cleanse our rotting system. With a broken heart, we mourn & pray for your salvation…
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Here’s hoping that with the dawn of this new year, a ‘new’ India shall emerge with ‘new’ laws and positive changes for it’s fast disappearing daughters. We assure you that this fight will go on & this time we will use our most powerful weapon to fight against this callous system- we’ll use our votes & use it wisely, so that we don’t elect ‘dented’ leaders again!
To Nirbhaya- the fearless one
Here’s a shocker: While Nirbhaya wanted all 6 of her rapists to be torched alive, her most brutal violator, the one who ripped her intestines apart with his bare hands, could get away with just 3 years of jail term, on the ground that he is still a juvenile. Juvenile means a person who has not yet achieved sexual maturity. If he can rape, isn’t he then already beyond this?
Juvenile or no juvenile, it is the crime/evil mind (mens rea) that needs to be punished, age is immaterial where crime is concerned, as these days juveniles are committing more horrifying crimes compared to their adult counterparts. It is precisely to this juvenile law, that we young Indians seek an amendment for!
‘Punishment is justice for the unjust’
More about the #DelhiGangRape here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Delhi_gang_rape_case#Incident
Teju
I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly- Oscar Wilde.
singing sparrows ♥ 
It is strange that the law of the land can not punish a criminal like him. This incident has proved that criminal’s age should not be a factor at all. Only the crime committed should be the factor to be considered for punishment. He should be behind the bar throughout his life, till death, or I am sorry to say, he should be left to the public for barbaric type of punishments.
Yes Anilji. I totally agree with you. The evil mind & the crime should never go unpunished! What has age got to do with a crime that has got nothing to do with age? All the six criminals are equally responsible for all that happened & deserve the same punishment.
Here’s hoping for peace to restored on our planet again…
Regards, Teju
Agreed and lets hope for the best!
With best wishes-
Teju another inspired and valuable post from you!! I just read the link to wikipedia that you posted. I don’t think I HAVE EVER IN MY LIFE heard anything like this;
“Spiritual guru, Asharam, was reported to have said that the victim was to blame for her own assault because she could have stopped the attack if she had “chanted God’s name and fallen at the feet of the attackers”. Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the pro-Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh that underpins the country’s main opposition political party, said rapes are the result of women adopting western lifestyles as has happened in Indian cities. Manohar Lal Sharma, lawyer for one of the accused attackers, blames the couple for being on the street at night, using public transportation, and states that he has never heard of a rape of a “respected lady”. He further finds the male victim “wholly responsible” for the incident because he “failed in his duty to protect the woman”.
If this lawyer, Manohar Lal Sharma, actually said what is reported, he should be hanged along with is clients!
What kind of system in the civilised world allows a man (I use the word “man” loosely because real men respect women as equals) with a moral viewpoint so utterly repugnant and so at odds with law and order like this to work in the legal profession?? It is so bad that its barely believable! Unfortunately, the elite establishment in India likes to try and compare itself with the western world by spending trillions of dollars on space programmes, nuclear weapons and flashy airports and metro systems. As you know I’ve been to India many times and this aspect of the country never fails to amaze me for its blatant and shameful disregard for India’s gigantic social injustices.
My hope and prayer is that the young, brave and educated people of India will have the collective power to change the political system forever. These same brave people who risked beatings in the street trying to make their voices heard recently all over the country. Fortunately the rest of the world was watching and is still watching.
For what its worth though, sadly, monsters like the accused in this case are a common feature the world over. They lurk and prowl in every country on earth. The big issue I think in this case is that it highlights the fact that corruption, negligence and utter stupidity on an epic scale are far too common within India’s establishment in general, but for a few brave souls who fight against the tide.
May God give justice to this poor girl’s family and may God bring India through this.
My best wishes to you Teju as always:)
In the wake of this issue, if there is anyone I would salute to, it’s Nirbhaya’s friend. He has emerged as the only real man, who did not back off in the face of brutal assaults on him. He braved the six demons till the end.
I completely agree with you, Peter. You have precisely covered all the issues that are presently a big menace in our country- corruption, negligence & stupidity on an ‘epic’ scale! The highly insensitive, callous & indifferent comments and remarks from politicians & other self proclaimed god men, has only rubbed more salt & chilli powder into the wounds of every Indian…
Our system needs to be cleansed first & thankfully, the process has started.
Thank you for being there & supporting us during these very difficult times. It gives us courage to to hope again. Hope for the overall improvement…
May God bless our nation & the world with peace.
Ah yes, male ruled religion as usual interfering with whatever it is God would say.
My dear friend Teju, When I first learned of this tragedy, I immediately thought of you and your post, Staying Safe Matters! In that post, which seems almost prophetic now, you touched on the many threats to women in India and encouraged women to be vigilent in terms of their safety when in public. I was impressed with that post, just as I am with this one.
We, the whole world, are with you, with this young woman, and with her family. We are grieving and we are devestated.
With you I pray for peace and blessings for the bereaved family of this young woman, and that this young woman’s suffering and death will not be in vain but will be elevated to unite the world in the determination to end brutality against women..
Yes, the minor should be tried as an adult. As you have pointed out, he crossed into sexual maturity when he chose to commit this crime.
As heinous and as agonizing as these crimes are, I am not an advocate of repaying them with violence. I believe that we have a responsibility to God to bear this pain and its fruit. In turn, I trust that He will design and effect justice as He deems fit.
With love, affection and continued prayers, Vivian
Thank you, dear Vivian for being by us. This has been our most difficult period & I must admit, I’ve lost many a nights’ sleep just thinking about this incident, thinking about what her parents, brothers & friend must be going through… They are so shattered, will their lives ever be the same or normal again?
I guess it’s going to be a while before things are fine with me again, ‘cos as of now I’m deeply troubled about all the things that has gone so terribly wrong with this incident, from the nightmarish suffering that Nirbhaya went through to our failed system & our utterly callous politicians… The problem is deep rooted and fiberous, which therefore makes the elimination of the problem more difficult, though not impossible.
Praying for justice & praying for peace- her’s & ours’. Hope the six devils get their dues both here & in God’s court.
Thank you again for being there, supporting & reassuring us, in our difficult times. I’m very, very grateful to you.
Lots of love & regards, Teju
Dear Teju,
You are in my thoughts and prayers every day and I wanted to say that I hope you will consider following this issue regularly on your blog in future. As an intelligent, articulate young Indian woman in legal studies, who is more qualified than you to lead the discussion on this topic? I’m frankly astonished at the relatively small–albeit meaningful–response this post has received. This is a personal, a national and a world issue. It is illustrative of the depravity of which man is capable and it bears examination and response from every angle.
If you decide to write further on this matter, consider naming the event specifically in your headline so readers will know immediately of what you are writing and use these tags–news, national, world, top stories, events, opinion–in additions to any others you deem appropriate. Those tags are listed in “Explore Topics” on the WordPress reader, so posting there is likely to attract attention from readers who are concerned with world news, national news, human rights and controversial issues. You could title your post, “Law Student Condems Gang Rape in India”–or something equally specific.
It’s just a thought and I will adore you no matter your decision. I understand that this is very painful for you and sometimes there is a need to get more distance from a painful event or situation before addressing it in a public forum.
Many blessings and love always, Vivian
Completely agree with every word you’ve said! This was my personal tribute to Nirbhaya. I’m closely following this issue & I’ll definitely try & share the important updates. Thank you so much for suggesting the tags, I really didn’t know there are so many who follow news, esp. world news. I’ll be sure to tag my next post on this issue, with these tags that you’ve suggested.
Right now, all eyes are on Juvenile law & its possible amendment. There have been 3 more cases of rape & murder by juveniles from different parts of the country, in the week that went by. There is now a very urgent need to devise ways of bringing the juvenile sex offenders to book, which can happen mostly by reforming the juvenile law. This has turned out to be a major loophole.
Dear Vivian, I look up to you, admire & immensely respect you. Thank you so much for having me, our country & our planet in your prayers. I have never doubted the immense power of prayers & positive energies, which have a boomerang effect.
Lots of love & regards, Teju
I just don’t know what to say, Teju. The horror of this story hasn’t gone unnoticed to some of us beyond India’s borders, and I share your disgust, fury, and shame. I would say that the horror of it all is unimaginable, but that’s not right. It’s real, whether I can imagine it or not. Your writing and feelings should be seen by every human on the planet; I just wish you didn’t have to feel or write these things.
LIke Vivian above, I don’t like the idea of violent or vengeful response, but, as much as I can, I understand the desire for it. I hope to God or whomever that my young daughters not only never have to experience anything even remotely like this, but that they can grow up into a world that we can somehow cure of such evil.
In solidarity with your hope for a world that learns from this,
Sid
True, I totally agree with you. This isn’t a shame isolated to a particular country alone, this incident has shamed humanity in general!
I hate (and hate very strongly) anything that involves violence of any kind, but I guess after learning about something as shocking as what Nirbhaya suffered, it becomes easy for one to wish the same for the one who is the cause of such unthinkable an evil… if Nirbhaya wished something like this for her rapists, i guess she is the best judge of this incident. I don’t really know if it’s right or wrong, but for the first time in my life, I feel retributive punishment (which I was earlier strongly against) is indeed what is needed in this case at least! It would prove to be a strong deterrent for other perverts & save other hapless prospective victims from similar violence, is what I feel. I don’t know or maybe this my anger speaking, which has clouded my regular thinking. I guess I need to give myself some more days for the polluted clouds to pass by…
I’m really sorry, dear Sid, if I offended your views in any way, but this is too much frustration, fury & grief for me to handle at this point of time… I know you understand.
Teju.
This incident leaves us all shamefaced and disgusted. Humanity has stooped down to this level, that it really makes me question if we can ever come back! What followed as an aftermath from the politicians in form in inane remarks, truly makes us question can we now give up hope?
True Upasana. This incident has shamed humanity. Very, very saddening! I have been thinking over the same question since many nights now…
I totally agree with what Amit has written. ‘Being a minor’ are not just words. They imply a certain meaning.and this ‘animal’ Must Not be allowed to escape with as flimsy an excuse as being a minor!
Totally agree with you! This is a major loophole in our judicial system, that needs to be fixed asap.
This is really sad,Teju. You know when i heard of the rape incident i remembered an article you wrote in which you mentioned ‘eve teasing’ and so on…
I know TK, very true. This incident has really left us all shocked, totally heart broken & betrayed. Thanks for being there & supporting us in these trying times…
I’ve gone back to look up the post. It was written, by you, on September the 23rd, 2012. Titled: Staying Safe Matters.
You started the post like this:
In a country like ours’, I’ve always wondered why some women are targeted when it comes to eve teasing, ragging or misbehaving. India, is a land of strange contradictions. . .
Hmm…little did we know that there’d be something as bad as what happened which would eclipse all you listed in that line.
Sad but true, I really wish it hadn’t…
This was such a ghastly act and the tragedy is that they are taking their own sweet time to deliver justice. The other day I read about some other parent who dealt with the trauma of their daughter’s rape and 5 years hence they are still fighting for justice. I wonder what needs to be proved in Court when the world knows it who’s done it. And disgusting is this lawyer who is defending them. And yes, I totally agree with what you say about juvenile. He should be castrated to say the least. He can in no terms be defined as a juvenile. Absolutely sickening!
Agree, absolutely disgusting lawyer sans conscience & ethics! Repulsive is the way in which such cases are handled where the victim is further victimised, while the offenders get bail on flimsy grounds.
Fast track court, juvenile law amendment, death sentence/chemical castration for such sex offenders/crimes is what is urgently needed! There does seem to be light by the end of this tunnel, though. Let’s pray there really is…
My heart breaks from reading of the horrific act and injustice done to Nirbhaya. You are so right in saying the young man should be charged as an adult, because of his ‘mens rea’, regardless of age. Unless his evil mind/heart is transformed, he will only commit further acts of evil and violence. I pray for his sake and for the sake of others that his mind/heart truly change. I pray that India’s government would be shaken and begin doing what it is supposed to do– protect its people and punish evildoers. And I pray for Nibhaya’s and her friend’s loved ones, that they would be comforted.
Thank you for the kind words & yes, I agree with you. Age is immaterial, where the evil mind or crime is considered. It is the evil deed that needs to be punished, so the same may not be repeated by other such anti-social elements.
Hi Teju,
This is a great post and does stir up uncomfortable thoughts. I too have recently posted on the same theme and attempted to find a way forward for all of us. Would love to have you visit and comment.
Cheers
Shakti
Thank you, Shakti. I can’t wait to read it.
Hi Teju,
Here it is.
Shakti
I’m heading there.
That the attackers, and their lawyers, blame the victim. That way she was violated twice. It is tragic that such a beautiful, intelligent young woman died this way. These men should be ashamed that they have to take what they want. Rape is not an act of love or lust. It is an act of power over the powerless.
Thank you for visiting and following my blog.
True, Judy. Real men Protect, not Exploit.
It’s sickening that these days men want to have their way, either by hook or by crook, abandoning their moral, ethics, humanity & conscience.
Thank you Judy, for stopping by.
You have written well upon horrors that should never, ever have happened. You are a superb voice. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Thank you, dear friend. I really wish I never had to write about something like this. Deeply saddening & painful…
Teju, I hope many women and men around the world have the courage to speak out, as you have done, against such brutal injustice. You have a strong and beautiful voice.
Thank you Jenny, I really wish I did not have to write about something as tragic as this… Nice to see you after a long time.
It was a very tragic and sad story, which was also heavily in the news here in the UK. I hope that justice does prevail, and if not, some other means of justice delivered, for all that we hold dear and cherish on this Earth must be protected and preserved with equal force. Thank you for sharing Teju.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, and as a nation we are hoping & praying for speedy justice & amendment of the almost obsolete juvenile law.
Let’s hope those amendments come soon.
Hey, I love reading your blog and have nominated you for the Blog on Fire Award… Check out this link for more info…http://getsetandgo.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/my-blogging-journey-completes-1-year/
Congratulations and enjoy 🙂
Thank you so much, dear friend, for the lovely gesture. I’m humbled.
This hasn’t gone unnoticed by me, I’ll express my feelongs towards it later, if you don’t mind. Jim
Thank you, Jim.
Did you see the verdict? No death penalty….10 years in jail instead of 7….what shit is this?? They give the verdict as if nothing has really happened. 😦
What difference to him will 3 more years in jail make?
True Pratibha! I’d never felt so sick & disgusted about anything in my life. Here’s politics at its filthiest! The adage ‘politics is the last resort of a scoundrel’ never seemed more apt! Praying for more sensible, rational, logical changes to areas that matter the most in our system. Let’s see where this leads to… the end is not here yet.
Hello Teju. This is my first visit to your blog. You have informed me about this incident. I do not follow news, and hardly leave my home. I remember a friend of mine mentioning this one day over lunch. It must have been just after it happened and was reported on USA television. I allowed thoughts of it to leave my mind within a few days.
In a way, it’s just as well that I was informed by reading your words. I live so far away. Let such news reach me at a time when there might be something I can do. Maybe all I can do is pray. Those of you who are weary from the actual trauma still need prayer.
News of horrors in places far away add to what I have come to feel as deep regret for mankind. So many people are lost or misguided–or in this case destroyed by those who are lost and misguided. (When I say ‘lost’ I don’t mean that in the Biblical sense, or else it’s my translation of the Bible.) I receive internet petitions for social justice in my email box, and when I’m spiritually able to concentrate on these important things, I sign to offer support. I have not checked for such things in a while. It’s overwhelming.
You have made me grateful that I can ‘have ears to hear’ and try to stay mindful of where our precious humanity is headed. I pray this tragedy, this horrible sample of so many things that need human remedy in this world, will lead to the changes that must come for every human on the planet, if we even deserve to keep the word “humanity” in our vocabulary.
It will all depend on how deeply human beings are able to become impassioned to help bring something good into the world. I hope I am able. I hope this finds you feeling well and your life progressing in fulfilling ways. If you’re back in school, hope that goes especially well. –Vicki
Thank you, dear Vicki. I hope all our prayers are heard & justice in its purest form is delivered, because at the moment all that we can do is pray & pray hard. Pray for world peace & a world free from assorted & innovative forms of cruelty that only ‘man’ is capable of inflicting to the planet & its inhabitants. Thank you for the beautiful message.
You’re so welcome, Teju. Let’s pray that people realize that hatred is everyone’s enemy. Just now, reading your comment–remembering how far away you are, it occurred to me that since people who are distant in miles can share and learn so much from one another because the advancement of knowledge of technology has brought the people of the world into this amazing experience, we should be confident that we can advance our knowledge of human beings enough so that people with far different histories and beliefs will be able to share and learn from one another as well. Maybe we can use our technology to help bring about peace on Earth. That would be truly amazing.
Words alone barely express how evil an act this is, An innocent life extinguished by cowards. My prayers are with her family for I can’t begin to imagine the agony they must be enduring through this.
Thank you, dear Andy.
Thank you, Teju. For such a beautiful prayer and post 🙂
Hard to write a comment when faced with such evil. but your writing does justice to the pain we all feel.
Just happen to visit your blog. I am so inspired from the way you write. Really mature and impressive. I am not a good writer and I wish I would write like you someday 🙂 Loved your work. Good luck 🙂
Do check me out at http://www.foodpeopleloveandstuff.wordpress.com
Dear friend, thank you for the very kind words. It’s my pleasure that you enjoyed your stay here. Really glad that we stumbled upon each other! God bless 🙂
Thanks 🙂
The incident still provokes a certain rage we have not shared in such a manner – I guess the magnitude of this crime went out of proportions. It discourages and can make us bitter, or stronger, as citizens…in support of each other, of victims, and social mechanisms at large..