Editor’s Desk: The nation was outraged when 12-15 beasts molested a 17-year-old Class XI girl outside a pub in Guwahati for around 30 minutes. They beat her up, stripped her and enjoyed each and every moment of her trauma and agony. Ironically, the entire incident was videographed and it went viral online and then on TV channels.
The incident sparked a furore in India and across the world. After the national media raised this issue, heads kept rolling. The police arrested 14 accused, including the main accused Amarjyoti Kalita. The SSP of Guwahati was transferred for dereliction of duty. National Commission of Women (NCW) member Alka Lamba was removed from the panel after she named the victim in public.
The role of the media came under the scanner in this case. The journalist, Gaurav Jyoti Neog, who filmed the entire incident, was accused of planting the story. He had to resign pending inquiry. While RTI activist Akhil Gogoi levelled serious charges against him, Gaurav denied all allegations and claimed that he filmed the incident so that the accused could be brought to justice.
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The News Live Editor, Atanu Bhuyan had also resigned owning moral responsibility following a big outrage. It is learnt that he did so after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi contacted the News Live to express his displeasure.
While the heads kept rolling, the basic question still remains to be answered. Are the women safe in Guwahati and other cities of India? Why our youth have become so indifferent to the plight of the women don’t care a damn to outrage their modesty. It’s not a matter of debate why a teenage girl went to pub with her friends in the night and got drunk. It’s a matter of shame that she was molested by a group of 15-20 people while the public became mute spectators. She was rescued only when the police arrived at the spot.
When we boast of women empowerment and girl power, we just forget the state of the women in our society. Even though they have proved their mettle in every field, they are still being treated as second class citizens in the male-dominated society, which does not accept women being liberated from the traditional notions and taking the lead in real life.
The animal instinct in most youths today is not in the best interest of our nation, as our basic foundation can remain intact only by upholding the social justice and gender equality. Without blaming the women for the dressing sense and bold lifestyle, we should look within and treat them equally. If the guys can have their way while enjoying the life, why can’t the girls? They have every right to choose their lifestyle without any bias.