The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder...
-- Unknown.
Talking about your home city should be an emotional, joyous and proud moment. It would have been for me as well, if I hadn’t watched the TV or read the newspapers today, yesterday or days before that. Disillusionment and anger is the only feeling I have right now when I write this review.
Delhi has been my city from the time I was born. I have been a pure “delhi waali” and I was proud of it. Not anymore! Delhi is now NOT known for its culture, for its multi varied personalities and for its cuisine. The Mughal Gardens, the Red fort parade, the endless chat bhandars, news vans asking for news bites and the general nonchalant Delhi. It is slowly giving place to a new definition.
Delhi is now the “rape capital” and shamefully it is true as well. This city has gained this reputation in the last few years and it is matter of time; till we become officially the most “unsafe” >city in the whole of India.
Women are not ready to travel late nights, police is helpless and government is trying to do their best. As a woman and as a Delhite I have my doubts and worries. We are facing a huge problem and the solution is not in sight for anyone.
Just recently, government gave the decision that BPO’s need to take care of their employees themselves. Women employees need to be safeguarded and it is an employer’s responsibility. Having worked in the call centre, I was not averse to traveling alone in my cab because adequate safety measures were taken. I am very sure that the BPO’s (the international ones) would do what they can to ensure that their employees and more importantly their name and prestige are not damaged. But not all Delhi women are working in BPO’s. What about them? That is the question we need to ask now!
Delhi is a beautiful city. As a tourist, you have the option of just freaking out in the never-ending markets, eating joints and long traffic jams. You have the option of seeing the new and the old coexist in the same city; and that too happily! Delhiities have always been more upfront, more vocal and much more hypocritical in every sense of the world. We are known to be highly busy, showy, concerned and better than our counterparts in a lot many ways. Delhi people unlike other metro cities, are more concerned, they will talk and chatter with you and sometimes just vanish in trouble. This is the only city where so many different castes, region coexist. We have areas defined by the people who stay there...Bengalis, Punjabis, Malyalis and Biharis. You see them all here!!!
But now the same Delhiites are being questioned about and scornfully looked at. What have made this change from good to bad to worse? The answer lies with each of us. Delhi men are now much more open with eve teasing, abusing, raping and murdering. The attitude of men has shown an astonishing change now. They have lost respect for the woman and that shows in these ever increasing crimes each day. The look says it all. I can with ample personal experience say that each day each Delhi woman faces a look that she didnt ask for! As a woman in Delhi, I never feel safe and this is a shame to admit. The men of Delhi need to be dealt with harshly. The sooner we deal with them, the better!
Just days back, there was a debate on TV on the reason why crime against women is increasing. The onus was cautiously shoved on us; clarifications being given that women should not wear revealing despicable clothes and not travel late at night. Are we living in a democracy or is this city is under curfew and red alert? Well frankly if Delhi becomes safer by this, I am ok with wearing “wearable clothes” and sitting at home. No kidding!
Delhi is emerging as a techno savvy, highly travelable and happening city. The only bad spot is the crime rate that brings shiver down most of us. Things need to change and if and when that happens, nobody is stopping us!
Too distressed to write more:(