I distinctly remember that barmy Hyderabad winter evening a little over a month ago when a group/bunch of total strangers had come together at the Peoples' Plaza on Necklace Road to express our dismay, consternation and indignation at the tragedy that had befallen the 23 year old Delhi brave heart and were all holding placards in our hands demanding justice and the death penalty for the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity........
That crowd or collection of individuals then took a distinct shape and form and we got to know each other as individuals, each of us with our very own distinct identities, thought processes, ideas about what needs to be done in the aftermath of the horrendous Delhi rape and united by the common refrain of making this country a far more safer and secure place for it's womenfolk.......
Thoughts some rational, some irrational and some others that were seemingly sacreligious were bounced off each other and notes exchanged without as much as a by your please and vows taken to keep up the momentum until each of us saw the change that we so ardently desired materialising at the ground level.......
Some of us participated with a great deal of gusto and a sense of unbridled enthusiasm in the midnight march between Lower Tank Bund and Khairatabad and went home none the wiser after the experience after experiencing the pointed barbs and rejoinders of a few misguided menfolk who were sterling examples of the patriarchal mindset that off late has come to identify us.........
A community page/forum entitled Hyderabad for Change' emerged as a result of all the long drawn out deliberations and commitments towards being the change that we sought within the society and ourselves, a few committed and articulate individuals did come forward and express their ideas and thoughts without fear of favour affection or ill will and did not hesitate to call a spade a spade and pulled their punches where it mattered the most........
One is dismayed and disheartened at the recent turn of events as one sits down to write this piece or rather outpourings of a disillusioned heart and soul; Hyderabad for Change' has been around for a little over a month and yours truly is the only one who has taken the pains to articulate his thoughts on various issues pertaining to women and our patriarchal and sexist society at large over the last ten days, fortnight or so whereas other members of the coordination or steering committee have maintained a studied or stoic silence for reasons best know to them........
Whatever happened to the righteous indignation that was expressed about having let go off a golden opportunity of having brought the government to book and making it more accountable in the aftermath of the long drawn out agitation for the Jan Lokpal Bill as the panacea for the menace of corruption, whatever happened to the numerous declarations about keeping up the momentum and bringing the government and system to it's knees this time around.........
Words indeed come easy but the only true warrior is the one who puts his/her money where his/her mouth is, most if not all of us have certainly shot off our mouths but woefully failed to put our money where our mouths were, the situation on the ground is worse off than ever before, yet we are contented sitting back and rocking on our favourite chairs at home having fooled ourselves into believing that I've done my bit.....
The war against patriarchal mindsets and a seemingly callous and indifferent society will not be won by mouthing platitudes, sermons or raising a clamour for justice as long as the same is in fashion and guarantees you your fifteen seconds of fame on national television, this war is a long drawn out struggle that may take years to fructify, patriarchal mindsets are a manifestation of our deteriorating thought processes that have fructified over eons of time and will not go away in the batting of an eyelid.......
Hyderabad for Change' does indeed need to live up to it's avowed aim of being the much desired change on the ground and I for one am more than willing to host the next brain storming session at my humble abode in Begumpet at any time that is convenient to the committee members next Saturday or Sunday.......
Messrs Khushboo Choudhary, Anita Narayanasamy and others of your ilk, do come forward and galvanise the required quorum of six or more members as envisioned.......
That crowd or collection of individuals then took a distinct shape and form and we got to know each other as individuals, each of us with our very own distinct identities, thought processes, ideas about what needs to be done in the aftermath of the horrendous Delhi rape and united by the common refrain of making this country a far more safer and secure place for it's womenfolk.......
Thoughts some rational, some irrational and some others that were seemingly sacreligious were bounced off each other and notes exchanged without as much as a by your please and vows taken to keep up the momentum until each of us saw the change that we so ardently desired materialising at the ground level.......
Some of us participated with a great deal of gusto and a sense of unbridled enthusiasm in the midnight march between Lower Tank Bund and Khairatabad and went home none the wiser after the experience after experiencing the pointed barbs and rejoinders of a few misguided menfolk who were sterling examples of the patriarchal mindset that off late has come to identify us.........
A community page/forum entitled Hyderabad for Change' emerged as a result of all the long drawn out deliberations and commitments towards being the change that we sought within the society and ourselves, a few committed and articulate individuals did come forward and express their ideas and thoughts without fear of favour affection or ill will and did not hesitate to call a spade a spade and pulled their punches where it mattered the most........
One is dismayed and disheartened at the recent turn of events as one sits down to write this piece or rather outpourings of a disillusioned heart and soul; Hyderabad for Change' has been around for a little over a month and yours truly is the only one who has taken the pains to articulate his thoughts on various issues pertaining to women and our patriarchal and sexist society at large over the last ten days, fortnight or so whereas other members of the coordination or steering committee have maintained a studied or stoic silence for reasons best know to them........
Whatever happened to the righteous indignation that was expressed about having let go off a golden opportunity of having brought the government to book and making it more accountable in the aftermath of the long drawn out agitation for the Jan Lokpal Bill as the panacea for the menace of corruption, whatever happened to the numerous declarations about keeping up the momentum and bringing the government and system to it's knees this time around.........
Words indeed come easy but the only true warrior is the one who puts his/her money where his/her mouth is, most if not all of us have certainly shot off our mouths but woefully failed to put our money where our mouths were, the situation on the ground is worse off than ever before, yet we are contented sitting back and rocking on our favourite chairs at home having fooled ourselves into believing that I've done my bit.....
The war against patriarchal mindsets and a seemingly callous and indifferent society will not be won by mouthing platitudes, sermons or raising a clamour for justice as long as the same is in fashion and guarantees you your fifteen seconds of fame on national television, this war is a long drawn out struggle that may take years to fructify, patriarchal mindsets are a manifestation of our deteriorating thought processes that have fructified over eons of time and will not go away in the batting of an eyelid.......
Hyderabad for Change' does indeed need to live up to it's avowed aim of being the much desired change on the ground and I for one am more than willing to host the next brain storming session at my humble abode in Begumpet at any time that is convenient to the committee members next Saturday or Sunday.......
Messrs Khushboo Choudhary, Anita Narayanasamy and others of your ilk, do come forward and galvanise the required quorum of six or more members as envisioned.......
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