Rape ke liye phaansi dena galat hai – Mulayam Singh Yadav

I was shocked. I am never speechless but I was stunned by this derogatory statement made by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Election campaigns are in full swing. There are politicians targeting women’s vote bank by promising them to provide better security. And among all this Mulayam Singh Yadav takes us all by storm. He said that he does not support the death sentence for rape convicts. He stated, “Rape ke liye phaansi dena galat hai. Ladkon se galti ho jaati hai, hum satta mein aaye to kanoon mein badlav karenge.” That means, “Boys err. You do not have have to give them death sentence. If I come to power, I will change this”

Is he on drugs? What is he trying to prove? What vote bank is he targeting? Rapists are in plenty and I hope they are not more than the women in this country. He has definitely lost that vote bank for him and his party.

I think one should make him experience what kind of heinous crime rape is. These politicians won’t know what they are talking until then.

Dear Anna….

Dear Anna,

It has been four days since you have had anything. Where do you get so much energy from? I tell you. You are all fit because maybe you are eating the government for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Am I right? One thing I and the rest of the world who are standing for you and against you will agree that no public figure has ever been able to gather the entire of nation the way you and your team did. The entire nation is sharing the same feeling for a well directed movement. This movement has done what cricket has done for us Indians. I personally support the cause but I am not Anna. I am not against the ideologies but I am not blindly following him either. I am awed by the fact that one man can make the entire nation go crazy, encourage them to support a cause which our political leaders failed to do. Anna did not create the rage but accumulated the existing rage in people.

I have always had a mix feeling for this movement. Did we all make Anna a hero or was he a hero by himself? Should he be called the ‘Mahatma’ or not? The debate has been endless. I am not advocating the movement here neither am I talking against him. It is about Anna and I am just putting my thoughts together about him. What Anna is carrying is ‘My way or no way’. He has tremendous support of people for the same. He is a man of strength and basic common sense. What makes him different is he valour, his courage! Since I have started taking care of my own transactions I have heard this line, very clichéd, every where I went. ‘You cannot fight the system’. Did Anna proved them all wrong? Yes, he did.

This movement had gotten into people’s blood now. So much so that they do not really care about their bread and butter. Why would they? They are on an Ann-Shann. I have always believed and many will agree with the fact that it is difficult to choose between your own mother and mother earth. Unfortunately, most of the times you may choose only one. I have had friends who have tried to make me feel ashamed of myself because I never joined a rally even if I could. I have only one thing to say. It is a personal choice. I choose my mother over Mother Earth. The reason being that if I mess up things that I shouldn’t, nobody will give a helping hand. Now talk about Indian mentality here.

Anna, (referring to all who says, “I am Anna”) where were you when girls of age 10-12 years were raped and murdered? Where were you when Tsunamis and earthquake hit our country and government ate up most of the funds? Where were you when a woman was burnt alive for not paying up dowry? Where were you when a student committed suicide because he did not get a seat in the college of his choice in spite of  him scoring best of marks? Where was your unity when people cut each other in the name of religion? Why aren’t you agitated so much on the Kasab issue? Where are you Anna when our future, the children, are labouring in hotels and restaurants in the entire of this country? Why aren’t you agitated by the fact that 100s of innocent girls are becoming victims of human-trafficking?

I believe corruption is one of the biggest leeches on our back. No denial whatsoever. The only reason that holds me behind is our hypo-critic nature. We Indians fail to understand that corruption is one of the major problems but there are more issues that are equally grave that pulls us down as a free nation.  We are living in a democracy with benefit. I respect all Annas there who are starving and supporting this cause. My heart goes out to you. I have only one thing to ask you which you should ask yourself. Did you ask the child who picks up your plates in hotel how he is doing? Do you allow a senior citizen, a pregnant lady or lady with a small child in hand to sit in your place in trains and buses? Do not call yourself a Mahatma yet. There is a lot to be covered in life. And if each one of us stand against all the evils in the society, time -to time, then we can call our nation a Super-Power.

Jai Hind!