Hope for a 'woman-friendly' 2013
Hope for a 'woman-friendly' 2013
Bangaloreans wish for a safer, corruption-free and brighter New Year
For India, 2012 ended on a gruesome note. The untimely death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, after falling victim to a gang-rape, shocked the nation and its citizens into action, demanding justice. In the year gone by, the people finally stood up to make their voices heard, be it with the anti-corruption drive spearheaded by Anna Hazare or the call for justice for slain North-eastern student Richard Loitam.
Everything, though, was not about an uprising. The nation had its shining moments too. Unfortunately, there were way too many issues that outshone them. We spoke to some of the city's movers and shakers about their wishlist for a better 2013...
Harish Bijoor, brand-strategy specialist
I wish to see an enlightened India, a place where its citizens will go out of the way when they see someone down. I wish to see citizens participate in issues and movements. We must rise above petty issues and participate in issues that do not concern us as well. That is true blue community living. I wish to see intelligent solutions for issues that challenge us. Not band-aid solutions that our governance structures offer. We need an attitude of zerotolerance in place. Men and women must participate in this zero-tolerance movement towards rape.
Charu Sharma, sports commentator
Women's safety is a priority. We cannot possibly have e n o u g h policemen to patrol every square yard of our country. To have more policemen/women is not the answer — because the ones who are already employed are badly trained and very badly paid. So, one minor solution is set up better sensitivity training for cops and serious criminal punishment to cops for dereliction of duty/corruption.
The problem, though, begins with our parenting. With generations of Indian parents glorifying the male child and ignoring (if not killing) the girl child, males will be stronger anyway and then grow up feeling superior.
If you truly want a drastic reduction in crimes against women, the punishment for even the smallest crime (if proven) should be drastic. So drastic that the impact of the punishment should be publicly visible for a lifetime.
The need of the hour is also a younger governance force. There is an increasing disconnect with the governed. But governance problems are more due to the 'Party' diktat system and corruption, than age. We talk about punishment for rape. Why do we not realize that our entire population is being 'raped' every single moment due to the crippling corruption we face at every level of governance. So, if there the death penalty for rape — there should be death for corruption.
Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, vice-president of an executive search firm
Growth brings with it troubles and stretching , aches and pains. Can we just shake our heads and shrug and get on with it? That's what we are trying to do. And it must stop. Accountability and interdependence should be clarified, fingerprinting and passing the buck must cease. The year 2020 will see India as the youngest demographic nation with at least 70% of the population under 40. This needs to be reflected in the governing class. Certainly, a young nation will not begin to comprehend an 80-plus Chief Minister who feels that young women 'ask for it' by being out after 9 pm. It may be time, nay a necessity, for a youth reservation in parliament, if we are going to reflect the needs and aspirations of a younger, hungrier nation. 2013 should ring out the old, ring in the new. And if we are lucky, it will ring in the good.
Anita Nair, author
The police should set up a database of sexual crime offenders like they do internationally and these known offenders should be monitored even after serving their sentence. I wish we do not have to endure idiotic and immature politicians like Botsa Satyanarayana, Abhijit Mukherjee or the one in Rajasthan who has advocated the banning of skirts as school uniforms as a safety measure. What next? The burkha as school uniform? I wish we remember that India is for all Indians. That we are free to travel and live anywhere in our country with neither fear nor restraint I wish we learnt to accept and assimilate unfamiliar cultural elements without being narrow-minded or bigoted about it.
Puneeth Rajkumar, actor
It is high time we improve on our discipline and learn to respect each other. Discipline comes through education, but it also begins at home. People will imbibe discipline and learn to respect other human beings only if they are good at heart. And goodness is a quality that comes from the right upbringing. The family, thus, is the central point in determining how well we turn out. And that is where change has to be effected for a better tomorrow. I have been brought up by my mother to respect women, especially working mothers. A woman should not be another woman's biggest enemy. I hope and pray that we do not have to hear of another 'Nirbhaya' in the New Year.
For India, 2012 ended on a gruesome note. The untimely death of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, after falling victim to a gang-rape, shocked the nation and its citizens into action, demanding justice. In the year gone by, the people finally stood up to make their voices heard, be it with the anti-corruption drive spearheaded by Anna Hazare or the call for justice for slain North-eastern student Richard Loitam.
Everything, though, was not about an uprising. The nation had its shining moments too. Unfortunately, there were way too many issues that outshone them. We spoke to some of the city's movers and shakers about their wishlist for a better 2013...
Harish Bijoor, brand-strategy specialist
I wish to see an enlightened India, a place where its citizens will go out of the way when they see someone down. I wish to see citizens participate in issues and movements. We must rise above petty issues and participate in issues that do not concern us as well. That is true blue community living. I wish to see intelligent solutions for issues that challenge us. Not band-aid solutions that our governance structures offer. We need an attitude of zerotolerance in place. Men and women must participate in this zero-tolerance movement towards rape.
Charu Sharma, sports commentator
Women's safety is a priority. We cannot possibly have e n o u g h policemen to patrol every square yard of our country. To have more policemen/women is not the answer — because the ones who are already employed are badly trained and very badly paid. So, one minor solution is set up better sensitivity training for cops and serious criminal punishment to cops for dereliction of duty/corruption.
The problem, though, begins with our parenting. With generations of Indian parents glorifying the male child and ignoring (if not killing) the girl child, males will be stronger anyway and then grow up feeling superior.
If you truly want a drastic reduction in crimes against women, the punishment for even the smallest crime (if proven) should be drastic. So drastic that the impact of the punishment should be publicly visible for a lifetime.
The need of the hour is also a younger governance force. There is an increasing disconnect with the governed. But governance problems are more due to the 'Party' diktat system and corruption, than age. We talk about punishment for rape. Why do we not realize that our entire population is being 'raped' every single moment due to the crippling corruption we face at every level of governance. So, if there the death penalty for rape — there should be death for corruption.
Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, vice-president of an executive search firm
Growth brings with it troubles and stretching , aches and pains. Can we just shake our heads and shrug and get on with it? That's what we are trying to do. And it must stop. Accountability and interdependence should be clarified, fingerprinting and passing the buck must cease. The year 2020 will see India as the youngest demographic nation with at least 70% of the population under 40. This needs to be reflected in the governing class. Certainly, a young nation will not begin to comprehend an 80-plus Chief Minister who feels that young women 'ask for it' by being out after 9 pm. It may be time, nay a necessity, for a youth reservation in parliament, if we are going to reflect the needs and aspirations of a younger, hungrier nation. 2013 should ring out the old, ring in the new. And if we are lucky, it will ring in the good.
Anita Nair, author
The police should set up a database of sexual crime offenders like they do internationally and these known offenders should be monitored even after serving their sentence. I wish we do not have to endure idiotic and immature politicians like Botsa Satyanarayana, Abhijit Mukherjee or the one in Rajasthan who has advocated the banning of skirts as school uniforms as a safety measure. What next? The burkha as school uniform? I wish we remember that India is for all Indians. That we are free to travel and live anywhere in our country with neither fear nor restraint I wish we learnt to accept and assimilate unfamiliar cultural elements without being narrow-minded or bigoted about it.
Puneeth Rajkumar, actor
It is high time we improve on our discipline and learn to respect each other. Discipline comes through education, but it also begins at home. People will imbibe discipline and learn to respect other human beings only if they are good at heart. And goodness is a quality that comes from the right upbringing. The family, thus, is the central point in determining how well we turn out. And that is where change has to be effected for a better tomorrow. I have been brought up by my mother to respect women, especially working mothers. A woman should not be another woman's biggest enemy. I hope and pray that we do not have to hear of another 'Nirbhaya' in the New Year.
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