Nibir Ghosh
The distress signals the 24/7 newsfeed daily brings us
Of rapes, molestations, harassment at workplace,
domestic violence, eve-teasing, dowry-oriented bride burnings,
female foeticides, sexual abuse, trafficking, child marriages,
enforced prostitution,
incantation of a ‘word’ terminating relationships made in heaven
blackmail and extortion courtesy digitization and viral videos
Of all crimes against women perpetrated by the
lowliest of the low and the mightiest of the mighty
by adolescents, the young and the elderly
by aliens as well as by kith and kin
in garbs of sophistication and attires of divinity
cutting across caste, community, class, region, religion and race,
completely blind to and unmindful of
their compassion, struggle and sacrifice,
I truly wonder whether,
as the male species of the homo sapiens,
as participants, accomplices, indifferent witnesses and mute spectators.
rooted in patriarchy, obsolete traditions, and fettered mindsets,
have the conscience and the courage
to celebrate the 8th day of March or any other day as
A HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY ???
