Sigh!

Khairlanji ke rapiston ko: Ek Dhakka Aur Do!

Adivasi ke rapiston ko: Ek Dhakka Aur Do!

Manipur ke rapiston ko: Ek Dhakka Aur Do!

Delhi ke rapiston ko: Ek Dhakka Aur Do!

 

Baghta kay?

Shamil ho!

Dekhta kya hai?

Shamil ho!

 

Pitrasatta dhoka hai!

Dhakka maaro!

Mauka hai!

Amidst these chants, on 24^th November, students of TISS protested in a three kilometer radius around campus. We were easily 200 in number. In Delhi, thousands have been assembling every day to protest against the gang rape in Delhi. Tiruvananthapuram to Thane, small little marches are being led by citizens to look into the matter of rape. It is these little things that matter.

Then, there are lewd comments by eminent politicians that range from “painted dented women” to a certain Khaap Panchayat shouting “chowmein.” The spirit of those little things stands threatened in the weight of these horrid remarks. Secondly, some of us shout only about differences. The things that divide us seem to matter more to us than those things that should/could/do bring us together in solidarity. These divisions leave us astray and we fail to recognize the spirit of those little things that matter.

That said I refuse to go to candle lit condolence meets, in memory, of one rape victim. I refuse to join a herd of sheep that marches in solidarity against this rape case, and is yet in coherence with the structures of patriarchy. This mode that I am identifying with right now is separate and it is a deterrent to the larger struggles. I am in bitch mode.

From morning, I have gotten four messages saying, “She died.”  Following these messages is an array of messages calling condolence meetings. I refuse to let this case become the hero so that all other instances of violence against women are forgotten. Every day, there is news about rape. I want all those cases to matter. My heart seeks a revolution.

Also I feel that our women’s groups and feminist collectives are stuck in melancholia. Little bits of movements keep happening. But, we are not uniting. I am old school, and I believe in “united we stand.”

I think we need to spread our thoughts to all existing structures. Infiltrate the very core of these structures and talk till they listen. We need to become active. Join politics. Talk about all of this, at home. Make our thoughts known, through the media and other things. Attack them like guerilla soldiers and catch them off guard.
Let’s break the silence and bring ourselves freedom. For all this, we require some kind of unity. It’s not possible to struggle and make big difference in small pockets. Our small separatist commentary is only letting them take advantage of our situation.

I think the problem is that we are not able to find that one monster, that one villain, anymore. While some of us shout caste, some of us shout capitalism, some of us shout patriarchy and the rest of us shout government. Call me essentialist, but all these villains have one thing in common. These villains make us feel smaller; they cause us oppression, and trouble us with their power. They are bigger than us. In the shadows of their bigness, we continue to suffer. Our struggles also then, are struggling only that part of the shadow that eclipses our little space. Why don’t we think of how the same shadow will turn around and eclipse another space, on another day?

I stand for togetherness and love. If we all start believing these, sincerely, we will be able to change things. All our eclipses will be gone. This is a plea to all of us who are fighting structural oppression in spaces of our own identities. While the personal is political and the community is important; solidarity is the most fundamental necessity for a movement.
I have so much hope because there is so much scope.

However, I must admit that deep within all this hope lies a sense of resentment and disillusionment. I don’t know where to begin. Maybe, the process has begun already. I just hope it goes somewhere. It’s like a spiral of hope and resentment where I stand right now.

Wishes upon stars!