Sans Crainte

"The world is meant to be a good place. From the core, everyone wants it to be a good place. So, whatever bad you see is just temporal and lacks the real mandate. Believe in yourself and the collective human energy. Be good. Be with no fear. Be as one." - Maithili always said that.

Maithili Tyagi was young, 19, English Honors student who enjoys cookery, charity work and writing poems. She is tall with chocolate skin, black hair and grey captivating eyes. In addition to good looks her talks were super enchanting. And, she had a very clear vision for her life. She also had a very clear vision for the society she lived in.

Maithili grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in East Delhi. She was raised by her mother; her father having left when she was young. She was friendly and creative but was always very hesitant to talk about social evils. She did not talk directly even to someone who subjected her to undue pressures. 

She still could not forget the July, 2015 when she was so happy.

"Man, and God both met somewhere. Both exclaimed, 'My creator.'. And, that's the key!"

This was what she spoke at the fresher’s party that won her Miss Fresher award at the Delhi University. She was asked to speak on God.

It was however within a month of her stay in Delhi, she started feeling uneasy. There was traffic, there was dirt and there were men. She always found the last one most annoying. She never understood why God, who is the most powerful and all-knowing, did not mend the attitude of men towards the woman, during such a long history of their mutual co-existence.

Anoushka, 18, was her best buddy. She came from South Delhi. And, both enjoyed every bit of their fresh campus life. Both shared many interests and they got well most of the time.

It was Saturday and they planned to visit the Select City Walk Mall. They both reached at 11 in the morning. It was a beautiful day. And, they planned to do a lots of window shopping together. Visiting one store after another they spend almost two and a half hours.

"Let's sit down now for a coffee", suggested Maithili

"Sure, that would be relaxing.", accepted Anoushka.

They entered a coffee shop. Anoushka ordered for a Cappuccino and one Smoked Chicken Sandwich. Maithili wanted Espresso and a croissant. They preferred to sit on the Balcony area of the cafe.

The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze was flowing. It was a lunch time, but they were satisfied with the snacks they were having. However, sitting in an open area was possibly not the best idea in the noon.

They soon came inside on the sofa. The ambience of the cafe was awesome. However, on their right there was a man in his mid-forties who was gazing them since they entered the cafe at first.

After some time, a woman joined him and noted him watching the young girls. Possibly she was his wife. She also turned back for a moment, looked at Anoushka and smiled back to her husband.

"No sense of dressing...", Maithili heard her saying to her husband.

For the first time Maithili looked closely at Anoushka and found that it must be her deep-plunge top that the women must have referred too. She, however, was herself wearing a crisscross marled Knit ribbed T-shirt.

Maithili never understood why instead of being upset or angry over her husband, the women just added logic to his action. Was it her own complex that has taken shape of this insensitivity? Or, is it the collective insensitivity of the society as a whole, that ignores such violations and takes them as trivial?

"Look. That is why India's daughter is ban in India.", Anoushka said.

Maithili was unaware of the documentary that Anoushka was talking about. It was trending a couple of weeks earlier and was later ban in India.

Anoushka had a copy of that video on her smartphone at that time. They both watched it with the earphone split between them. One ear pod for one ear!

"How narrow we have been in our journey towards empowering females in our society", was the only thing Maithili could speak after watching it half.

Her eyes became wet in the midway. 

Coming out of the cafe they headed down for the park area. The area on the left of Select City Walk towards the DLF mall is a bit cooler and quiet. The fountains and the shining floor give an awesome feel. They sat down there and talked about the Nirbhaya incident.

Maithili said that every lustful gaze of a man reminded her of the night of 16th December 2012. That horrific incident happened on the broad roads of New Delhi. The gang rape case involved a fatal assault in Munirka, a neighbourhood in South Delhi.

The incident took place when a 23-year-old female physiotherapy intern, was beaten, gang raped, and tortured in a private bus in which she was traveling with her male friend. Eleven days after the assault, she was transferred to a hospital in Singapore for the emergency treatment but died from her injuries two days later. The incident generated widespread national and international coverage and was widely condemned, both in India and abroad.

Maithili and Anoushka decided to complete watching the video in the park area. Maithili was heartbroken after watching the entire documentary. She was shocked. 

The tears that were rolling down her cheeks were not the actual measures of the pain she was feeling. She saw how the women of the families of rapists and the lawyer are justifying that act of horror.

Not just the rape. There are so many cases of molestation and sexual harassment that occurs daily.

"The male gaze has to change.", said Anoushka.

"And, should not females need to be tutored to tutor the males at home - be it their sons or husbands", asked Anoushka.

"Absolutely.", nodded Maithili. "And, the first step is that we should start talking about these issues more openly", she completed.

While returning Maithili was thinking what story is being told to the world every day about our country. The such feeble percentage of women in education, job and politics coupled with the colorful remarks by the top leaders does tell a story. The sexist remarks and khap panchayats does tell a story.

The eve-teasing and molestations in and outside the walls of where we stay does tell a story. The imposed ban on an effort documenting the feelings of the parents of the rape victim, Nirbhaya, and the attitude of the rapist and his lawyer does tell a story. You just need to be sensitive to be able to read.

"Why is this documentary ban?," asked Maithili to herself.

Next day, while returning from the college she read a circular in the college. It talked about Arundhati Roy coming at her department.

"I will not come," said Anoushka.

"But she is an awesome writer. You must come.", replied Maithili.

"She hasn't written anything new. That is why.", Anoushka asserted.

"Seems you have missed her recent writings. When Arundhati speaks, farm widows are remembered, and suppression is brought to light. She has recently

spoken about the pain and injustices on the marginalised ones. She has written introduction to a recently published annotated edition of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's 'Annihilation of Caste.' And, this time it was Hislop college in Nagpur.", replied Maithili.

"You seem to be a great admirer of her.", chuckled Anoushka.

"O yeah! She is awesome.", replied Maithili and bid goodbye to Anoushka.

While returning, in Metro she kept on thinking about Arundhati Roy and her constant struggle. She sometime gets thrilled on reading about the bravery and boldness this lady puts in to bring the truth to notice. She has been seen to keep social injustice as her theme at almost all media interactions and the talks delivered.

"I really feel Arundhati speaks for humanity itself. We need people whose ideas are not bound to the fetters of only the society they dwell in." said Maithili to herself.

"Tring, tring", the phone beeped once on the WhatsApp message.

On her modern age smartphone, she has set an old tune for message alert. Possibly that's why the boy standing in front of her turned back and looked at her.

"We should talk about India's Daughter ban with Arundhati Roy. What say...", - the message of Anoushka read.

"That's brilliant. We will ask a question", Maithili messaged back, and a smiley followed.

This was against the nature of Maithili. But the overall cause involved in it suddenly gave her all the strengths. That's the energy of youth and that's why the governments all across the planet wants to tap it.

Next day when they discussed it with their teacher their offer was turned down.

Mrs. Bharti, 52, the Associate Professor in English Literature, did not find the idea of talking about anything that brings disgrace to the nation.

After all, she was the one holding to the fags of nationalism in this campus when she thought that the students of JNU were busy creating ruckus. She believed that the students have forgotten the rich and old culture of our nation.

"You live in an illusion", Mrs. Bharti said.

"Why, what's the wrong", asked Maithili and Anoushka in same voice.

"We cannot talk about a ban movie in campus", replied Mrs. Bharti in stern voice.

"Also, Nirbhaya should have avoided traveling that late", she added.

Maithili and Anoushka knew that they could do nothing. They have discovered by now that women are often the first to avoid talking over the atrocities over other women!

The most important issues for girls in schools today are early and forced marriage, lack of girls' washrooms, the long distance to school, and domestic housework. Then, the fear of sexual violence in schools and in between the school and the home. The education, be at school or at colleges, has been mostly peripheral to the concerns of the women. The worst of all is the lack of concentrated attention, special care or individual guidance to the girls who are victims or are vulnerable to misbehavior and violence.

Dogmas and unwillingness to speak is intimately woven and intermingled in the fabric of educational system and the society as a whole. Despite progress, women and girls continue to face multiple barriers.

Somehow that event got canceled and they never got a chance to ask their question openly. They missed a chance to talk about the sufferings of the womanhood.

The same night Maithili was talking to her mom about this. However, she observed that her mom was feeling restless.

"Why are you discussing these matters.", shouted her mom.

Maithili was surprised to see the disgust her mother was feeling over these talks.

"Do not discuss or write about this on Facebook as well. How can you talk about rape and all in public? Have you lost it?", with this her mother banged the door of any further talk on this.

Sadly, this is the state of Indian society!

On one side, there is a society that claims to be the spiritual and cultural guru. However, they shall not discuss openly about such real issues. It is a taboo.

"It's a shameful," they think of about open talks on sex and the crimes related to it.

On the other side, there are large groups of men who feel groping and raping women is justified if the victim wears western clothes.

"Girls want it themselves", they think.

Further, there are sick and self-proclaimed Moral Thekedars, who can give any comment on women dressing, education, movement, career.

Maithili was not able to sleep that entire night. She was thinking that these are the days when one should discuss about healing sadomasochism like the one illustrated in the movie Fifty shades of Grey.

These are days to decide deeper in relation to LGBT issues. These are the days of third genders claiming their share of laws. These are the days of net-neutrality. These are the times when we should try to stop child and women tracking from India. However, carrying the heavy torch of self-proclaimed heritage or culture is more celebrated here than hearing to the cries of women and other oppressed

under its weight.

We should stop the exploitation of women in nariniketans and on the roads. We should try giving women reservations in governance. We should try debating on viability of rehabilitation of some or all of the Red light areas.

But alas! Here, no one wants to talk openly even about the rapes.

The next morning, she met Anoushka. She showed her some lines that she wrote yesternight. They were the lines that Nirbhaya would herself ask from wherever she is today.

Ah! In that cold dark,

All piety was ripped apart.

The predators were prowling open

Squashing humanity at heart.

‘twas blood, not Adam’s ale

‘twas body, not a trifle

A blooming flower of some yard

Like weed was bid to stifle.

Vulgar their touch has been

By eyes, by hands, by say.

Even before I sniffed the youth

I felt the every fray.

At risk is honor for all

And, I am again to warn.

My somber is an interrupt

For you to be forlorn.

“That’s awesome. That’s so touching”, yelled Anoushka.

She always knew about the creative side of Maithili. And, these lines were very touching. Anoushka offered to create music for this song. And, they decided that they should go with this voice of their heart. They should not feel ashamed and should not shy away from speaking about the atrocity again and again. They should ask the society again and again.

Today, Maithili was feeling as if she interviewed Nirbhaya. She kept on penning down the lines of her heart in the form of the poem. Eventually, this poem shall complete and shall force the society to introspect. In fact, she was feeling that Nirbhaya was inside her and she was asking questions to the society.

The questions surely stir my mind as well. The question if there were any lessons learnt. The question if there was any difference that has come to us, as a society. The question that have we changed even a bit after that horrific incident.

“Nirbhaya is still wandering on the streets where small girls, young girls and old girls are still molested irrespective or their age, attire or religion”, Maithili said to Anoushka.

Whenever she is on the bus she feels the same insecurity. Whenever she sees moral policing she feels the same insecurity. Whenever she watches open drinking and commuting drunk men, she feels the same insecurity. That insecurity has not gone.

“She is still on the bus where new girls are harassed every day – by eyes, by touches, by elbows.”, said Maithili.

No one seems to learn after such incidents. Neither they mend themselves nor do they oppose others. There is still lots to be changed. There are plenty of repetitions like Kathua, Unnao, Agra, Gurgaon, Bihar, Delhi, Kashmir. And, these happen on daily basis with only a fraction of them being reported.

Any new incident just lights the gas burner again. Any new story of brutality and rape momentarily shakes the country to its core, placing the issue of sexual violence firmly back on the national agenda.

The next week, however, we busy ourselves in another spicy story over our television sets.

"At least, I shall bring meaning to the name Nirbhaya.

She was sans crainte – without fear," said Maithili.

"I have no fear either. And, I shall never have.", continued Maithili to herself stressing over the French term sans crainte.

Maithili decided to work for this cause. She wanted to tell everyone that BBC storyville 'India's daughter' is educative, informative, insightful and is mirroring the Indian psyche. It's our collective truth, howsoever hard we say we are different.

She thought that curbing the display of the disgust against heinous crimes, physically or narratively, is simply a moral boost to the traditional viewpoints, riding on which the horrific rape was done.

She was sure that no victim is misinterpreted or maligned in the harrowing short-film by Leslee Udwin.

“It may be saddening to watch the film, but the ban is an unjustified act of censorship.”, Maithili believed. 

When Maithili started, she was joined soon with many like-minded students especially girls.

Earlier everyone had a fear to speak openly over these matters. But now they share the same pain and anxiety as Maithili. They believe that Nirbhaya is still wanting the real justice. The justice is incomplete unless the security of women is looked with prime importance and a giant step is taken to fix the situation.

A strict legislation must be accompanied with a stricter executive department. No criminal should ever be masked under the hoods of moral policing. The society also needs to understand it by heart. The education system needs to include chapters on such issues and start looking women related issues right from the beginning. The university campuses should be free from the clutches of political parties when it comes to the expression of the feelings of the marginalized and oppressed sections of the society. It is high time now!

"Our pursuit should be such that the women's movement re-engage with questions of education", said Maithili.

She spent many sleepless nights sketching the plan of what to do. A band was formed, and their group was joined by many students.

"We shall hold discussions and can forward our suggestions to various departments,” suggested Ruqaiyya, the otherwise very silent girl.

Surely, if we develop a suitable curriculum for the education of girls and fix the scarcity of lady teachers, we shall be able to win half of the battle. Next, would be to develop the social consciousness among women in all the sections of society.

"How about quoting this line", Saurabh brought an excerpt from the Indian Education Commission 1964-66.

It reads - "For full development of our human resources, the improvement of homes and for molding the character of children during the most im-pressionable years of their infancy, the education of girls is of greater importance than that of boys".

"Sure.", said Maithili.

And, they finalized the plan to hold a panel-discussion too around the liberty in campuses to speak on the subjects of national or social importance. They knew that universities are a good place to dive deeper into the issues related to violence on women and other oppressed ones.

“We do not malign ourselves by naming our sins, rather it is the first step towards cleansing.”, Maithili asserted.

It is true that humans, across the map, do manifest an ostrich-mentality. What we need, instead, is the onset of good threads of discussion, debate and a societal overhaul without fear and hesitation. This little change in the attitude of the public towards women’s issues would help much in improving the situation.

A few weeks later an advertisement material was photocopied and stuck on the walls of the university. The same material was copied and found circulating in other campuses as well.

It reads as follows:

“Dear All,

Since Indian law and our ethics does not allow to publish a rape victim's name, the victim has become widely known as Nirbhaya, meaning 'fearless', and her tragic

last travel on the bus and struggle for life have come to symbolize the civic society's and the women's struggle to end the rape culture in India. We need to oppose the long-held practice of either denial of its frequent existence, or otherwise blaming the victim's attire, friends, movements or habits. A BBC documentary titled 'India's Daughter' based on the attack was broadcast in the UK on 4 March 2015 but is ban in India.

Our concert is titled 'Sans crainte' that means Without Fear. This shall be followed with open panel discussion in and for the support of equality and justice to women in India.

We intend to create awareness and ask the society about its preparedness so that the story of Nirbhaya does not get repeated. It is also to pose question on double standards followed by the society and to support the cause of getting the ban removed from 'India's Daughter'. We should not forget that we do not malign ourselves by naming our sins, rather it is the first step towards cleansing.

Think. Become sans crainte.

Join us in our 3D hologram performance live at the Faculty of Arts Lawns (Delhi University), Kennedy Auditorium (AMU), Freedom Square (JNU) at 7 PM, 26^th March 2016.

- A girl with no fear.

Truly, sans crainte"