How long can India deny Murthal Highway gang rapes?
Silenced is the honour lobby as the first gang rape victim filed a police complaint five days after seven men from her own village pulled her out of a van and took turns to sexually assault her.
Days after allegations of rape and molestation by agitators near Haryana's Murthal, the first victim came forward from the many reportedly raped that night.
I salute the woman, her courage to risk social, political, or family pressures, and take the first firm step to bring the beasts to justice. How many of us can do that? Not many?
When media reported about the possibility of gang rapes of hapless women stranded on the highway that day and TV channels showed clothes of women strewn around, majority of Indians didn't want to believe. A few locals, including truck drivers, claimed they had seen women being dragged to the fields by the protesters.
Most people who reacted privately or publicly to the reports refused to believe women were sexual preys to youth of the now infamous Murthal.
This is the truth about the dignity of women in India. Even if you are following the rules laid down by the patriarchal society, even if you travel with your protective family, you are not safe.
We know women are easy targets for sexual abuse during wars, battles, even military engagements. But riots on a highway leading to gang rapes of defenceless women in the sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic of India, where the Constitution of the country assures its citizens justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavors to promote fraternity among them.