mid day editorial: Safety ought to be a basic right, not a privilege
Updated On: 23 February, 2019 07:00 AM IST | mid-day online correspondent
While the seven-year-old in Sion may be too young to fully understand the situation yet, one can only begin to imagine the psychological impact her mothers fear-fuelled reaction might have in the long term
Yesterday, this paper carried a shocking front-page report about a seven year-old girl who is chained to her cot day and night at her home on the pavement in Sion. She is kept shackled by her mother who fears this may be the only way to protect her from a more brutal fate that another little girl, a five-year-old in Mahim, who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered. While the seven-year-old in Sion may be too young to fully understand the situation yet, one can only begin to imagine the psychological impact her mother's fear-fuelled reaction might have in the long term.
We have to once again look at our society and why gender violence is becoming so all-pervasive. Safe spaces are shrinking at an alarming rate; from hospital rooms to classrooms and even at home, women do not seem to be safe in this city, which was once a safe haven for women.
This girl and her mother belong to a vulnerable demographic, homeless with little protection from crime. The family should take the help of social workers and the Child Welfare Committee to provide a safer environment for the girl.
Meanwhile, it is important that we begin talking about the bigger picture, focusing on the rise in gender violence. Schools must pay special attention to the subject and teach children how to stay safe. Educators, sociologists, and counsellors should talk to both boys and girls, taking a strong stand against sexual assault.
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One is heartened to see more survivors speaking out against their assaulters. The law has teeth now, what we must ensure is that we do not put the onus solely on girls to stay safe; the burden must be on the other side, to not ever attack or harm another person. Shift blame, shift the onus and tackle this on an absolute war footing with no let up. This is the only way forward.
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