DHIIMAHEE SHAH:

All that remains unsaid 

What is it that we speak about when a topic such as rape is brought up? Scratch that, when is rape even spoken about in normal conversation? 

Nirbhaya 2012, Hathras 2020, and the most recent brutality against the doctor in Kolkata is the only time we as a society decide that it’s high time a topic such as this should be talked about. Suddenly then, all media platforms push the same narrative. You must have come across at least some of the countless narrations of the brutal rape and murder of Moumita Debnath - whether it be through the floodgates of Instagram stories, posts, Whatsapp forwards, articles, appeals for protests, candle-marches, subsequent cases of aggravated rape, and so many more such discussions. They all speak for a long-driven plea for justice, for recognition, to make their systematically suppressed voices heard - but only momentarily. About a month after the RG Kar rape-murder as I write this, Instagram stories are returning back to normal, everyday discussions start getting mundane again, and the media loses focus from headlines to side columns about rape yet again. 

Every time a case like this surfaces, one out of the thousands of rapes occuring everyday, we enumerate the exact horrors of the incident, quantify them for impact, till its normalised and eventually dies out. Sometimes, on the rare occasions like August 9, she is honoured with a public outcry - calls for capital punishment, castrations, appropriate justice. Ironically, this spectacle is more often than not created if the dead or decapitated is lucky enough to have belonged to a certain class, caste or occupation. Or if the brutality is so extreme that it breaks apart the ‘monotonous’ history of similar cases and forces people to speak up. Why do we get to decide, then, who deserves our moral attention and outrage, and who doesn’t?

Rape has been timeless and systematically ingrained into the system - it stands as the backbone of the patriarchy we live in and have carefully curated over centuries, and is something the public and media repeatedly fail to comprehend. It’s driven by the want to exert control, power and dominion by violating the innermost sanctity of an individual, most likely to be a woman; more than it is an expression of repressed lust, as is commonly believed. Rape occurs because rape culture is enabled - in ways you might not even believe to be true. Rape culture is a human rights issue rooted in patriarchal societies, the normalization of sexual violence in media, and victim blaming. Its almost astounding to watch how the brutality against the junior doctor quickly went from seeking justice to a scrutiny of Mamata Banerjee’s government by the BJP, and now no one seems to care to know of the actual perpetrator(s) or if justice gets served or not.  

The truth of the matter is that women are rarely ever looked at as human beings, she’s never enough on her own. “What if it was your daughter, sister, wife that was raped?” - is what it takes for women to be viewed as sentient beings whose rights are being violated on a daily basis. They’re either put up on a pedestal - worshipped, almost deity-like or seen as a mere sexual object of attention. The Madonna/Whore complex, places women into two categories: the “Madonna,“ defined as a woman who is pure, virtuous, and nurturing, or a “Whore,” a woman who is deemed as overly sexual, manipulating, and promiscuous. Countless people, some even in powers of authority and influence wholeheartedly believe that a woman shouldn’t roam around late at night, wear a certain type of clothing, and other innumerable precautions that a woman should be aware of, just to reach back home alive and unscathed. Because if she gets raped, she must have done something to deserve it or “ask for it” right? In the aftermath of the December 2012 gang rape, one of the perpetrators audaciously said, “A decent girl won’t roam around at night. A girl is more responsible for rape than a boy…” This is the exact mindset that leads the country into a downward spiral; especially for women.

Instructing a woman to arm herself - “carry a knife, hold your keys between your fingers, don’t have earphones in so you’re not distracted, send your location and Uber number plate, keep emergency contacts on alert, cover yourself up even in 40 degree weather, take a martial arts class”, that same never ending list - even further perpetuates this cycle of victim-blaming and enabling of rape culture. A man driven by power or determination to get his way will get his way despite these ‘prevention measures’ unless he is held accountable for his actions. And that doesn’t necessarily mean going out on huge protests or taking a public stand (both of which are also extremely important). It begins with the little things. Your instagram story holds no value if, at the end of the day you’re a raging misogynist, laughing at the distasteful and seemingly ‘harmless’ rape joke that your friend makes for a total of three laughs. “Not all men” - you’re quick to say, but ask any woman around you and she will always have a horrifying story almost always in connexion to a man. Use your male privilege against the system, not as an extension of it.

Rape has been truly timeless. Generation after generation, not one thing changes.

Women are attacked, women are blamed and women face the consequences. Every dismissal of the truth, every suppressed voice, every violation of justice is not just a statistic that you can read and discard but a real woman whose only crime is to be born as one. But do you know the constant unnerving fear, burden and helplessness of being a woman beneath the headlines, the outrage and the noise? 

AAYANA TANDON:

Through a woman’s eyes

The sun is out, the birds are chirping and there is laughter all around, 

yet, beneath all this lies an ever present awareness-

a whisper that reminds her to stay alert,

 to hold her keys tightly while walking alone at night, 

 to constantly analyse her surroundings.

Women live with an unspoken burden, a collective understanding that safety is never guaranteed. It’s the way we instinctively clutch our keys tighter when walking alone at night, mapping out escape routes in our heads, it’s in the constant calculation of risk when entering spaces that should feel safe—schools, colleges, public transport, even our own homes.

It’s easy to think the world has progressed, that women today have more rights, more opportunities, more voices. And yes, in many ways, we do. But when the most fundamental aspect of existence—our safety—is still up for debate, have we truly moved forward?

Each horrific news story only sharpens that fear. The most recent case of the Kolkata doctor in 2024, and the Nirbhaya case in 2012, were not just tragedies—they were shared nightmares, one that every woman, no matter where she is, can understand. It could have been any one of us. And that’s what stings the most. They had dreams, hopes, and the desire to help others. Their life was a beacon of service, yet it was silenced in a moment of incomprehensible violence. The horror of their stories are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern that has grown all too familiar. 

It’s constantly being told to be careful, it's the comments about how we dress and that we’re “asking for it” if we show any skin, its being told to take self defence classes because who will protect us if not ourselves, it is as if safety is solely our responsibility, as if we aren’t already doing everything in our power to stay safe. These comments are a prime example of what society is and has been for the centuries that have passed, trying to shrug responsibility off of the male species, protecting the perpetrator, and pinning the victim.  As a 17 year old, I must have sat through at least 10-15 interventions about how I can protect myself from such heinous acts, whether it was at home or at school, but funnily enough I have never come across an intervention where men are taught human decency, how to respect women and protect them. 

Men are lucky that all we are doing is asking for basic decency and respect, and not trying to take revenge because then there’s the rage. The burning anger that bubbles up each time within us when another woman’s life is brutally taken, each time we hear a politician or public figure downplay the severity of the incident, or blame the victim. There’s the frustration of being told that we’re overreacting, that “not all men” are the problem, while we continue to be told how to dress, how to act, and how to behave to avoid becoming the next victim.

"Oh, she’s the feminist type?” A wonderful question we women hear daily from insecure men, simply because we believe in equity, simply because we choose not to let those 'harmless little comments' slide, simply because we dare to speak out against those so-called jokes that only him and his 2 friends laugh at. “Not all men!” Yes, but somehow, always a man. 

The headlines may change, but the pattern is the same: a woman, violated and discarded, her story reduced to a mere headline and instagram thread, her life lost in a sea of similar ones, but hey! I bet the clothes she was wearing that night were too short. 

And to all those men who ask, “but what can I do about it? Just because of those few men our whole species is tainted with this image!” Let me tell you what you can do. 

1. Challenge Misogyny and Toxic Behaviour: Silence is seen as complicity, so speaking up is essential to changing harmful norms. This might mean stepping out of comfort zones to correct friends, family, or colleagues who make inappropriate comments, jokes, or do actions that belittle or objectify women, even in casual conversations.  

1. Listen and Learn: Men can make an effort to listen to the experiences of women without being defensive or dismissive. Empathy is powerful. Understanding the daily challenges women face in terms of harassment, discrimination, and fear can help men better support them. Acknowledging the problem is the first step toward becoming part of the solution.

1. Reflect and Unlearn Biases: It’s important for men to reflect on any internalised biases they may have about gender roles or behaviours. Unlearning stereotypes and acknowledging the privilege that comes with being a man can help shift perspectives and lead to better support for women.

To all the women out there, know this: your feelings are valid. The fear, the anxiety, the anger you carry—it’s not an overreaction, and it’s not something to be dismissed. The world has often tried to minimise our pain, to tell us we’re being too sensitive or emotional. But every unsettling glance, every moment of feeling unsafe, every violation of your body or mind is real and significant. You are not alone in this struggle, and you are not wrong for feeling the way you do. Your experiences matter, and your pain deserves to be acknowledged. Healing takes time, and it begins by accepting that what you’ve endured is not your fault. You are strong, resilient, and your voice—your story—deserves to be heard.

Sexual harassment helplines: 

http://www.ncw.nic.in/helplines