A letter to Bharat

Dear Bharat,

                              Who are you? Where do you reside?

Are you the politician who screams ‘temple’ in every speech, but stays silent when the temple of humanity is demolished? Or are you the celebrity who rants about rape on Twitter but promotes rape culture in his movies? Are you the innocent soul who walks on the road of danger with a burning candle in her hand? Or are you the journalist who is so immersed in his duty towards a political party, that he has forgotten what news is?

The nation wants to know,

Are you the parent who covers up your daughter to protect her? Or are you the one who doesn’t teach your son what it means to respect someone’s integrity? Are you the village elder who screams that rape mein ladki ki bhi utni hi galti hoti hai?

Are you a macho man or a crying woman? Is your forehead painted saffron, rainbow or tricolor? Are you the invisible eyes seeing the length of skirts and sleeves? Or are you the punctured humanity which walks the streets at night?

Oh my dear bharat,

Wake up. Ignite the candle of your thoughts, not of your social media posts.

You are strength. You are power. You are diversity. You are unity.

You are one colour, that is humanity.

Empower yourself. Educate both your sons and daughters.

And do it soon.

For your humanity is being raped, minute by minute, daughter by daughter.