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Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is
an underrated Shah Rukh Khan movie. While many people compare and
attribute the 'protest' mania to Rang de Basanti, it is also
important to acknowledge the fact that PBDHH was a movie much ahead
of its time. I especially remember this one scene in which when,
ironically people came down to the street to protest against death
penalty and police were installed to stop the movement. However, in
the movie, the policemen did not follow the orders given to them, and
let the passengers pass.
This particular year, following the
gang rape and intense humiliation and damage to a girl and her
friends' mental and physical health, Delhi public took to the
streets. The movement mainly comprised of students of different
colleges, some school students and civil society at large. The
demand, among many others, is that the culprits of the heinous crime
should be hanged till death. The major difference between reality and
reel versions of such a protest is, that Delhi Police, along with
members of the armed forces, did not seem to hesitate twice, before
baton charge, throwing low intensity bombs besides throwing water at
the protestors in the cold weather of December.
While the media was not allowed to
cover many parts of the protests, there have been a zillion
discussions which have digressed from the issue at hand. Prime media
seem to be more concerned about the question whether this movement is
apolitical or not, the genesis of such a movement and the impact on
political history of the country. However, thanks to social media
sites like facebook and micro blogging sites like twitter and of
course power of cellular phones, information about the protest
and the atrocities inflicted on the general public for justice, is
there for all to view. The most disgusting and at the same time,
interestingly, the most motivating snaps are those in which women are
being maltreated and manhandled (literally, in every sense of the
word) by Delhi police. It takes four Delhi police to lift off one
woman student each from her seat of peaceful protest. One holding one
hand, the other, other, two others lifting her legs. How is this
different from an incident of initiation of a gang rape? I would
imagine, there too, the victim is pinned down in a similar manner. And
that is why these pictures are disgusting and shameful.
The reason why I feel that these
pictures are still motivating, is that such atrocities just
strengthen the desire of what the administration is trying to curb. It is just adding fuel to the fire they are trying to stop. One could pity the situation of the girls being dragged off. I choose
to admire their strength, their presence of mind as well as their
attire. These women are wearing sports shoes because they were
prepared for a long long walk. Despite being dragged, a woman in the
picture has crosses her legs and in between hangs her carry bag. And
the fact is, they seem to be not crying or help, but voicing their
voice for justice. This sight, though disgusting is commendable.
What is not commendable is the seamless manner with which these policemen misbehave with us. One would not think, there is a plus side to crime against women. But oh boy, is there! In Delhi, we have been so used to violence in many forms, that beyond a point, physically, it stops affecting us. During my years living in Delhi, I have been looked at, stared, commented, and even hit by men during road rage incidents. Having been through all that, and survived, has just made me stronger.
What is not commendable is the seamless manner with which these policemen misbehave with us. One would not think, there is a plus side to crime against women. But oh boy, is there! In Delhi, we have been so used to violence in many forms, that beyond a point, physically, it stops affecting us. During my years living in Delhi, I have been looked at, stared, commented, and even hit by men during road rage incidents. Having been through all that, and survived, has just made me stronger.
And it is not just the creeps who treat
us as sex objects we have to be careful off, or face. I remember a
number of times.....I will narrate one. I remember this one time quite clearly, when one
person made a swift turn infront of my car, which was completely out
of line. This was five to six years ago. I remember rolling down my window and telling that person
quite respectively, 'Do you think traffic rules allow that Sir?' And
his reply was, 'Women, you need to get married to get your
frustration off.' A man, I do not know, I do not insult, tells me the
most offensive thing, just because he thought he can!!A random guy figures I am unmarried and talks about what I should do with my life when I ask him to observe traffic rules. Well, I doubt,
if he'd try that again though. I guess it is because of what I did in response. I did exactly what he told me. No, I didn't get married, but I took some of my frustration off. A comment, about my gender, my life is far more frustrating than being single, when people chose to argue from the aspect of me being a woman, than me being a driver on the road. Whether I am a man or a woman, whether I am black or white, hindu or a muslim, these things don't matter in the discussion. Moreover, it was argumentum ad hominum.
In retaliation to his comment, I remember letting his car go. I or rather the traffic did not let him get away though. I banged right into his car, purposely and a couple of times. It was midst traffic. So it was quite easy, and quite fun. This one time he got out, and told me, 'You better stop it. If there was a man sitting next to you, I would behave differently.' I remember shouting like a lioness at him. And once he went back to his car, I banged my car right into him again. The implication of that chap was that he would hit me if I was not a woman. I remember how this one time, a different time, someone did actually hit me at a petrol pump, despite me being a woman. It made me realize, that men in Delhi, or men in general (I don't get out of NCR much) either want to hit a woman or do. This goes on to show, how easy and how convenient, that thought is in their head. Some act on it, some don't, but surely most of them want to.I want to be respected only because I am a woman. I want all men to do the exact opposite of what they do do. I want them to not want to hurt a woman, verbally, physically, mentally or in any manner possible. And the once who do not know how to behave with women, or in the company of woman, I want them dead. I want the state to kill them, or let me do the job.
In retaliation to his comment, I remember letting his car go. I or rather the traffic did not let him get away though. I banged right into his car, purposely and a couple of times. It was midst traffic. So it was quite easy, and quite fun. This one time he got out, and told me, 'You better stop it. If there was a man sitting next to you, I would behave differently.' I remember shouting like a lioness at him. And once he went back to his car, I banged my car right into him again. The implication of that chap was that he would hit me if I was not a woman. I remember how this one time, a different time, someone did actually hit me at a petrol pump, despite me being a woman. It made me realize, that men in Delhi, or men in general (I don't get out of NCR much) either want to hit a woman or do. This goes on to show, how easy and how convenient, that thought is in their head. Some act on it, some don't, but surely most of them want to.I want to be respected only because I am a woman. I want all men to do the exact opposite of what they do do. I want them to not want to hurt a woman, verbally, physically, mentally or in any manner possible. And the once who do not know how to behave with women, or in the company of woman, I want them dead. I want the state to kill them, or let me do the job.
I am smarter now. I don't pick fights.
I think it is ever since I moved to Gurgaon that I became more
responsible. I latch my car doors each time I get into my car. I
don't roll my windows down. I don't get into altercations with people while driving. I
try that my car comes back home unscratched. If it does get scratched
on the road, I do not get upset. Under no circumstances do I ever
unlock the car till I reach back home or in the parking of my office
complex. I wish I didn't have to isolate and literally drive in a vacuum. It would feel so nice to drive with the windows rolled down, occasionally.
Yesterday, on my way back from Delhi to Gurgaon, I saw another pathetic display of Delhi traffic policemen on duty. An autorickshaw, with far too many men, cut right in front of my car, with two policeman at the centre, managing traffic. There was a senior policeman, towards the left of my car, who seemed to either take bribe from a motorist or fine him for breaking traffic rules. I honked at the autorickshaw to move his vehicle behind. It didn't. I honked harder, signaling to the traffic cop, to ask the autorickshaw to back the hell off. I was hopeful, the silly optimistic me, that the policeman will notice that there were far too many men in the auto than allowed as per rules, probably do the needful, besides just guiding the vehicle to be placed where it should have. The autorickshaw driver didn't budge, but instead seemed to be asking the policeman what his problem was. The policeman pointed at my car. The people in the rickshaw, said something offensive to me. I did the same to them, just mouthing bad words, not rolling down the car windows or getting out. When the senior police officer seemed relatively free and the autorickshaw left, I asked him what the hell is he doing? Why couldn't three police officer control the movement of one autorickshaw or do anything about anything. It was not a Mercedes or a BMW driver, they had to ask to follow traffic rules!! I was told that 'Madam ji, I can do one thing at one time.' (That is precisely what Delhi traffic police was doing when the bus in which the culprits raped the innocent 23 year old girl drove past them, I thought.) He next told me that I am blocking the traffic and that I should pull over. I know better by now. I told him that I think traffic police in Delhi and police at large in Delhi is scum and can only expect innocent people like me to listen to them. That changes now! I drove away after telling him exactly that. He didn't stop me, he had no basis to. The thing with autorickshaws is, the drivers might be shady and bad elements and probably have a criminal record, potential or actual rapists, but their vehicles cannot drive as fast as my car can. Perhaps this is the urban elite in my head. I happen to catch up with that particular autorickshaw, I drove past it, then hit the breaks really hard, enough for the autorickshaw to jerk really bad, at least twice and sped away. It didn't change anything much. It did give me a weird sense of satisfaction. That I could retaliate, in whatever minimum capacity and get away with it.
Yesterday, on my way back from Delhi to Gurgaon, I saw another pathetic display of Delhi traffic policemen on duty. An autorickshaw, with far too many men, cut right in front of my car, with two policeman at the centre, managing traffic. There was a senior policeman, towards the left of my car, who seemed to either take bribe from a motorist or fine him for breaking traffic rules. I honked at the autorickshaw to move his vehicle behind. It didn't. I honked harder, signaling to the traffic cop, to ask the autorickshaw to back the hell off. I was hopeful, the silly optimistic me, that the policeman will notice that there were far too many men in the auto than allowed as per rules, probably do the needful, besides just guiding the vehicle to be placed where it should have. The autorickshaw driver didn't budge, but instead seemed to be asking the policeman what his problem was. The policeman pointed at my car. The people in the rickshaw, said something offensive to me. I did the same to them, just mouthing bad words, not rolling down the car windows or getting out. When the senior police officer seemed relatively free and the autorickshaw left, I asked him what the hell is he doing? Why couldn't three police officer control the movement of one autorickshaw or do anything about anything. It was not a Mercedes or a BMW driver, they had to ask to follow traffic rules!! I was told that 'Madam ji, I can do one thing at one time.' (That is precisely what Delhi traffic police was doing when the bus in which the culprits raped the innocent 23 year old girl drove past them, I thought.) He next told me that I am blocking the traffic and that I should pull over. I know better by now. I told him that I think traffic police in Delhi and police at large in Delhi is scum and can only expect innocent people like me to listen to them. That changes now! I drove away after telling him exactly that. He didn't stop me, he had no basis to. The thing with autorickshaws is, the drivers might be shady and bad elements and probably have a criminal record, potential or actual rapists, but their vehicles cannot drive as fast as my car can. Perhaps this is the urban elite in my head. I happen to catch up with that particular autorickshaw, I drove past it, then hit the breaks really hard, enough for the autorickshaw to jerk really bad, at least twice and sped away. It didn't change anything much. It did give me a weird sense of satisfaction. That I could retaliate, in whatever minimum capacity and get away with it.
What I am trying to say, is that Delhi
and NCR has taught me:
- To play it safe.
- To appeal to authority when despite doing everything right, I face a problem due to men on the roads.
- And to take matters in my own hands, when authority fails me or loses my trust
Many wonder, what is that Delhites want
from the ongoing protest. This is exactly what we want I think. Women
in Delhi NCR are strong, we are smart when it comes to our security.
We do everything right to not get into trouble. When we do face a
problem, we avail our rights and we go to the authority concerned. It
is when our complaints are not heard, that we take matters in our own
hands. We can die trying, but given the scenario of contemporary
violent social order, we don't have another option. Do we?
The very fact that despite Section 144, (as per which, if more than four people assemble at a place, they can be subject to engage in an unlawful practice and may be arrested) protesters have found a way to go in groups of two to four and still participate in the protest says that yes, we are relentless people like our national leaders. We do believe in defending ourselves and not attacking anyone for no apparent reason. We do comply by laws, but we do know how to bend these, when these are used against us. We are quintessentially Indians. If doesn't matter, if it were the British rule us, the Mughals, the Marathas, or a nation state we help create, we will always stay united and share a common space, for despite it all....Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.
