Uber rape case fighter breaks her silence, says “the city has failed her”
On that night of December 5, when she walked out after having dinner with her friends, she chose taxi, said to be one of the safest option to reach home in Delhi. While selecting the Uber cabs to avail its facility, she was just not paying for the cab, but also for the brand name that promises one of the safest rides on the road. But circumstances had something else in the pocket for her.
Breaking the silence for the first time, the Uber rape case fighter, and not just the victim, mentioned with great disappointment that “the city has failed her”. There were patrols deployed as preventive measures. The cab company that promises trust and safety to its customers, did not even had a proper background verification done for the driver. More shockingly, they had guts to keep a driver on board with them, against whom they had received complaints of misconduct from other female passengers. There irresponsible and negligent behavior made an irreversible loss to her and family.
A lady who protested on roads to get justice for Nirbhaya in 2012, never thought, she herself will stand in same shoes some day. She says, “Isn’t it ironic that the Uber driver had the audacity to threaten me by saying he would use an iron rod on me? Instead of being deterred, this man actually used the December 16 gang rape to scare and assault a woman. This shows the kind of example the system and the government has set for such crimes. No strong message has been sent out to society. It hasn’t deterred the criminals. There are hundreds of other, similar cases”.
The incident has deeply impacted her psyche, and she finds it difficult to sleep as the memories and fear of that night keep haunting her. Despite all the pain she underwent, this courageous lady decided to fight for the wrong that was done to her and hopes for stringent punishment for the accused which can be sent as a strong message to the society that any such violence against women will not be tolerated, else we will fail as a system, as a society, as a country and as a human. Among all this, she does not forget to appreciate the work done by police and kind of efficiency and humbleness that was showcased by the delhi police.
Notwithstanding the pain, the society instead of strengthening her, has made it further difficult for her to move out. She mentions that her neighbors have started questioning her dignity. Her relatives and friends question her decision of filing a report and scare her of getting a bad name. She finds it difficult to cope up with the pressure and as a result she has stopped moving out alone. Nevertheless, the world still has some good souls and many of her friends are with her in this fight for justice. Her colleagues and superiors are supporting her in progressing well and the office is helping her with the counselors.
In between, all the pain and trauma, stands a strong lady, confident about her struggle and wants everyone of us to introspect ourselves. “What if a girl does not have a brother or a husband or a male guardian to tag along, should a girl stop going out and sit at home? Trying to overcome her fear of loneliness, she says, “Girls also have right to live, to work peacefully, and to go out without fear. I will think twice before going out alone and most of the girls do. It is important to kill this fear and for that increased patrolling in city during night is required. Safe cab rides with proper checks done and traceability system should be in place. Women driven cabs will also help to a deeper extent in building the trust back. And the sensitization of public is important. People tend to avoid instances that involve dealings with police and court. This thinking needs to be changed. The women should be given more opportunities to reduce the male dominance in the indian society.” She ends the discussion saying the youth of India has the most important role to play. They need to “Speak up, see something, say something. Don’t be quiet.”
The Logical Indian community admires your courage. We stand with you in your fight for justice.
