Punjabi Khoon and its men

Punjab is always in the news; what with latest visit by the heir apparent of the Congress dynasty, one who can do now wrong, that is a story for another day. But yesterdays horrific act where a young girl travelling along with her mother jumped off a moving bus as she was being molested by the helper of the bus. It makes good news, a lot of media sensationalism will happen, we will have a talk show and the nation will want to know.

A panel of eminent feminists along with the ruling party, opposition and a couple of lawyers will be there. We will all eagerly watch and make a lot of appropriate noises. Drawing room conversation, golf club tsks tsks will be there and yes a lot of statuses will be posted and yes if the young girls claim to fame is there she will trend with a hash tag.

It is indeed a sad day in our society that we have become so corrupt, that brazen acts like these go scot-free. The moral fiber of the society has gone we have lost our ethos our values that made us a great nation. Its not even a B- grade Hindi movie where the writer has lost the plot and a defenseless young  girl of 16 years jumps off a bus to save her izzat , honor and pride from the villain . It is a true, live incident that happened with witnesses! Its not even been three years to Nirbhaya that we have this being played again in our backyard. I always thought Punjab would be different, I never thought the villain would also be lurking in my state, my hometown, in the next village, down the street.

It pains me that we will politicize the issue by blaming the owners who are from the ruling party, the Congress might take up this, but the real culprit is not who owns or who doesn’t. It’s the mindset that we have allowed to become of the youth. When did we arise a generation of young men who trifle with another girl’s honor just because she is a woman? All of us collectively, should have taught them better. There is a lot of strength, courage and bravery involved in jumping of a moving bus, to be hurtled down a road  - just to avoid someone’s sexual molestation. The actual coward is not the helper but the remaining passengers who sat mute and allowed this to happen.

Wake up, citizens it could be you next, or your sister or mother. The molester does not choose by a lottery, he just picks his prey. Punjab has always had a long history where its Gurus also gave their lives to save the weak and women who needed protection  but sadly we have lost our name tag of being a race that would save others .Guru Gobind Singh in all his innocence had said ,” None could be worthier than you to make such a sacrifice’.

I wonder who takes up the mantle to take the youth and the broken law and order to task . We all need a Guru to dispel this darkness but till then wake up Punjabis before its too late .