How safe are we here!!!

This is quite a contradiction to what I have written earlier. If my earlier post was to highlight the plight of foreigners in general and Indian students in particular, this post will look into the issues of how safe are we living in our own country.

Well, to begin with, let alone xenophobia which many countries' citizens face when the economy is not doing well, we have factionism, regionalism, casteism, and ofcourse sexism. Having being able to live through so much will take a toll of every human living in our own country.

Nothing gets highlighted and even if it gets, we have a very good tendency of forgetting things, as we pack our bags to leave for office or get glued in some multiplex cinema auditorium.

How safe is our place, for us, our parents, sisters, brothers, extended family members, friends or any other citizen concerned. If Shravan was pierced with a screw driver for playing loud music in Melbourne by Australians which sparked wide spread hue and cry and reported an entire nation of Australia to be racist, What would you call a group of guys who killed a bike rider in Old City of hyderabad for removing the muffler and making huge noice disturbing neighbours? Perhaps social policing?

How did we respond to Sri Ram Sene gangsters who barged into a pub in Mangalore recently and outraged the modesty of women? Again Ethics, Social Policing is it?
Then what would we call the Character assassination of Aarushi by the media in full public view? Did anyone think what would have those unfortunate parents gone through when their beloved daughter's death became a sensation in the whole country? Did I hear you say we forgot that incident?

What about Nithari Killings, the uncounted Rape and Molestation in the various sectors of Noida and NCR?

Leave alone Indians, some go to the extent of Molesting Foreigners and Foreign Diplomats? Who is responsible for the unknown deaths of foreign tourists in Goa?

And inspite of these several shameful events, we do not prefer to call ourselves as Racists, Rapists, Factionists!!

If isolated incidents are set aside, look at how Political Parties polarize votes in the name of religion, caste, sex. One of the leading Matinee Idol in Telugu Industry did this to get the vote bank of his community recently in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections which just concluded!

How about MNS? Maharashtra Navnirman Sena formed by Raj Thackeray. Entire 2007 and 2008 were witness to his hostility to North Indians in General and Bihari's in particular. Polarizing Marathis to turn hostile towards North Indians settled in Mumbai, Pune, other major cities in Maharashtra to gain advantage in 2009 General Elections. He won with a thumping majority in Muslim dominated Bhivandi area. What kind of freedom are we talking about when our own fellow country men expel us from writing exams in other states? When fellow country men beat us and send us out of Mumbai, Pune for being a non Marathi speaking person?
Other examples of anti Religion polarizations are in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka. Any political party which supports the Hindutva is sure to win in such states? We are waiting to see the change which happened in Rajastan where Congress whip lashed the BJP!

Now we will dwell on the safety of women in public places. Pregnant women get raped, College girls, working women have to face humiliation in public, either through passing comments, or sexual harassment at the work place, public transport, on the streets.
How about talking about the recent Acid attacks on two Engineering college girls, one of whom died out of burns in Warangal. What do we call this which the estranged lovers do to kill/disfigure the girl who rejects their proposal for marriage/love? Is there a freedom of speech/Expression? Is is not the fundamental right of every girl to live with freedom? Have her say in choosing her husband/lover?

Lets look at the abortions forcefully conducted by the Patel community in Gujarat! Doctors are bribed to scan the foetus of pregnant women much against the Supreme Court ruling that Scanning of Foetus being a crime! The hapless women has to undergo the painful process of abortion in her 5, 6 or even 7 month of her pregnancy just because she is carrying a girl child? What kind of word shall I use to call those Husbands, In-laws who kill their own off-springs just because the foetus is a girl? Where is the safety to these women in the conservative communities in general and patel like communities in particular?

Having said so much, now can we still say we are the safest country for Our own selves, leave alone foreigners? Take a look at this website. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2009/
Where do we stand and where does any developed nation or developing nation stands! The result is in front of your eyes.

Now coming to the racism part taking place in Australia, yes its the spill over effect of recession. One fellow who has a job and that too being a foreigner is definitely a potential threat to a citizen who is not employed, not having enough to eat! Passing comments and stating that a country is Racist is just not the way to deal with these issues! Effective implementation of state policies to protect Indians abroad is the task of the Ministry of External Affairs. We have to highlight what best can be done to be safe in a foreign country with the help of our own Diplomats placed in respective foreign locations of Indian Embassies.

Hope we introspect among ourselves before pointing our finger at others!