Message From PM Manmohan Singh on Rakhi: Ensure Safety of Women

Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh addressed the nation on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, urging the country to protect its girls and women.

He said, "The festival of Raksha Bandhan is an occasion to strengthen the bonds of love and affection within our family and in society. It is also an occasion to re-commit ourselves to ensuring the safety and security of women," as reported by DNA India.

Why were words not enough?

Rapes and molestations have been commonplace in India — but it was only in the last year that these cases became a subject of national discussion. And even then, we still haven't moved past the discussion stage. A rape story makes headlines, people take out morchas, the media debates endlessly, and then… nothing. Absolutely nothing. People keep hoping all this talk will someday change the country's mindset — to become civilized and respectful of women.

Recently, Michaela Cross — writing under the pseudonym "Rose Chasm" — a student of the University of Chicago, shared her experience of living as a foreign student in India for three months. She wrote in detail on CNN's iReport about how men touched her and masturbated at her, and how even though she dressed conservatively (as advised by her UChicago professors), she could not be prepared for men who "every day stared with such entitlement at my body, with no change of expression whether I met their gaze or not." Her account made CNN's front page; she was later diagnosed with PTSD.

Fundamentally, something has gone wrong

We have festivals like Rakhi, whose primary purpose is protecting the sister. We worship female gods like Durga, Saraswati, and Lakshmi, and sing endless songs dedicated to maa, behen, beti — and yet every single day there is a rape happening somewhere in the country. Perhaps so many festivals and songs were never the answer — they don't seem to have helped at all.

Women need to protect themselves, because relying on others is of no help. Every girl in India should probably be trained in martial arts or taekwondo — it sounds radical, but the situation demands measures like this. Even a slight inappropriate touch should evoke a strong response from the girl: slap, bite, shout — do something, and not suffer silently. Parents of girls need to teach their little girls that they can live freely without fear. Girls should know that it is not her fault that someone is touching her or staring at her — she should have the courage to confront the shameless man, and be secure enough to feel she will not be judged for her actions.

On this Rakhi day — whether you tie a rakhi or not — do not rely on the men in your life to protect you. Make yourself strong, and remember: you are your own protector.