Evening at Zambezi River, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, May 2015
and so does everything around... the situation, the people, the perspective, the needs.... and we too change.... the wise and courageous seek change.. because only change is constant!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

188. Fear

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 35; the thirty-fifth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. The theme for the month is "...and the world was silent again"
16 December 2012.
New Delhi. India

News spreads
Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans, Candles, Fasts
Debates, Discussions, Editorials, Media coverage
Tweets, Facebook updates, Blogs
Poems, Articles
Commitments, Oaths, Schemes, Improvements
Calls for life punishment.
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

Will history repeat itself?
That is the question.

Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans,
Debates, Discussions, Editorials,
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

And the world was silent again.

Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans,
Debates, Discussions, Editorials,
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

And the world was silent again.

Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans,
Debates, Discussions, Editorials, Media coverage
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

And the world was silent again.

Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans,
Debates, Discussions, Editorials, Media coverage
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

And the world was silent again.

Helplessness, Agony, Outcry, Anger,
Protests, Street March, Slogans,
Debates, Discussions, Editorials, Media coverage
Calls for changes in the system.
Calls for changes in law.

And the world was silent again.

Who was she?
Oh..right. Unfortunate indeed.

And the world was silent again.

Jammu and Kashmir.
Hmm! It is easy to talk about it,
But you know,
Our soldiers are doing a good job there.
Don’t discuss.
Aren’t you patriotic?
Someone has to pay the price. Keep quiet.

And the world was silent again.

North East?
What happened there?
Oh! It must be some foreign hand.
Who knows what the fact is!
The media has no other story
Let it be, who cares?

And the world was silent again.

Thousands, nay millions of
'Nameless' and 'Faceless'
Go through the agony.
Four year young and seventy year old,
Poor and Middle class and Wealthy,
Dalit and tribal and the upper caste,
Educated and uneducated,
Working in the public sector, private sector, unorganized sector, domestic workers.
Everyday. Every moment.
Some have courage to say it loudly.
Many die a silent death.

Pending cases.
Conviction rate?
Social taboo.
Police attitude,
No help from passers by ....

Well, it is still a concern. 

And the newspaper writes about one more rape.
From somewhere, around the corner.

“Women! “
“You know, it is not actually rape.”
“When they are caught red-handed, they want to save their skin by framing the man.”
“Why do they wear such provocative clothes?”
“Why do they move out in the evening?”
“Don’t they understand the world around is not good.”
“Women – they want independence!! These are the fruits of their independence.”
“This is all impact of westernization.”
“This is not our culture. We need to go back to our culture.”
“It does not happen to us because we are good.”
“Rape happens to only those who are ‘characterless’”
“Leave it. It is not our problem.”

And the world becomes silent
Again and again.

16 December 2012.
New Delhi. India
Agony, Outcry, Anger
Continue to grow.

29 December, Singapore.
The last breath.

I wish; we all wish that
At least now
The world would not remain silent!

However, I fear that the world will be silent again! 
The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton. Introduced By: Vipul Grover, Participation Count: 30

56 comments:

  1. As always... It's a splendid pleasure to read your well-structured thoughts on the topic :)

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  2. Wonderfully expressed... and so very eloquent! It's weird that we thought of "the world being silent again" for the same reason but in different terms.

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  3. Thanks Guria.
    What are the different terms - I will explore BAT to know those!

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  4. I am afraid that you are right. It is a sad commentary on the state of our Society that the world will go silent again. I wish that I am proved wrong - but the fate of the Lokpal agitation does not hold out much promise for the current agitation.

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  5. सुन्दर और अनोखी पेशकश
    बधाई स्वीकारे

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  6. Suresh, it is a sad state of affairs!

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  7. शशिप्रकाश, धन्यवाद.

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  8. first of congrats on the 30th entry!!!! :) ...

    Secondly your post is APT , and so freaking true...loved the way you have described it with details.

    ATB for BAT

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  9. i think u have posted many facets of the society, in a very well manner...atb

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  10. I pray the world doesn't go silent often from now. But it is a sad state of things that our country is in. You could call it a little turmoil perhaps...

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  11. Let us hope and pray, Leo. And let us try as well!

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  12. :) Had anticipated such a resonance in thought from blogatonics. Nicely written.

    BTW, any thoughts on how the world might not be silent again?

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  13. Thanks Unknown Shri.

    There are many thoughts on 'how not to be silent again' - maybe some other time!

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  14. Very nicely written.. all the best for BAT

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  15. "Jammu and Kashmir.
    Hmm! It is easy to talk about it,
    But you know,
    Our soldiers are doing a good job there.
    Don’t discuss.
    Aren’t you patriotic?"

    Right you are aativas!! Good going!!

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  16. Have read quite a few posts recently on this topic but this one was very strong and seemed to be full of emotion and honest feelings....Hope the world does not remain silent Aativas !

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  17. Let us hope for better Jayashreejee!

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  18. i just hope we do not remain silent any more.

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  19. this post was intense to the core . . and indeed an eye opener to the many egoistic minds out there , including our politicians . wonderful write up !

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  20. chips from a life, let us hope for something better than what has happened in the past.

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  21. The structuring of the poem made it a very forceful piece of writing, dealing with an issue that's most crucial in present times. As the saying goes...'silence is virtue', here, silence is fatal.
    Good work.

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  22. thoughtful post and equally forceful...every word shouting of the agitation.
    Nice. All the best for BATOM

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  23. Cherry Blossom, certainly for this issue, silence has proved to be fatal - unfortunately!

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  24. Megha, thanks. Don't know how long it will last!!

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  25. Silence is not always golden!

    very well conceived, structured and penned!!

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  26. Beautiful ...You are an adorable writer here with remarkable style of your own...My best wishes for BAT!

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  27. Meenakshi, yes, silence is not always golden - we need to speak (and listen) now!

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  28. Thanks Panchali for your encouraging words.

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  29. Congratulations on your 30th post...brilliant approach to deal with this topic..I too poured down on the same lines...

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  30. could mere phrases speak as you've made them do?!

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  31. odyzz, thanks. I am yet to reach your post - will certainly read it today.

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  32. anunja, the credit for the phrase goes to Blog a Ton. visit its page and you will know how a topic for BAT is chosen.

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  33. Congrats for your 30th blogaton! And you know what, the next day after the Delhi incident, a 13-year girl was brutally raped and murdered in TN. did anyone notice it? Two days later, a girl not even crossed 18, was killed in WB! Did we think about it? It happened because it is Delhi. A hard-hitting post!

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  34. Harikrishna, yes, almost every day I read one more woman/girl being raped - in the nooks and corners of the country.

    I won't say the media coverage was only because it happened in Delhi - the analysis has been going on. I won't say 'Why now?' or 'Why here?". I would say, "let this awakening and anger and urge for change spread everywhere".

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  35. bitter truth.. brilliantly penned.. All the best.

    A Rat's Nibble

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  36. Nailed it!

    Offcourse it will go on , the same issue in different places and with different people and the world will remain silent....Good one! Congrats on 30!

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  37. The Solitary Writer, hmm, the world will remain silent again .. unfortunately!

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  38. oh man!! This seems to be a rapid fire of thoughts. Shot after shot.. para, poem everything. And very valid and anger inducing thoughts.

    This post is a little different... but nice.

    I liked the perspective you gave on Jammu... soldiers doing their job.

    .. and focussing on all the internal mess.

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  39. Very well written and put across, Aativas. Good one. My vote goes for you!

    http://ektakhetan.blogspot.in/

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  40. Kshitij, actually it is not a poem - it just 'free' writing.

    And by the way, whatever is written in italics - I question that too, not that I stand by it!

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  41. numerounity, (you have such a philosophical and nice name), thanks. Additional thanks for the vote :-)

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  42. Yes, you are right, am sorry. I misunderstood something.

    'Free' writing is a nice term.

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  43. It beats me to think that we are able to endure so much of agony without batting an eyelid. Yesterday me and my friends met at KFC by 10 PM I was calling everyone fanatically making sure they have reached their respective houses safe (like I can do anything about it). We live in FEAR, yes!

    Do visit my blog! Would love to see you by! *cheers*

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  44. Kappu, we don't have to FEAR, we just have to be careful enough.

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  45. Wow -- I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. You put your words in a very elegant manner. I, for one, find it much more enjoyable to read a well-written entry. What a pleasure to read such fabulous writing.

    Your ideas, too, are unique and quite intriguing. If and when I find out how to follow a blog, I will definitely follow yours.

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  46. it already is silent again... unfortunately....

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  47. Khoj, unfortunately... But with report of Justice Verma commitee, let us hope to have some change at least!

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