Incidents
of molesting women are not new. They are perhaps as old as the human race.
However, in the modern times, they seem to be happening at alarming frequency.
Often the argument is made that women themselves are responsible. They attract
undue attention of men by dressing provocatively. This argument is just like
saying; a beautiful flower is responsible for its own molestation.
Who
doesn’t want attention? The whole purpose of dressing and make-up is to draw
attention. Multi-billion dollar fashion and make-up industry thrives on the
basic human desire of “looking good”. Would a girl like to walk un-noticed
among people? But, question is what type of attention does a girl want? Of
course, that of genuine appreciation. Just like appreciating the natural beauty
of a flower. Natural beauty of a flower can never go un-noticed. But, everyone
who appreciates this natural beauty does not pluck the flower. Only those rare few
would do so who want to possess it by force. They can’t even see the beauty,
what to talk of appreciation. They don’t understand that the beauty of a flower
is in its liveliness. And, it is alive only on the tree. Such people are
mentally sick.
We
need to tackle this menace with two-prong approach. On one hand, every parent
must own the responsibility of raising children who can see and appreciate
beauty in everything around them. On the other hand, we must create tough laws
with exemplary punishments to deal with those few who escape such healthy
upbringing. Our media also must own the responsibility of educating the young
minds on the needs and means of appreciating (and not molesting) the beauty.
In
the nature, everything is naked. No animal or bird wears any cloth. And yet, we
appreciate their beauty. In fact, we appreciate them only because they are in
their natural forms. Hence, inability to see beauty beyond so called provocative
dressing is the weakness of our own minds. A weak mind will continue to get
provoked with any dressing or exposure. Rehabilitation of such weak minds is
the only long-term solution.
