Dear PM Modi, We Don’t Want To Take Over Your Social Media. We Just Want To Be Safer Than Cows
There was a crazy buzz on social media yesterday. There were several things trending but what caught everyone’s attention is that Narendra Modi announced that he will be giving up social media. All of 3 people believed him for possibly half an hour. This is a guy who lives and breathes social media, there’s no way he was going to give it up. So we thought we should just wait and watch. And that’s exactly what we did. And today, he announced a very important thing. Hahah, he’s not going off social media (no really, no one believed it, not for a second) but that his social media accounts will be taken over by women on Women’s Day sharing inspiring stories.
First of all, we are sick of this lip service. We don’t need inspiring stories that travel on social media. We need real change. We need that the fact that a woman is raped every 22 minutes in India be addressed. We need that the perpetrators of crimes against women be held and be brought to justice. We need women to be safe. That we don’t give cows more importance than our women.
I know, wishful thinking on my part. But hey, instead of these tokens of feminism, we would like something concrete and it’s not too much to ask for.
ALSO READ: In MP, A Man Was Asked To Marry Off His Minor Daughter For Accidentally Running Over A Calf. Cows Over Women, Clearly
This Women's Day, I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions.
Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs. pic.twitter.com/CnuvmFAKEu
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2020
And please, no one believes for a moment that this will be a gesture that’s genuine. These are women who’s political views match those of the government in power. So, if you are hoping you and I can take over and then apologise to the people for what happened in Delhi, or in Unnao, then forget it, we will never make it to the list.
This is lip service – the kind that we have had so much of. And nobody cares anymore. When we walk down the road, we are still looking over our shoulder. When men rape, they are getting away with it while women become mere statistics. The patriarchy runs so deep, that we continue to be violated, beaten and silenced. We are treated as lesser citizens, fighting for our basic rights. It’s not a safe country for us, and your inspiring stories are absolute hogwash. To quote a cliche, cows are doing better than we are and that’s saying a lot.
We know. We understand. You wanted to make a grand gesture for women’s day. But please. We are not buying it. Maybe you should peddle this to the men – the ones who are already safe- who will offer you a patient ear and everyone can go about pretending this is a great initiative. Till then, the cows are safer and that’s the sad reality of it.
