The Indian Elephant.

An elephant never forgets, or so they say. Recently I was told that Indians are good at forgetting. They take to the streets and protest against something, nothing comes out of it, and then everybody forgets. 

A couple of years ago Anna Hazare mobilized an anti-corruption protest of massive proportions. Various petitions and bills were drafted, a hundred commissions were set up and eventually the public/media lost interest in the issue. The same seems to be happening with the issue of women's security/equality. Some quick-fix measure have been taken or suggested but the issue is no longer inspiring much reaction or even emotion. 

The question worth asking is, are all these protests in vain? i would like to believe that it is not the case. No issue can be sensational forever. It cannot inspire burning passion for a very long time, but once a nation-wide protest brings an issue to the forefront, people no longer hesitate to discuss it and a process of very slow change begins. Nobody is camping at India Gate with a burning candle or torch in protest against rape any longer, but that does not mean that we, as a people have forgotten what happened. All of the Justice Verma panel's recommendations may not have been accepted, but the new legislation is undeniably a big step forward. 

What the people of the country really must learn from the entire sequence of events is that the responsibility lies with us, "we, the people" and we should take this responsibility a little more seriously. When we care about something, change comes about. The system may have failed us many ways, but our democracy stands as strong as ever. So let's exercise the power that we do have, let's not make peace with the way things are, let's be a little more demanding. 

We Indians are not good at forgetting, we're good at making peace with things and improvising to make the best of a situation. We have learnt how to live with long power cuts, without water. We've learnt to drive very well in heavy traffic, maneuver around potholes. Unfortunately, we've also learnt to live in an environment that is no less than hostile towards women. We just need to be less accepting of tough situations and demand change. And from what I have seen at India Gate, at Jantar Mantar and in the streets after the Commonwealth Corruption scandal and the delhi-bus gang rape, I think we're getting there.