An open letter to the ‘Vighnaharta’ Lord Ganesha

A plea to Lord Ganesha by the women folk of India.

Dear Lord Ganesha,

Amidst the chants of ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya’, almighty, you the elephant-headed God shall arrive. The country shall celebrate your arrival, with great pomp and show, but we, the women folk of India have lots of complaints, sorrow and pleas for you. We see your arrival as our saviour, our messiah, and true to your name as ‘Vighnaharta’. What we narrate to you now shall not be very pleasing; but we believe that you being the large-hearted God will hear all our grievances. And provide respite and relief to us from our ordeals. It hurts us, the women folk of your land, to lift up the hypocritical veil of the society and showcase its grim reality. Lord, the land of Shakti, Durga and Kali has forgotten how to respect women. We as mothers, daughters, sisters and even friends are scared. Some fellow beings look at us as preys. We feel suffocated and choked. We feel the need to be protected. We long to be loved not raped. We long to be understood as humans not objects. Greed, lust and passion have blinded some men. They have trespassed all boundaries of morality and gone to extents unfathomable. Yes, they are fathers, brothers, relatives, strangers - men whose actions cannot be justified. They blame us for being too modern. They blame us for the way we dress. They blame us for the way we talk and walk. They forget what needs to be blamed is in their head, not in our dress. One of us once was out for a movie, she did not return home. One amongst us was out for her official work, she did return home but scarred. One was confined within the boundaries of her home, she could never venture out. One five-year-old did not know what went wrong; she will have to grow up to understand. These are just handful of examples; some tales are too horrific to be narrated. We want no more Nirbhayas, no more unnamed girls who are abused every day. We have staggering figures of rapes, molestation and eve-teasing here, none is hidden from you. Some compassionate fellow beings march and protest. We cry and we move on. We know the sad truth that it’s the mentality that has to change and this change can come only from within. No amount of law and order disruption can bring about a change in the mindset. With humans turning devils (we did not say animals as even they follow your laws of nature), the helplessness that has prevailed is frustrating. It is better that the world ends, before we see any more objectification of women. Lord, you are the supreme. We are compelled to ask you a question? Is it not yet the time for your Dhumraketu avatar? We have heard that the two-armed, smoke-coloured Dhumraketu will ride a blue horse and fight all the devils to restore peace and harmony in the world. Can it get any worse or will the Kaliyuga show us more? We put forth trust on you. Lead the world from darkness to light. A plea by, The women of India.