NEW DELHI—Senior Delhi High Court Advocate HS Phoolka has written to the Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar to issue a directive in the name of the Sikh Nation to help preserve the honour of all women. Sardar Phoolka requested the Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar to request all Sikhs from refraining from any obscene language that is often used to address women.
Sardar Phoolka’s request has come after the recent rape case that was shocked the entire Indian community.
As a senior member of the Sikh Gurdwara Sudhar Lehar, HS Phoolka alleged that cusswords have become a fashion statement for the Punjabis. Such words which are derogatory to our mothers and sisters should be shunned by the Sikh Community.
HS Phoolka even expressed that such words are often heard inside premises of Gurdwaras, which should actually be helping to empower the women and preserve their honour within the community. He also expressed that a directive from the Akal Takht Sahib would help establish positive image of the Sikh Community infront of the entire world.
On December 16, a woman and her male friend, were raped on a private bus in New Delhi by 6 men. Both were beaten severely and Damini, the female, was brutally raped. Both were then thrown out of the moving bus. Damini succumbed to her injuries after battling for over 12 days.
To Whom it May Concern
We, the people, demand not only justice, but reassurance that the safety of women is a basic right of any society in a civilization. Damini came from a hard-working, middle class family that taught gave her a moral upbringing and her passion to help people in her community in the medical field was just the beginning of her dreams and aspirations. This intelligent and beautiful young girl would have grown up to be a compassionate medical healer and one day would have been a mother herself and raised beautiful children. However, the barbaric acts of 6 men that night changed her life, her families, the nation, and the whole world.
If Gandhi and Bhagat Singh are known as the “fathers of India” Damini will one day be known as the ‘DAUGHTER OF INDIA” Know that her innocence will not be forgotten and her sacrifice gone in vain. I have faith that for the countless acts of compassion and millions of hard-working, decent families, this atrocious, violent, and horrid crime will not be forgotten. However, it is up to all of us to remind the bad apples and ill karma individuals who are in the minority, that we the people will not be passive anymore. We will strike for reform and change and hold politicians and police personal accountable. We will strike when the iron rod is hot. And that time is NOW. If we forget or let Damini’s sacrifice be a temporary anger until the rapists are hanged, without affecting any long term legislation and law, this even will still be a daily occurrence for women. Just as Damini should be immortalized in history as the DAUGHTER OF INDIA, I as a male feel that hanging is too liberal of a punishment. These nameless cowards and womanizers should be a daily reminder to any would be perpetrator. I say, LET THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES LIVE WITH THEIR SINS. KEEP THEM INCARCERATED IN JAIL ON LIFE SENTENCES. LET THEM SUFFER EACH DAY, KNOWING THEIR LIFE IS MEANINGLESS AND THE BE AN ULCERATING WOUND AND REMINDER TO OUR SOCIETY that this is a disease. A corrupt disease from prince to pauper, from every race, religion and background. It infects societies like cholera and the only way we can live with ourselves is if we all stand up, united, and have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards abuse of ANY kind towards women. I am usually apathetic, but hearing of this tragedy has made me throw out passivity and think there are 1.5 billion of us, and the politicians and rapists that get away with these crimes number is but a few. A few rotten apples that spoil the bunch. I urge each and everyone one of you reading this to do a little soul searching and think what level you can tolerate.
Though Damini may be unnamed, she represents every girl, every daughter, every mother, every wife. Women’s basic rights and safety and self-respect are threatened every day in the shadows. Every man came from a woman. Where there is Shiva, there is Shakti Mata. To deny the rights of one, is to do at your own karmic risk. Gangs, politicians, perverts, and womanizers can escape the eyes of the law or even bribe it. They cannot escape karma or Bhaagvaan/God/Raab/Allah. As dutiful humans it is up to us to fight these evils, because being passive during such barbaric violence is a sinful decision in passivity itself. The people on the bus that evening, watching and doing nothing, along with the police officers at checkpoints have to look at themselves in the mirror every morning realizing they let the DAUGHTER OF INDIA be raped in front of their eyes. We are all vulnerable to this disease of society. If we do not set harsher laws against rapist that even catch the highest levels of corruption, then India as a society will fall pray to passivity in this kaalyug. I say publish the name of each one of those 6 boys, their family, their community and let their names be popular as the ENEMIES OF INDIA and HUMANITY. Women’s rights, children’s rights are the top priority of any advanced society. Sikhism also acknowledges this equality between men and women. It is humans who discriminate and treat women so horrible. Don’t you have a mother/sister/daughter as well? What kind of life do you want for them? Even the RAPISTS have mothers. I SAY SHINE THEIR NAMES and their FAMILY NAMES on BILLBOARDS and POSTERS. SHAME them and let them live long, rotting in jail and be set as a living, decaying example of the monstrosity that plagues a society when the actions of a few cowards is tolerated. We, the people, have so much more potential as a civilization to root out this evil. Do not let fear and silence hush the voices of the majority of good-hearted people of India for a few rotten apples. MAKE THEIR NAMES be PUBLISHED on every STREET Corner of India! I am just a 13 year old nri boy, but when I am older like all of you, I want to fight for equal rights for all. This inspiration was Damini’s gift to me. What selfless gift did this innocent heroine teach all of you? To all of you men, women, and children protesting in India, you can hold your head up high and when the history books are written know you were on the side of righteousness. For those politicians that vote against any strict law to pass, may those congress members be recorded in history and their legacy be that of heartless womanizers. Aum Namah Shivai. Aum Parvathi Mataji Namah. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh. Please bring back Indian values to India because not many people are practicing vedic Indian lifestyle if you can discriminate between Shiv and Shakti. Jo Bole So Nihal sat sri akal.
We the people, need to take our izaat back and we can do it. Though I am only 13, I feel there are still more decent people in the world than the minority of abusers. I want positive male role models to look up to! I do not want these 6 cowards to define my gender. Please help prove to me that the good of the common hard-working family and their values has not been lost. Make Damini the DAUGHTER of INDIA so that one day I can tell me children about her when I teach them about Gandi and Bhagat Singh when teaching them about India. Make me proud to be an Indian man, who protects women and treats them as life long companions and equals, not as toys. Equal pay for equal work is a far off issue when something as simple as women’s safety and izaat is still a challenge world-wide. Everyone of you has a Damini in your life. Help keep her safe! If you agree with even one thought I wrote, please post, forward this to as many people as possible. Awareness is the first step.