And the Night Wept at their Misfortune. .

And the Night Wept at their Misfortune. . .

Read Time:5 Minute, 54 Second

It was 5 in the morning and I found myself typing away like a pursued victim, trying to put to words the unsullied memories I just ensued from the protest.

And I am sure that everybody knows by now what happened. A girl & her cousin brother, both from Manipur, were physically & sexually assaulted early 10pm-10:30pm, 28th Feb 2014 (“treated like animals” is what the victim recounted her traumatic incident).

Of course, the newspaper, news website & news channel must be making love to this news by now. (Or so I hope).

Yes, I have always advocated North Delhi as one of the SAFEST place to stay for NE people, especially Girls. But this incident had me give it another thought. And this will once again prove how useful Social media platforms are (or not).

I had my dinner late, around 12 am and fussing on how I had to go to work early, I was just a second close to drifting to sleep. Suddenly my sister woke me up on the news of how a young girl and a boy have been assaulted in Vijay Nagar, North Delhi! (Molestation+ Racial discrimination+ Attempt to rape- all these came as a fahadmily pack). My sister apparently saw the news being circulated on Facebook. (God Bless you, dear Mark Zuckerberg!)

So then I rushed to the place with my only brother around 1 in the morning!

What I saw, I couldn’t believe. Hundreds of protesters gathered, demanding that the culprit be caught right then and there! I have always read about the protesters from North East (NE) staging Protest till morning to file a single FIR, but I had never been to one. Today was the first time I decided to join a protest this late (or early in the morning, let’s say).

By the time we reached the venue, half a dozen of the PCR vans were parked, even the Riot Control Bus was parked. I thought to myself, “Wow! Delhi Police finally stepped up to help the North East people!” But lo! To my utter disappointment, the police were there to control the protestors and not catch the Culprit. (By this time, one of the culprits was already in custody, in a PCR Van surrounded by protestors. I imagine he must have wet his pants considering the angry echoes of the protestors!)

On further conversation, I learned that the incident happened around 10pm-10:30pm yet the main culprit had not been caught. I was also told that the police along with some NE students went to the culprit’s house but, of course, he was OBVIOUSLY absconding!

Now I am pretty sure, everyone will blame this incident on the poor ‘alcohol’. (The culprits were supposedly drunk!) Little do they know that such hatred on other race is not being instigated by liquor but is caused by the person’s incapability to qualify as a “decent” human being! (I pray, don’t you blame them, victims. It was just 10pm FYI.)

Of course, the crowd was getting out of control, the window glass of a PCR van had been broken ‘accidentally’, I heard someone say. Some had even climbed up the van I think? Well, it was freezing cold really and they had been out in the cold for 4 frigging hours! I understand them losing their patience. The rage you could see from the body heat emitted by hundreds gathered there (Honestly!).

My heart goes out to the victim, the brave girl who persisted on the culprit being caught and be brought in front of her. Such courage! By the time I reached the venue, she had already waited 4 hours and she could barely stand on her own! Beaten up by a drunk bastard yes, but she wasn’t shaken at all.

While I was making my way through the wall of police and protestors, well, I could smell liquor. There is of course no denying that there were a good number of drunks or partially sober protestors too. But the law in this part of the country has become such that if you do not show violence, justice will kiss you goodbye. If not goodbye, it will be delayed. Anyways, justice delayed is justice denied, is it not?

Deep down, I thanked these less sober people that they at least came. I was told that many high ranking police officials did come and took turns in giving their unsuccessful speech to the angry protestors just to be slapped on their face with angry vocal abuses!

As I lingered outside the protest, I realized the power in the old saying “United we stand, Divided we fall”! The air tonight resounded of this, people from every caste & creed could be seen (I literally heard dozen languages I had never heard of!)

And as the victims were filing their complaints, the rain continued to drizzle still, so indifferent to the angry air floating about. I mean, just like the indifferent law-makers of this part of the country!

It was already late and I remembered how I couldn’t stay there till the sun break as I had to attend office in the morning. So I rushed off. But the last thing I heard before I left was that the angry protestors had punctured the tire of a PCR Van as it made an attempt to drive off to the police station with one of the accused culprit.

And, of course, If the police were to be trusted, there was already 4 different police teams dispatched to catch the culprit. (I hope they do catch it, otherwise this chain reaction of mistreating NE people will shake the capital once again!)

As I read some post circulated on Facebook, already people are making assumptions of the girl victim. How senseless and emotionless can we human be?

As I silently listened to the incident being recounted, I cringed in fear and disgust for the man! The ordeal she went through, God forbid anyone else should face it. And even after all that, she had to courage to say it on the face of the police officials that they should catch the culprit anyhow lest their sisters/mothers/daughters/wives be abused and assaulted like she was.

On a humorous note, one thing I did notice was that the victim (boy) was really small built. So then I couldn’t help but wonder if we need to be horridly ‘Large Built’ to escape from assaults by these brainless uneducated beings! If so, then I would make sure my kids are kept on Steroids! (On a serious note, this guy was assaulted rather badly; I could see him limp a little.)

The night had such beautiful soft drizzles of rain; if not for the protest, tonight would have been a lovely night with sweet smell of spring around the corner. But with every good comes a bad, don’t it?

Delhi Police, I pray you start doing something about these perverts and hate mongers roaming the city before they get to me or any other!

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