College is reopening, it is time to get back from the COVID 19 sabbatical and attempt to revive the “normal” world. How? Add a few people with masks and the occasional vaccination chitter-chatter- great, it is the same- the protests, misogyny, rapes and murders that make up the majority of the normal world still thrive. Hurrah! Rejoice.
But on this particular occasion, with fervent debates on whether we must get back to Chennai and make living arrangements, I realised that the word “safety” was thrown around a lot. As a girl brought up in the Indian middle-class diaspora, I was familiar with this word. A sense of normality and inherent connection existed between it and me. Add to this the accumulated knowledge about the virus, propaganda revolving the same and true concern; “safety” became a primary objective; a manifestation of our collective survival instincts.
But who/what am I really to be safeguarded from?
Corona? Really? That’s it?
Or is it internalised misogyny in this rigid patriarchal structure?
Living in an apartment is not safe! 4 girls alone- no!
Living in a hostel, oh no, we have heard the stories.
Then what?!
We are only trying to protect you!
The debates went on, a few tears were shed, a pros-and-cons list was made. Truce.
Eventually, I did get back to Chennai, I did get back to college. A mask, regular sanitation and social distancing, while vaccines were being developed, was the best one could do.
Agreed.
But going by the way women are “safeguarded” in this universe, we as a group have been confined to the vicinity of the household, been made to avoid mingling with “other” people in fear of “contamination”. Why create a liberating solution when one has the power to contain and subjugate?
For argument's sake let us consider this to be the majority acclaimed solution. This has been the world's answer to many other issues, why not for this one too? If we were successful in internalising that women need to stay in “protected environments” to stay safe, why not try a similar experiment with the virus situation?
There are bound to be protests, no doubt, but the reply would most probably be, “Oh, but you must stay home, it is for your own safety, don’t you know the world you live in, it is not like before!”
Right.
Then why aren't you working on a solution, get to the core of the problem? Why are no vaccines being made?
If you have the power to essentially chain up humankind, why make the world habitable at all?
It's disturbing to realise how misogyny and patriarchy have stayed around for centuries, plaguing humankind, and there has been so little done to counter it. A disease no one deemed fit. Rapes, murders, eve-teasing, and slut-shaming are all still an active part of society. It's disgusting, but what is worse is our response to these heinous crimes. Restrict women in the name of safety, but don’t address the real issue. Let your men out and about with the same toxic mindset, let crimes flourish and then blame the victim for daring to step out.
Don’t police the masses roaming around without masks, very close to each other, but blame the masked woman out to earn a living for getting the virus. She should have worn more masks, she should have covered herself more. Actually, she shouldn’t have left home at all!
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