econmanduu
Long time ago, there lived a family in Himalaya village. In that family there were two daughters, her names were Nirmala and Bhawana. The father of those daughters was Kamal and he was a farmer. Their mother name was Kiran Devi and she was a housewife. The family was living happily in the village. Everyday father used to go to field for work, daughters used to go to school and as the mother was housewife she used to look after the house. Both daughters were so beautiful that people used to call them princesses. The elder daughter, she was just of 10. She was so innocent and good in her studies. But somewhere in the same village, there were eyes that did not see them as children. They saw their innocence as an opportunity.
One evening, the little girl disappeared on her way to home. The village searched for her until the sun went down. When she was finally found, she was dead, with multiple injuries on her body. Later, it was discovered that she had been raped. It was not merely a girl who had died; a bright future had also been destroyed by people who had committed such a cruel and inhuman act. Her silence spoke of a crime that everyone understood but nobody wanted to name. Her mother screamed for justice. Her father ran to the police station.
The police officer looked at the clock and asked “Do you have evidence?” .The father stared at him. “She is a child. What more evidence do you need? ”The officer lowered his voice. “We will investigate. ”Those words became a wall between the family and justice. Days passed and then weeks passed but the case was not moving a head.
Later on it was found that, the accused had friends. He had money. He knew people who were one reputed position. Some neighbors whispered that the family should compromise. Others advised them not to “destroy the future” of the accused. A politician visited the village and promised that the government would take action. A government officer came to meet the family and announced that the law was strong. A civil society organization held a meeting and raised banners against violence. The newspapers published a story. Television channels discussed the case for a day. Then everyone went home. The village remained with its silence. The girl remain injustice. And the devil remained among them.
Months later, another little princess stopped coming to school. People asked why. Her teacher said, “She has become afraid. ”Afraid of the road. Afraid of certain men. Afraid of speaking. Afraid that nobody would believe her.
The teacher looked at the empty desk and suddenly understood something terrible: the crime was not committed only in the room where the child was harmed.
It had begun much earlier. It began when society taught girls to be careful instead of teaching boys to respect. It continued when families were afraid of social shame. It grew stronger when powerful people protected the accused. It survived when police treated complaints as paperwork. It became invisible when politicians made promises but failed to create effective protection. And it became almost immortal when civil society protested loudly for a day and forgot quietly the next morning.
One night, the village elders gathered beneath an old tree. An old woman stood before them carrying a small schoolbag. “This belonged to my granddaughter,” she said. Everyone became silent. “You keep asking who the devil is,” she continued. “You point at the man who committed the crime. Yes, his hands are guilty. But look around you. Who allowed him to believe that he would escape?” Nobody answered. She pointed towards the police station. “You are responsible when a child’s complaint is ignored .”She pointed towards the government office. “You are responsible when laws exist only on paper. ”She pointed towards the crowd that had gathered. “You are responsible when you know something is wrong but remain silent because it is not your daughter “Then she held up the little schoolbag. “And we are all responsible when we create a society where a little girl learns how to protect herself from men before a boy learns that another person’s body is not his to possess. ”The crowd lowered its eyes. The devil had always been easier to see as one monster.
But the truth was more frightening.
Sometimes the devil wore the face of a criminal. Sometimes it wore a uniform and refused to listen. Sometimes it sat behind a government desk. Sometimes it stood behind a microphone and promised reform. Sometimes it carried a banner demanding justice. And sometimes it was an ordinary person who knew the truth but chose silence.
The next morning, the village did something different. The police reopened the case. Teachers began teaching children about consent, safety and speaking up. Parents stopped telling their daughters only how to avoid danger and began teaching their sons how never to become one. Community members created a system to protect children and report abuse. The government was forced to answer questions—not merely make promises. And the people learned that protecting children could not be a ceremony performed after a tragedy. It had to be a responsibility carried every day.
Moral of the story: Devils are still waiting for an opportunity. A culprit is not only guilty for a crime indirectly we all are too guilty for a crime. So identify the devil and protect every princesses.
– News Editor
Suryajit Kumar Thakur
Note; (This story and all the characters and other things used in this story are hypothetical. Its motive is to spread awareness not to hurt the feelings of anyone.)
econmanduu
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