7 billion people have 7 billion identities and 7 billion thoughts. 7,057,282,087 people to be exact, at the time I am writing this sentence. Then again by the time I finish writing THIS sentence, 107 people would have died. Many from natural causes and others from accidents, hazardous incidents, perilous journeys but there are also those unfortunate to have been the victim of rape,torture,abuse. A life is a life. Precious and free in every sense of the word!

When we come to this world, we are born into societies, religions, geographic locations not by choice but by something far more complex than our feckless human mind can comprehend. But the social and family upbringing that teaches us human values, relations, truth, honesty, modesty remains omnipresent everywhere. With passage of time and other influences perhaps we seem to deviate away from all that have been showered upon us in our restless youth. Nevertheless, we should always be driven by our self consciousness and righteous judgement and not by prejudice or vice. Yet heinous human rights violations such as rape, is a common occurrence throughout the world. More so in the conservative societies that treat sex as some sort of an abominable thing. Is it because of what religion preaches to this part of the world? Or are we genetically geared up this way. Or is it the weather? Whatever it is, it will have to change. Whether forcefully or not that is left to the citizens of this part of the world to decide.

On December 16th last year, a 23 year old medical student got raped in a bus in Delhi which caused a national outcry. There had been more than 630 cases before that in the same city in 2012 but what garnered such a noticeable impact on this one? India is said to be the world’s largest democracy but why was not the previous ones given due attention. The girl breathed her last few days ago and that is when the protests took a new turn. An anti rape law is being named after her as her parents have agreed to the idea. In Bangladesh however, it is a bit different. 157 cases throughout the past year and only now the attention of a 15 year old school girl came to the limelight though the incident happened nearly a month back.

Media in Bangladesh enjoy such freedoms that are unparalleled anywhere else on the globe. Yet perhaps this rape incident was not a “news” item to the sector or the victim in this particular case did not breathe her last. We must always go beyond our selfish thinking and “it did not happen to me or my family so I do not care” attitude to preserve human values and progress as a society. We have been through so many calamities both naturally and man made, that incidents like rape, acid related crimes, torture, arson. loot, factory fires do not flutter our neurons into thinking whats right and wrong. But a movement has started, Justice for Bangladesh, a small step and late in its manner but nevertheless a start. Its this sort of a start few people are afraid to lead. Where would the Arab spring be, had it not been for the fruit seller who set himself on fire in Tunisia. Someone has to take that “burning” step forward. I am glad to be a part of this. Where it will lead to or how far a chaos it can cause to the upper echelons of government or administration is for time to decide. But for now, the project is underway.

From the minds of a serial killer to the most avid lover out there, its all the happening in the brain that makes us different from other animals. Or does incidents like this remind us of the veracious and untenable truth that theory of evolution is a fact. That we are just animals that simply dress better!

Time for you to ponder and take a stand against rape now. Time is passing by, it could well be your sister or daughter in the future.

Think positive. Live free.