Not 'Just' A Girl

I dream of an India where mothers don’t teach daughters that they are responsible for maintaining their homes. I dream of an India where a girl gets to decide whether or not a she wishes to marry; where she can have an opinion; where she has the right to dream. I dream of an India where man is not the beast; where I can walk without fear; where I am not scared; where I can be myself without inviting acid attacks, rapes and reproach from the society.  

But it doesn’t exist. This does.

Mohan Bhagwat, RSS Chief: “Crimes against women happen in India and not in Bharat."

"Theory of contract, theory of social contract, a husband and wife are bound by a contract which says 'you (woman) look after the household chores and satisfy me, I (man) will take care of your needs and will protect you', and until she delivers her duties without fail, he keeps her on the contract and if she fails to honour the contract, he disowns her and if it is the same with the husband who is not honouring the contract, she can also abandon him and go for a new contract then."

Vijaywargiya, Minister, Madhya Pradesh: "Only when Sitaji crossed the Lakshman rekha, she was kidnapped by Ravan...If Sitaji (woman) crosses the Lakshman rekha, then 'Sitaharan' (crime against them) is bound to take place as Ravans are out there."

Abhijeet Mukherjee, Pranab Mukherjee’s son and MP: “I can see many beautiful women among them - highly dented-painted - they're giving interviews on TV, they've brought their children to show them the scenes. I have grave doubts whether they're students, because women of that age are generally not students."

Mulayam Singh Yadav, Former CM: "Only girls and women from affluent class can go forward. Remember this, you (rural women) will not get a chance. Our rural women did not have that much attraction."

Om Prakash Chautala, Former CM: “The Mughal sultanate in this country used to misbehave with women... to prevent that, people started getting their young girls married early so that no one did anything wrong to them… currently a similar situation is arising in the state.”

Dharamvir Goyat, Haryana Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) member: "If we go into the details of rape cases and abductions, it is found that victims and accused in 90% of cases are runaway couples. So the cases are consensual."

Sheila Dixit, CM, Delhi: "All by herself till 3 am at night in a city where people believe...you know...you should not be so adventurous.''

Shushil Kumar Shinde, Home Minister (to Jaya Bachchan): "This is a serious matter. This is not the subject of a film."

Sharad Yadav, Janata Dal United: "Only certain women who lived in cities like Delhi and Lucknow would benefit who are nothing but "par kati auraten'' (women with short hair)."

Sanjay Nirupam, MP (to Smriti Irani): “Till recently you were shaking your hips on TV for money, and now suddenly you have become a political analyst.”

Muqtar Abbas Naqvi, Vice President, BJP: “Some women wearing lipstick and powder have taken to the streets in Mumbai and are abusing politicians and spreading dissatisfaction against democracy. This is what terrorists are doing in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Mamata Banerjee, CM, Kolkata: "Earlier if men and women would hold hands, they would get caught by parents and reprimanded but now everything is so open. It's like an open market with open options."

Sushma Swaraj, BJP: “Rape victims are living dead.”