वर्जनाएँ

मैं सब वर्जनाएँ तोड़ना चाहती हूँ,
माँ के गर्भ में खत्म नहींं होना चाहती हूँ,

ज़हरीले भुजंग से लिपटे तन पर,
उन हाथों को तोड़ना चाहती हूँ,

पाषण सी पड़ती निगाहें मुझ पर,
उन आंखों को फोड़ना चाहती हूँ,

बांधती जो गिरहें मुझ पर, कह कर इसे मुकद्दर,
उस संवेदनशून्य मनोवृत्ति का अंत देखना चाहती हूँ,

मेरे पाकीज़ा दामन को कलंकित कर,
क्रीड़ा की वस्तु मात्र नहीं बनना चाहती हूँ,

त्याग, क्षमा, ममता व देवी कि प्रतिमा का उपसर्ग जो दे मुझे,
उस अक्षम्य समाज कि वर्जनाएँ अब तोड़ना चाहती हूँ

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Nyaymeva Jayate (न्यायमेव जयते)

In no way am I eligible to comment on the judicial system of the largest democracy of the world, neither do I have enough wit to educate people against committing crimes.Adding to the bombardment of the web with yet another anti-rape post. 

I am contended to know that the four convicts in the Delhi gangrape case are sentenced to death penalty. Being a girl, and above all, a HUMAN, this is what I had opined should have been their fate.

A second thought that startles me is, does this decision also imply that every victim ought to loose her life in order to lead to such a verdict? Is it mandatory for every such crime to fall in "rarest of the rare" category? I guess, rape is rape, isn't it? And, what if she, out of her misfortune lived through those scars which lasted for rest of her life, just like the Mumbai journalist and lakhs of others in India! Possibly, the punishment would have been different in such instance.

Moreover, awarding capital punishment in this case shall keep the "future" rapists notified that they make sure the victim is spared alive.

Not every victim is fortunate enough to have the whole country stand for her- may it be the police (who prepared a 1200 page chargesheet within a month), or the public who landed on the roads in protest, or may be all politicians irrespective of the parties they belong to, and of course, the judiciary and the media!

Alas! did I miss the under-aged, juvenile, the luckiest of all?  He is one of the blessed and much cuddled "baby criminals" of the nation. The other day while I was googling about juvenile justice in various countries I figured out that many countries amend their laws for juvenile offenders depending on the nature of the crime. To the best of my knowledge, India is not the only country, beastly crimes occur in almost every corner of the planet.
But will it all come to an end? If yes, how?

Ending with these questions here...

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मैं...

मैं.. मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

खिलती हुई कली सी मैं, सपने बुनती परी सी मैं,

विभिन्न रूपों में करते हो मेरी पूजा, सरस्वती, लक्ष्मी या दुर्गा,

अगर करते हो देवी का सम्मान, फिर क्यूँ करते हो मेरा ही अपमान,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

मन से हूँ चंचल, हृदय से कोमल,

कहते हो मैं हूँ अनमोल, फिर क्यू नहीँ करते मेरा मोल,

मुझसे ही सब कुछ है, पर मैं ही कुछ नहीँ,

जीवन देना मेरा कर्तव्य है, तो क्या जीना मेरा अधिकार नहीँ,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

सितारों को छूने के ख्वाब है मेरे, क्या ये रह जायेंगे यूँ ही अधूरे,

सोने के पंखों से उडने कि आशा है, पर सह्मी सी मेरे जीवन कि परिभाषा है,

हर पल करती हूँ मैं इंतज़ार, मेरे ख्वाबों को कैसे करूँ साकार,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

करती है दुनिया दुराचार, कहती है क्यूँ गयी तुम लक्ष्मण रेखा पार,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

 -By Mansi Ladha

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