Sourabha Rajyam- The Land Where Women Don't Matter

Failure

Mounika led the 10,000 protestors she was assigned to along with other sub-leaders. The plan had been to march to the nearest police station, storm it and lock the policemen in the cells and repeat the process till all police stations were captured. This would reduce the number of soldiers they had to face later on. They had expected to receive some injuries and that some of the women may not be able to face the trained assault of the police. So they had packed the front with battle hardened women. Women who had faced the brunt of the consequences post implementation of the new laws. Mounika had thought this would be enough to motivate the rest of the women to hold the line and successfully capture the police stations. What they had failed to take into consideration was, what if the front line failed?

The women looked determined and confident as they marched towards the Simhadripura police station. As they turned the corner of Sarangadhara Square, they could see the water cannons and a thick five layered barricades behind which were the policemen in full riot gear. They had also brought para military forces to bolster their ranks. Mounika noticed doubtful glances of women around her. She motioned to the other leaders to stop. The procession halted as she took up a mike and started speaking.

“Officers and other men of the uniformed forces! Our fight is with the unjust laws of the government. We have nothing against you. We have reached the limit of our patience. Thousands of women march to avenge injustice and to right an unjust society. You are not inhuman but you are letting your carnal desires overcome your common sense and your better judgement. Have you forgotten the glorious values laid down by our ancestors? Have you forgotten how the rule of Queen Vasundhara Devi is considered the golden age of our empire? Have you forgotten you are born from the womb of a woman?

What kind of men are you if you t*****e the fairer s*x? Is it not the duty of the strong to protect the weak? Have you forgotten that even a cat will fight if cornered? Have you forgotten that an angry woman destroys everything? Do you wish to bring total annihilation on your heads by invoking the wrath of Goddess Kalika herself? Give way and surrender if you want to survive!” her words were met with a tremendous roar of approval by the women that shook the skies.

The Police Commissioner responded, “You foolish woman! Do you think you can face the wrath of men who have always been superior to women. Have you forgotten that you would starve if we didn’t bring food to your table? Have you forgotten it was a man who founded this empire? Have you forgotten it was a man who saved a 1000 women from a mob of 5000 men? Have you forgotten it is a man that has given you the arrogance to think you can win by allowing this foolish venture? Go back, before we have to beat you up with our lathis and leave you with broken limbs. Go home weaklings! You are no match to the might of the Empire’s Armed Forces! You have been warned!”

“Jai Mahakali!”

“Jai Bhavani!”

“Jai Sambhavi!”

The women roared as they marched forward, Mounika leading them from the front, her face wearing a frightening rage of destruction. The women marched like the avenging angel of destruction with cries that brought a shiver in the spine. It was frightening if you were watching it as an outsider. The police looked apprehensive but were confident that they could handle unarmed women. They twirled their batons in a threatening manner. The men manning the water cannons were ready with water pipes. Some of the policemen stood with their rifles ready to fire tear gas shells. Still some more were ready to fire rubber bullets. They had closed ranks and were ready for battle. The officers stood tall waiting for the right moment to command their men. The men ready as a coiled spring about to be flung into the sky. Slowly, the women closed the gap.

“Battalion, Ready!”

“Water Cannons, Fire!”

This was followed by several jets of water hitting the front ranks of the marching women. They hit the women in the front with such a force that they were flung back into the women behind them, breaking ranks and causing confusion. The women were drenched in seconds unable to breathe at the onslaught of the water. They were disoriented, frightened and shivered in fright and cold as the water kept hitting them.

“Tear gas!”

Tears were added to the water adding more confusion and fear in the untrained women. They had never been in a real battle before. None of them had even raised a hand against their men, let alone face water cannons and bullets. They tried to turn and run but only found more women blocking their way. They shivered as the cold water hit their backs and the tear gas blurred their vision.

“Fire!”

More confusion as rubber bullets started hitting them. Several women fell exposing the ranks behind them making them easy targets. Women started running everywhere, all thoughts of protest forgotten. They had had come out in huge numbers but they couldn’t face the trained onslaught of the police forces. The huge crowd of women were quickly dispersed leaving the few injured women crying for help. Mounika watched helplessly as the women ran seeking shelter. She felt hands yanking her roughly to her feet. She felt hands stripping her and carrying her bodily somewhere before being dumped like a sack in the police riot van. She felt more bodies dumped on her as she welcomed the darkness.

Else where, Pravallika watched in horror as the stones they had stockpiled for days with such meticulous planning had vanished without a trace. How would she supply the stones to the warriors on the frontlines? She and her troop frantically started searching for suitable stones which had somehow vanished. The troop searched in vain as they couldn’t find a single stone or for that matter a single door that was open. They had expected bolted doors but nor locked doors! She sat on the verandah of one such house thinking what to do next, when she noticed a deadly silence. She looked up to find that she was alone. What had happened to the rest of her troop? They had kept in formation checking the houses and the side streets before moving forward. They had not ventured too far for fear of being lost or trapped. A shiver ran down her spine as she realised that her troop had fallen into a trap. She got up to warn the others but felt a hand over her mouth. Before she could react she was grabbed by someone and thrust into a sack. She thrashed in vain to escape but couldn’t as she felt the mouth of the sack being tied. She was tossed into a vehicle that sped away her cries muffled by the loud engine that obviously had no silencer.

Anusha was puzzled. The water drums they had gathered were nowhere to be seen. What had happened to them all of a sudden? She could have sworn that they were where they had hidden them the night before. they had secured them safely and had gone to sleep. Just when they needed them, they were lost. What would she say to the women who needed water? How would she be able to satiate the thirst of warriors fighting on the front if she had no means of carrying water? And where was her team? She couldn’t find a trace of the 30 girls she was leading. Where had they gone? Why hadn’t they reported to her? Her mind was full of doubts as she walked along the road. She was dismayed to see locked houses. She had been told to expect bolted doors, but why were the doors locked? The women couldn’t have done it as they had been busy since morning. Who had locked the doors? As she walked deep in her thoughts she failed to notice the net falling on her from one of the houses. Before she could do anything, she found herself gagged and bound and thrown into a vehicle.

Ramya watched in confusion as the Principal ordered the gates to be locked posting guards at all the entrances and key areas. What was happening? Why was he doing this? She watched in confusion as the staff locked them in the bunkers. Why were they in the bunkers? She had been told that they were used only when the school was under attack. Was the she school really under attack? How could she know what was happening outside?