Teach Us, Dear Girl…..!

“Displaying rare courage, a 20 year old Kashmiri woman axed to death an armed Lashkar-e-Toiba commander and then snatched guns and opened fire on two other militants, wounding one and forcing them to flee..” Indian Express, Sept29th

Teach us, dear girl to be as courageous as you were: You dared look bullies in the eye, dared stand up and fight, dared laugh in the face of death and remain unscathed!

Teach us dear girl to face those same who exist throughout our country some in the guise of terrorist, others in the garb of politicians, who intimidate, threaten, browbeat and bully those weaker than them, and we, though we be stronger in numbers, put our heads down, turn and walk away, or hide, not having the courage you had, to face, kill and chase them away!

Teach us, dear girl that we do not need to have the skills of a karate expert nor be trained in the arts of warfare, or wear bullet proof vest to stand up to these tormentors, these tyrants, who think that with gun and bullet they can subdue and subjugate all those who come in their path. That even a thin, slim, wisp of a girl can do the needful!

Teach us, dear girl that even a simple, plain looking woman like you can grow in stature to that of a beauty queen just by revealing to the world that inside lies a beauty of courage and bravery that those others who walk up and down a ramp, who use the casting couch to go ahead, do not possess. That you possess an inner loveliness that overshadows the false make-up and put on looks that these others have!

Teach us dear girl that it is our duty to defend the defenseless, that even as you looked and saw father and mother beaten unconscious, pluck and fearlessness rose in you to take up cudgels and beat the perpetrators dead, that such pluck, such daring lies there for us who see the same happen, that instead of running when we see the innocent beaten, we also like you should face as you faced the intimidator and divine strength will come and do the rest!

Teach us dear girl that even as your brother seeing your bravery followed in chasing away those armed men, that if we also take the lead others will follow behind and lend support for causes where we as leaders should lead. That the world always looks for one person who will go ahead and others, seeing our courage will follow with same gusto; but that first step in boldness is a lonely one!

You have taught us dear girl that it is not might or muscle we need but guts. That you Ruksana, dear girl….!!

(Bob’s Banter – Robert Clements –Afternoon 30/09/2009)