Freedom at Midnight, 2024

Kolkata: In 1947, the freedom we eagerly sought was clearly ‘political’. In 2024, the freedom we earnestly seek is deeply ‘emotional’.

In Kolkata and parts of Bengal, ladies are curating midnight processions to ‘Reclaim the Night’. A fiery repartee to protest the gruesome murder of R G Kar Medical College intern.

It is necessary, though, to not let this carnage be camouflaged by tokenism and symbolism. The conspiracy angle will be ably handled by the CBI and the judicial system. Many enraged folks are bemoaning the demise of the city’s ‘bhadralok’ ethos, while the medical community is feeling direly victimised, leading to strikes.

Let’s get to the crux of the problem. From Nirbhaya in 2012 to R G Kar intern in 2024, time has stood still, in spite of advanced punitive legislation (Nirbhaya Act, 2013). The primordial urge for violence in a remarkably civil society, blessed by unprecedented affluence and stability. In this case, the assassin being a civic volunteer, a de facto enforcer of the law. Who has the cold-blooded motivation and confidence to brutally assault and kill a young lady. Certainly not anecdotal, as similar cases appear frequently. The Wikipedia section on ‘Rape in India’ has 56 populated pages, each more gruesome than the predecessor.

We are talking about social reform of the highest possible order. In 1829, The Bengal Sati Regulation (Regulation XVII) was passed by the then Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, making the practice of Sati illegal in all of British India. Yet, it took at least another 100 years for this monstrosity to be totally obliterated. Social reform is always more powerful than legal reform, for acts of irrational emotion.

The crucial pillar of social reform must be a National Mental Health Policy 2.0. A set of actions and initiatives designed to recognise and thwart ‘destructive’ neurodiversity at an early stage. An approach similar to cancer diagnosis, now advocating the proactive screening regime. This must occur at an institutional level - starting from school, throughout professional tenures and at a community level.

Just as car insurance renewals require a pollution clearance, Aadhar  Cards, Pan Cards, Passports and Voter Identity Cards must need a Mental Health green signal. This can be achieved through the state system or outsourced entities, funded by a section of taxation receipts. Do note that we are a country of nearly one and a half billion people, which means that both opportunities and problems are compounded.

Connected to this is a community code of conduct, promoted by persuasive communication, like Pulse Polio or Family Planning. Where powerful messaging, taking advantage of the one billion smartphone penetration, builds actionable awareness. Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Joshi will be able to achieve this task, most brilliantly. In association with the millions of social media influencers.

Corporations must factor this into HR policies with ‘bullying’ or any form of intimidation leading to intense counselling. Open Office layouts can facilitate community bonding, much needed in these hybrid times. Schools must compulsorily become co-educational, the dynamics of gender appearing as a happy routine and not a speculative exception. Parenting norms must exclude abuse in any form, mental or physical, empathising co-creation.

Popular Culture has a mammoth part to play. Vijay Sethupati’s recent blockbuster ‘Maharaja’ is based on one such gruesome sadistic act, by a despicable lowlife on a young lady. While the bad guy does get punished, the verbose cinematic elucidation of the act can well provoke a sick mindset. Aamir Khan is poised to make the Hindi remake, and this must be urgently scuttled. Like ‘Animal’, in a different socio-cultural context, the amplification of deranged gender violence is appearing far too frequently. Unlike the old-fashioned cop and robber ‘Dishoom-dishoom’, deeply harmless in comparison. The OTT and Feature brigade should evolve a voluntary code of conduct as most certainly, there are other genres to successfully milk.

‘R G Kar intern was brutally murdered by a civic volunteer with possible administration connections.’ This is an accurate but short-term way to define the problem. Our legal system is deeply competent and our social media ammunition is supremely volatile, so nobody will be spared. Thus, the protests cannot only be about Charles Bronson like vigilante justice or the safety of women in the night. Equally, blindly politicising the matter will lead us away from the core.

The National Mental Health Policy 2.0 must be rooted in social reform, across the multiple arenas of influence. Education, entertainment, work culture, community bonding, parenting, sports and so much more. Backed by a reinforced punitive mechanism and community co-option. This is the ‘emotional’ freedom we are truly seeking, in 2024. To reclaim civil society, not just the night, everybody needs to act now.