Delhi men are rally sorry

On Saturday morning, approximately 80 men gathered at Jantar Mantar Road in Delhi, placards and slogans firmly in place. But they weren’t protesting any external forces like oppressive forces or establishments. The men were protesting themselves.

“It’s a somewhat unique idea,” explains Joshua John, 33, a freelance artist and a full-time pastor. John led the Delhi Biker’s Breakfast Run, a group of Delhi bikers, many of whom showed up at the rally to show their support. The rally, called the ‘Public Apology from Delhi Men to Delhi Women’, was an initiative by the NGO, India for Integrity.

“In the months since the December rape, there has been a lot of finger-pointing and blame-shifting. Some of it has been legitimate, but we think it’s important for people to take personal responsibility,” says John. “While we are not criminals, we think that men’s complacency has a role to play, and that is something we need to rectify.”

John also believes that involving men known for their ‘macho’ qualities, like bikers, will be a move in the right direction. “We need to create a dialogue that actively involves men taking responsibility for women safety,” he says.
The rally took video-grabs of men saying what they would like to improve about themselves.

The improvements ranged from refusing to take dowry to respecting women in the workplace, and refusing to watch media that objectifies women. A 'confession wall' had many of these goals written on it, and many by-standers participated as well. “People were a little shocked by the rally,” confesses Noble Luke, 28, a vocalist and a lead project manager at Soundtree Media.

“We thrived on that sort of reaction, because we want people to engage with our questions. A group of foreigners who saw what we were doing started applauding spontaneously, and a lady who used to to clean the area was very happy with the initiative.” In another heartening incident described by Luke, a rickshaw puller who was passing by read the placards proclaiming, “Delhi women, I'm sorry, I'm changing”, and picked it up and stood with the men.

Jonathan Abraham, 30, a corporate trainer, was the main organiser of the rally.
“We were just a group of friends who started the NGO,” he says, referring to India for Integrity. “We want to do creative campaigns that raise awareness about the need for personal responsibility and integrity.” John thinks that men should ask what they can do to uplift the women in their own lives. “The message of our rally is that we are sorry, and we will change,” says Abraham. “The victim of crimes such as rape should not be blamed for the atrocity. We are not the criminals, but as Delhi men, we feel there is a shared responsibility.”

John says that the NGO is planning on having events every few months. “We don't want to forget. Personally, I felt I had to do something if I was going to be a proud Delhite. If I can't be proud of the city I live in, I would rather move.”

@apoorva_dutt