"Don't get raped": Sona Mohapatra calls out society's misogyny, patriarchy and violence against women

At a time when the entire nation is protesting the gruesome gangrape and murder of Hyderabad-based veterinary doctor, singer Sona Mohapatra and filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava have focussed the root cause of the problem, the patriarchal mindset which has been dominating the Indian society since ages.

Alankrita is of the opinion that "in our country misogyny is accepted, violence against women is normalised and patriarchy encourages crimes against women".

The "Lipstick Under My Burkha" helmer tweeted: "We are a country where misogyny is accepted and in fact nurtured. And violence against women is normalized. Be it inside the home or outside. We are all responsible, our silence and complacency makes us complicit. #NoCountryForWomen."

In a separate tweet, she said: "It is time for every citizen in India to introspect. Are you helping smash the patriarchy that enables and encourages crimes against women? And if you are not actively engaged in destroying the patriarchy, know that you are actually encouraging it. There is no middle ground."

Sona feels that the society is unnecessarily preachy towards women and most of the time a girl is held responsible for a crime committed against her.

The singer posted a photo of a poster on Instagram, which reads: "Don't get raped." Commenting underneath it, she wrote: "It's what women are told every day in the form of how to behave, what to wear, what time to come home at - all different ways of telling us - don't get raped, it's in your hands?!!?!"

A 27-year-old veterinary doctor was gang raped and burnt to death allegedly by two truck drivers and two cleaners near a toll plaza on Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad on the night of Wednesday. Cyberabad police on Friday night announced the arrest of the four accused, who allegedly trapped the victim by deflating a tyre of her scooty parked near the toll plaza.