Our society's backward, anti-women mindset

The recent incident involving display of brutal police force at a private art gallery and café in Lahore has brought back the memory of the 1980s when the local authorities had the "obligation" of enforcing a hardcore, literalist brand of Islamic morality. The incident has rightly sent shock waves among civil rights activists.
According to scattered media reports, the local SHO of Shadman Colony raided the art gallery without any warrant, harassed the customers eating lunch, and then beat the gallery's staff including the woman curator, while spewing profanities and called her out for being dressed in a 'vulgar' manner. The reasons for the raid are still unclear; there is no report of any political motive or personal rivalry behind this brazen incident. Yet no matter what the reason might be, the raid was illegal because the police had no warrant. On top of it, the physical abuse meted out to the curator and then to those trying to save her, is a disgraceful act. It reflects the sick mentality prevalent among the majority that casts a woman, who has chosen to work outside her house, in a negative light and is thus unworthy of equal respect.
It is a depressing sight to see that the struggle for women rights continues even in this day and age. Though the parliament has passed the Harassment Against Women at Workplace Bill into law, its implementation has not been followed through in spirit. Society's overwhelming patriarchal mindset creates psychological and practical roadblocks for women trying to seek justice. Last year, a student nurse at Jinnah Hospital was found unconscious after falling from a second-storey window with serious injuries. The doctor, who was later accused of raping the nurse, also broke his leg while allegedly trying to escape. After a medical examination, rape was confirmed and even her sister gave statements in press that the nurse had previously complained about the doctor to the administration. Yet six months later, the nurse recanted her story, claiming she had no memory of the rape as she had passed out after drinking a soft soda and woke up in the hospital.
More recently, another nurse tried to burn herself outside the Lahore Press Club in protest of being sexually harassed by the Bachelor Dental Surgeon (BDS) at the Rural Health Centre where she worked. She had lost hope of finding justice via the legal procedure and resorted to self-immolation in the hope her voice would be heard.
The fact is that mere legislation does not equip women to fight for justice nor deter future criminals who know how difficult it is for women to find justice. The situation becomes even more ominous when the police, the supposed upholders of law, reflect this anti-women mindset of society. This incident at the art gallery is just another example of the brutish attitude of our law enforcement agencies. The superiority-infested attitude, manifested in the SHO's declaration to the son of the gallery owner that he was not his father's servant, stems from the belief that the people who are tasked with enforcing the law believe they are beyond reproach. This "sarkari power" fuelled adrenaline is symptomatic of a deeper malice afflicting all our public officials who do not understand that their salaries come from the taxpayers' pockets.
The art gallery in Lahore is one of the few places in Lahore where young artists can showcase their work. Its café is a magnet for thinkers and intellectuals to routinely gather and indulge in open, pluralistic discourse over various topics. The space for such avenues is already shrinking as people have started hesitating before speaking their mind for the fear of strong backlash. The few which remain, if allowed to be harassed like this, might also disappear from the scene. That will be an immeasurable loss to the legendary cultural hub of the country. There are reports that an official inquiry is being conducted into the matter. It is imperative for the Punjab government to make the findings of the inquiry public for people to see justice being done. If the SHO is found guilty he must be penalized so the cycle of impunity can be broken and an example must be set to ensure no such incident of abuse of power and display of self-righteousness is repeated again.