Public Transportation and Aural Rape
I asked her if she knows about aural rape. But she replied in surprise, “How can someone do that….in such a small ear canal?” Usually when we hear the word “rape”, we think about penetration of sexual organs or body parts without the consent of the victim. But if we come out of that centered concept and view it, it is also seizing away the peace of people forcefully. Thus, aural rape is a forceful seizing of aural peace of people without their consent. And when it comes to public transportation, the rape victims’ number triggers several thousand a day in this Himalayan capital.
Yet, another tired day at college. Feeling of being exhausted had made him low. Lots of assignment given to be completed on the next day. If not completed, he surely needs to lose the marks in the board examinations, which are considered to be the most important until you go out to work. And who cares, if he is hungry or bored with the day. But he still need to have a roller coaster ride to home. Oh! Roller coaster is much easier. Let us add some clean and jerk in it. And that roller coaster is so packed with peoples so that you don’t even get fresh air to breath in. And obviously, the windows of the roller coaster are not opened because there is dust waiting its way in. And this is not over yet to that victim. There is one more torture going on. “Farka farka māyālu ma pani ta āula……” over the safe dB range of human hearing. Tolerating all, when he reaches home, he is totally exhausted and aurally raped. And there are many such untold stories and pains on the families which relay on public vehicles for their mobility.
Public vehicles are the reliability of all aged group of people living. From a small infant to the person living the last day on earth, from a small level student to the high school teachers, from a jobless to the merchants — Public vehicles has been a matter of ease to all. But there is something nasty in it. These all aged group of people are highly affected by the monopoly of the DJ (Driver Jockey) over the speakers of the vehicles. And everyone has to tolerate what DJ plays in spite of having different choice of genres. There is a very minimal chance that the music loved by old aged people is also loved by the youngsters and vice-versa. Being more specific, every single individual has their different taste of music and the way they perceive it, regardless their age group, sex, nature and culture. But the choices of all go in vein when the one, who leads people towards their destination, control over what people listen to. And this kind of aural rape is severe in the Valley. And sometimes it seems to pay the conductor for raping me adding, “And listen, I have a student card.”
“What after being aurally raped victims?” Well, there are many consequences of aural rape causing harm on the various factors. We all know, not every vehicle has well equipped speakers. There are many vehicles with high-pitched output speakers which produce over-shrilled sound. Hearing this type of sound, for over a period, degrades our ability to hear low frequency sound. Similarly, the sick people inside the bus feels more often irritated with the music. This can lead to worsening the condition of them. Also, not everyone loves the music being played. And listening to the music you dislike uses your energy to tolerate it. Hence, you feel comparatively low and tired. Hence, the productivity of the peoples are gradually to degrade. Likewise, the aggressive and fast beat music can alter the way you do the task. It increases the aggression on the people which results on the increasing heart beat and blood circulation. This effect can lead drivers to over speed of vehicles, which is being more prone to accident. Also, the heart patients are highly affected by this kind of music. Sometimes, the socially and culturally explicated music are played on the public vehicles. It is a social crime to make listen those types music to under 18 children and also the adults who doesn’t want to hear them. Those music are sure to spoil the good family environment inside the vehicles. Eventually, the culture of playing music on the public transportation and the road condition of the cities are hampering the growth of the mobile readers comparatively in the abroad. Also, economically, the royalty of the music being played is the public vehicles are not paid to the respective authorities. This kind of activities is leading an artist to be frustrated. Analyzation of weak scope on the music sector are making the artist less hardworking and less qualitative. This can adversely affect the music culture of the nation.
“The solution of a bigger problem is always mending on many smaller problems.” Similarly, for a country to develop you need productive and happy citizens. Bigger buildings and higher GNI are not only the areas that development is compared. And here, the problem of aural rape is increasing daily and needs a proper attention. Every people need to be aware of the consequences of such practices. Government should properly govern over such activities and makes public friendly environment. Also, the playing loud music in public transportation should be banned because it leads to various harmful activities. Headphones can be the best alternatives to the people who loves listening to music while travelling.
In conclusion, listening to music is not everyone love to. However, if they want they have their specific genres and taste if music. And forcefully listening to the music out of your interest is been a social crime. We know, travelling on the public vehicles, probably, is not a hubby of everyone. Thus, the compulsion of the people should not be as the benefit to aurally rape the passengers.
Copyright © 2018, Nawaraj Khatri
