Every once in a while,there comes a wave,where everybody seems to have something to say,about any and every thing,and this is one of those times.So,I thought,why stay behind?Just join in the tirade.
The recurrring issue,currently,seems to be the safety of women in our country,rather,the absence of it.And theres no end to the blame game here.From the Government,to the wide male population in the whole country,to the politicians,to the random "Baba"s coming up with "brotherly" advices,nobody has been spared.Maybe,even rightly so.Recently a friend said,that all this outburst is because the rage had been simmering for a long time and it just needed an outlet.And that seems quite apt.As apt as during the Anna Hazare movement,which needs a few hits on google to be adequately remembered now.And as a lot of people do,even I believe this "rage" will die out soon enough,similar to the other "Rages" to have come and gone.
But after reading hundreds on articles on the issue,the question that I have is that how an we expect others to "respect" women when they themselves dont?We look up to the Males of the society for respect,but dont look into ourselves.In some article I read,the writer had said,quite correctly,that men now want "sexy or slutty" girlfriends and "homely" sister,and "chick" friends..And we are perfectly fine being the "whores" to our partners.
A lot of people would disagree with me,that language is not everything.That just language cannot denote decency.Maybe JUST language doesnt denote decency,but still,it potrays a lot.I study in a college where swearings fly at every other sentences,and even a couple of "item" spottings are also not uncommon.How many times has it happened that some man has tried to stand too close to you and YOU have moved away,rather than asking the man to?Even I have done that.Because,we say,in a few minutes,the journey would be over,so why get into a confrontation?And as soon as we get leave the bus,the man gets another women to stand close to.And many of these will be the typical "bhodrolok" of the society.
I have had songs sung to me at roads,and moved away as fast as I can.Next time,probably these would be the men grabbing a girl passing by,because they know no one will protest.
How many times have we seen women facing the flak of the family while men get away with the same?How many times have we seen mothers of girls telling daughters that there is a difference in being a girl and a boy,even though they spent all their lives savings on her education?How many times have we seen a boy being asked to mop the floor of the house in the maid's absence?The sad part is,women themselves want to perpetuate the inferiority gradient,intentionally or unintentionally.Mothers ask daughters to sacrifice their jobs,go with the husband,not the other way round,citing the responsibility of the child.How is the responsibility of a father any less than that of a mother.
Mother-in-laws take in domestic violence on the daughter-in-law,and maybe even encourage it.Look up the burning cases,dowry cases,and more than often,the accused list includes more women than men.
From what I have seen,women come together as a united front,only after something has already happened,not before that.And theres no guarantee that that united front can prevent any further occurences.
Women still let themselves be treated as objects in our society,an object to be derived pleasured from.Wives are still mere trophies,and if a working wife earning a six figure salary,then a very expensive trophy.And we have such pride in the "working" part!
Theres an imbibed sense of being inferior,or "different" as many would like to put in generations of women.And I think the permanent solution to the "country mindset" as I read somewhere,is only when we can start standing up for ourselves,in even the smallest of spaces.And maybe few generations later there would be an Indian society which would have women finally looking themselves in the eye.
The recurrring issue,currently,seems to be the safety of women in our country,rather,the absence of it.And theres no end to the blame game here.From the Government,to the wide male population in the whole country,to the politicians,to the random "Baba"s coming up with "brotherly" advices,nobody has been spared.Maybe,even rightly so.Recently a friend said,that all this outburst is because the rage had been simmering for a long time and it just needed an outlet.And that seems quite apt.As apt as during the Anna Hazare movement,which needs a few hits on google to be adequately remembered now.And as a lot of people do,even I believe this "rage" will die out soon enough,similar to the other "Rages" to have come and gone.
But after reading hundreds on articles on the issue,the question that I have is that how an we expect others to "respect" women when they themselves dont?We look up to the Males of the society for respect,but dont look into ourselves.In some article I read,the writer had said,quite correctly,that men now want "sexy or slutty" girlfriends and "homely" sister,and "chick" friends..And we are perfectly fine being the "whores" to our partners.
A lot of people would disagree with me,that language is not everything.That just language cannot denote decency.Maybe JUST language doesnt denote decency,but still,it potrays a lot.I study in a college where swearings fly at every other sentences,and even a couple of "item" spottings are also not uncommon.How many times has it happened that some man has tried to stand too close to you and YOU have moved away,rather than asking the man to?Even I have done that.Because,we say,in a few minutes,the journey would be over,so why get into a confrontation?And as soon as we get leave the bus,the man gets another women to stand close to.And many of these will be the typical "bhodrolok" of the society.
I have had songs sung to me at roads,and moved away as fast as I can.Next time,probably these would be the men grabbing a girl passing by,because they know no one will protest.
How many times have we seen women facing the flak of the family while men get away with the same?How many times have we seen mothers of girls telling daughters that there is a difference in being a girl and a boy,even though they spent all their lives savings on her education?How many times have we seen a boy being asked to mop the floor of the house in the maid's absence?The sad part is,women themselves want to perpetuate the inferiority gradient,intentionally or unintentionally.Mothers ask daughters to sacrifice their jobs,go with the husband,not the other way round,citing the responsibility of the child.How is the responsibility of a father any less than that of a mother.
Mother-in-laws take in domestic violence on the daughter-in-law,and maybe even encourage it.Look up the burning cases,dowry cases,and more than often,the accused list includes more women than men.
From what I have seen,women come together as a united front,only after something has already happened,not before that.And theres no guarantee that that united front can prevent any further occurences.
Women still let themselves be treated as objects in our society,an object to be derived pleasured from.Wives are still mere trophies,and if a working wife earning a six figure salary,then a very expensive trophy.And we have such pride in the "working" part!
Theres an imbibed sense of being inferior,or "different" as many would like to put in generations of women.And I think the permanent solution to the "country mindset" as I read somewhere,is only when we can start standing up for ourselves,in even the smallest of spaces.And maybe few generations later there would be an Indian society which would have women finally looking themselves in the eye.
