VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The violence against the “weaker” gender, according to me, should be seen in the background of violence against the weak sections in the society. Socio-economic and cultural weaknesses make the gender weakness more pronounced. It cannot be inferred that it is the sole and whole cause.

Throughout the history we can see the powerful violating all norms. The victorious army in a battle was allowed to plunder the defeated. The women on the lost side of the battle were violated as a matter of course. As gold and other valuables of the defeated country, the women there were considered as something to be owned by the victors. It must have been to avoid this humiliation that the proud Raja puts had made it a practice that the women widowed by war burned themselves fully alive [Sati]

Even at the time of peace, the land lord was the lord of everybody and everything in his jurisdiction. That included all women on whom he happened to develop a carnal enthusiasm though unilaterally. The men concerned had to silently suffer the indignation.

The bad and sour memories of the past are brought out here with no intension other than to show that it was the unquestioned use of all sorts of power that set the scene for the atrocities.

In the “modern” era of democracy also, power [social, political and money] has its pronounced role to play. Even when we say, we say all MEN are to be considered equal.

The set-up in the house-holds gives women only a secondary status. An eight year old son is considered to have an elevated status than his ten year old sister. In many a house-holds all the women in the family irrespective of their age, are considered as subservient to the youngest male.

It was like this and it would continue to be like this, so long as the women are fully or partially dependent. The very question of equal status for women did not come up in the beginning. Women had no voting right formerly. This was the situation even in the liberal post-industrial revolution West.

The liberal social atmosphere, the possibility for women to work out side the family in offices and factories, gave women some kind of a chance for undependent existence. It is the opportunity for financial independence that made the women-rights of equality imaginable.

So, this much was said to make it clear that the self respect of any section of people depends much, if not entirely, on the financial situation.   

Now it is not correct to wait till the empowerment of women to percolates naturally from the upper class through the middle class to the working class even though the society is democratic and liberal [terms are used not in their full meaning..   The possible positive tendency is taken for granted]. But this powerful base should never be lost sight of.

Considering the state of affairs in our India which is a museum of social history from primitive to post-modern conditions, it is almost impossible to take a uniform approach.

Atrocities against women can be taken directly as a law and order question. Then some one may point out that even pure law and order questions are not addressed justly. Naked money, direct and indirect political/communal factors …do play a significant role in dealing with any problem.

Thus democracy deteriorates into mobocracy, clan feelings, sectarian and chauvinistic hooliganism. Ultimately it becomes the responsibility of we the citizen of a civil democratic society, to think, coming out of our clannish, regional, caste, religious prejudices and address the problem to safe-guard our minimum rights as human beings.

Without the common man’s conscience with us, our actions will fail to produce any lasting effect. Though such a whole hearted support was not obtainable after the Gandhian era, it should be the aim.

The common Indian should rise like a single man [A faint shadow of this righteous common man we saw at the end of the notorious Emergency of the 1970s]. It is not easily possible as it is not impossible also.

Coming to the last point to be mentioned here:

Even in the pitch darkness of the midnight of a torrential rainy day, it must be possible to keep our tiny oil lamp burning, shedding its clear light around. In this context that lamp light is that of worldly knowledge. Even a very poor family with joint hard work and mutual understanding, can strive to come out of the clutches of poverty. If we look around us we will see some isolated but real examples of this commonsense approach.

Till we are able to construct a responsive civil society, individual families have to take care of the safety of their weaker gender. Though I am ashamed to say this, I have no other go at present. Blaming the opposite [?] gender is very easy to give a quixotic uprightness. But it will not save the helpless woman from her predicament.

When we are pick-pocketed, we blame our carelessness more than the unscrupulousness of the pocket pickers. Lest I am not misunderstood, I must say that I am not talking about Dharma and Adharma. One must keep himself alive to be able to see a better tomorrow of ours.

Just like common first aid lessons, these lessons of safety should be impressed on the growing generation. Also elders should first know for themselves that the pain caused by the same cause is practically equal irrespective of the family, clan, caste, region, religion, nationality…….According to me the tormentor in an abuse of sex often forgets due to various background reasons that his prey is a human being with some self respect like his own sister.

Now I have said here what I wanted to say on this topic. That does not mean that I have the satisfaction that I have said it in a good way. I pray Sulekhites to gravitate more on my intentions than my on my expression.     

Yaa Deevi Sarva Bhootheshu

Sakthi Roopena Samsthithaa:

Nama: thasyai:Nama: thasyai:

Nama; thasyai: Namonama: