A day ago we celebrated Mother’s day and a couple of months ago we celebrated – Women’s day. We rejoiced in being women and now just celebrated being a mother. We even rejoiced on finally getting the much-needed verdict for Jyothi Singh – more famously known as Nirbhaya.
I know a lot of men who would even suggest that me writing this article – clearly shows that it has changed. The freedom of speech – being allowed to express oneself. However, is that not wrong way to approach things? Why is it that women need to be allowed to do anything? That itself suggests that we are not equal. So how much ever you try to bring balance it would not work. How many of us can assure it’s the same all across.
I came across an interesting news today – a Bride in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district was asked to be stripped by the Groom’s family because they suspected she had leukoderma (also vitiligo) and did not want to go ahead with the wedding till that was checked. Would the same have happened if the groom was suspected of the same skin disease?
Even in our mythology interesting to see signs of strength and morality in women. There are women who always listen to what they are told, never protest and they are the only recourse to expressing anger is the renunciation of everything, even asceticism. Be it Madhavi who is blessed with the ability to bear only male children and who were guaranteed to become conquerors. What's more, she can restore her virginity after each delivery! So she was reduced to just being a baby making machine?
Another example – Ramayana, so very well. Sita had to take a test to prove her purity but later chooses to quit everything and return to her mother - the earth, rather than being the queen of Ayodhya. What is even more outrageous here is not just her abduction but also the fact that she chose to go through with proving her chastity although it was not her fault.
If you are a Bible-hater, you can prove that God of the Bible approves rape by quoting passages where Moses encourages soldiers to, after killing the enemy such as the Midianites, "take" their virgin daughters as wives, as in Numbers 31. If you are a Bible-basher, like many evangelical missionaries, you can prove that actually, God of the Bible condemns rape by quoting Mosaic law in Deuteronomy 22:25–27 where the rapist has to be stoned to death.
Even now, the way to seek revenge for many is to rape someone's sister or wife or even a jilted lover because somehow they are "property" and their sexual chastity is synonymous with the honor of that family. Either that or women are punished for crossing imaginary lines imposed by the society — it could be something as small as being out with a friend as in the case of Nirbhaya or saying no to a suitor in the case of Rohtak woman's rape case.
Therefore, does that mean society has always subdued women! Moreover, all these talks about equality and women’s rights are they just an eyewash?
Guess it is high time we relook at this patriarchy society because it's directly linked to sexual crimes against women.