It's time to say!!!
Article 15
(1) of Indian constitution states:
The state shall not discriminate against any citizen of India
on the ground of sex!
This is on legal paper.
Let's look at the following on what happens in
practice.
Irrespective of economic, social, geographic
location within India, if we take out a sample of true representation of this
country the stages are more or less the following:
Before a child birth:
Everybody praying to God- " God
please give us a son who can carry forward our family name and take care of us
in our agile phase!"
Reality shouts: " Who will
carry the baby inside the body for 10 months? Your son? Or his wife?"
"Who has created this system of
carrying forward the family name? And why the hell does it matter? Do you still
belong to the stone age where you need to increase the member of your clan so
that you have more man power to fight with the opponent party?"
"Do you really think your son will
take care of you in your old age? No comment on this!"
Once a girl child is born:
Everybody: "They
are unfortunate souls! The father was too miser that's why God has
given a daughter, now he will have to spend by default. The girl has to get
married."
Reality shouts: " Who has
started the system of dowry?"
"If a son is born wouldnt he have
to get married? Since the son will bring an extra family member wouldnt the
family expenditure increase?"
As the girl starts excelling in studies and gets chance to study abroad:
Everybody: "Why to
spend so much on her education, already she is a liability. Let's not send her
abroad. Let her study from home only. If she stays at home she would learn the
art of household and would become a better wife and a mother in future."
Reality numbs.
The girl turns up into a beautiful lady and starts going to college:
Everybody: "That girl
has bright future. Soon she will marry an NRI and settle abroad. No need to
work. Chilled life."
Reality numbs.
The girl takes up a job and starts earning:
Everybody: "A working
woman has high demand in marriage market. After all nowadays guys like to marry
an independent girl. Let's start finding a guy for her."
Reality laughs.
The girl wants late marriage:
Everybody: "OMG! What
a shameless girl! This is what happens when you do not differentiate between
your son and daughter. Now who will marry her!"
Reality laughs aloud.
The girl meets the prospective groom's family:
Everybody: "Do you
know how to cook? What dishes can you cook?"
Reality – “Check check
check!”
After marriage:
Everybody: " When will
you produce a cute baby boy for us? Your biological clock is ticking."
Reality – “Let me
hibernate!”
After child birth:
Everybody: "What kind
of a mom is she? She is keeping a maid to look after the child? Is the child a
pet? Couldnt she leave her job for the child? Such a selfish woman."
The girl finally rose her voice.....
Everybody: Oh the feminist!!!!
And this continues........................
The above para is just to tell that in the
above thought process, we all are involved in some way or the other.
Nature is already making women bleed for 5 to 7
days every month, carry baby for 10 months and we are physically weak as well.
When all these are already against us, and still we have the ability to become
whoever we want to be - we can choose any career be it teacher, minister,
astronaut anything or can even choose not to work. Even motherhood is a choice
that we make, yes you heard me right - Motherhood is a choice and it's not
obvious.
Hence it's more humane to be more tolerant
and sympathetic towards women, and we must stop imposing all rules
and rituals on woman. It's time that we allow us to breathe.
Most of the rules, rituals are expected to be
followed by women. These rituals instead of making our lives easier, choke us.
It's time that we understand all these, we
understand the prejudices and start with small steps from today in making the
lives of women a little better and start treating them as a human first and a
woman later.
Good one. But can you provide more detailed and accurate information about which parts of India are this backward, liberal and modernised open minded? May be this statistics can bring a good overview of the ritualistic / social distinction of the Indians towards women.
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