Sunday, March 14, 2010

Women's Empowerment. Are we really there??

The Women's reservation bill finally got passed in the parliament amidst a lot of hue and cry, and above all resistance from the men folk. I felt thrilled and empowered that day and really wanted to celebrate. But, come to think of it, are the women really empowered in India? A country which boasted of a woman prime-minister and now flaunting its only woman president, and the men folk in the parliament create so much of hullabaloo about a bill which reserves 33 % of the seats in parliament. Isn't this sheer hypocrisy? Are we not cheating ourselves. And surprisingly the same man who made his wife sit in the post of a chief minister for a full term was the center of this ruckus. Shameful.
Today we happen to have a festival in Tamil Nadu, where the wives pray for their husband's long life and it is said that Savitri brought back Satyavan from the jaws of death by doing sheer penance on this particular day. Something akin to "Karva Chauth" and "Teej" in the north. Fantastic people.!!! Wives have to sit and pray for husbands but why not the other way round? If a man is being taken away by the God of death, the woman has to do severe penance to bring him back to life. Why not the other way round? Why don't we have a day where the husband's fast for their wives or why doesn't our mythology contain stories where a husband brought back his wife from the jaws of death? So where does the true power actually lie? It definitely lies with women and we are the ones who have empowered them. As I write this blog, I feel I am one of the biggest hypocrites. Ask me why? Well I too did the pooja because I am bound by tradition. Maybe my thoughts are rebellious - but I don't seem to have the guts to oppose the practice hands down.
This is what is happening to millions of women in India. We are being conditioned since childhood to behave in a certain way and we finally become that. Those of us who are able to oppose the practices openly are called rebels and are branded as "evil". How funny. :)
Coming back to women's reservation in the parliament -- are the women in this country really going to wake up and take this opportunity to go ahead and stand for elections? I really don't know. Have been sincerely hoping that we do not have those puppets like the former chief minister of Bihar, or the like of Mayawathi who have given a completely third dimension to the dirty polictics of this land. Actually I was commenting to someone that hope we have more of Sushma Swarajs or Vasundhara Rajes or Indira Gandhis - when someone commented why not more of you? I really don't mind becoming a member of parliament provided the system allows me to and I get enough votes.
However, I am still going ahead and celebrating the passing of the bill. Anyone is welcome to join me. :) So long folks till my next blog.

3 comments:

  1. well written manni... most of us do the same..continue with traditions just because it is easier than to rebel... rebellious thoughts are all we have..... and the womens bill issue was hilarious, the kind of people protesting, the issues they had... so typical!

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  3. Well.. The protests against the bill clearly shows how insecure men feel. They feel that the day is not far when women will take control of the entire parliament.
    I guess men don't need to keep a day to pray for their wives since they do it every day in their mind, in their heart :)
    Ask any single guy and he will tell you how often he is reminded of the importance of a wife in his life, by people around him.

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