By Kartik Lokhande
Feminists,
activists, politicians, intellectuals, writers, and almost all the
sections of the society are deeply engrossed in the debate whether to
ban the BBC Four documentary titled ‘India’s Daughter’. Various media
platforms are flooded with heated exchanges on the content, intent,
procedure, interpretations, representations etc. And, as usual, in all
this cacophany of seemingly saner voices, the real issue -- of focus on
the condition of India’s Daughters -- is consigned to mere
for-the-sake-of-posterity-type celebrations of International Women’s
Day.
Those supporting, and those condemning, the intent and content
of the documentary have, sadly, gone haywire in bringing to the fore the
issues that continue to haunt the women in India. No one appears to be
giving a serious thought to issues they face. Rape, molestation,
harassment, teasing are indeed serious issues. But, will it help in real
terms if society and polity centre the debate on these issues only
around ‘changing the attitude towards women’?
Going by the
experience throughout the world, whenever any debate ended with the
conclusion to achieve this much sought-after ‘change in
attitude/mindset’, the real issue has remained the same. Agreed,
attitude towards women must change for the better. But, for want of
deterrent punishments delivered to convicts in time, properly
implemented legal safeguards to punish the guilty and protect the
innocent, and much-needed practice of envisioned changes in political
and social order, this change remains a blurred idea.
Of course, one
must condemn the perverse comments -- like the ones made by lawyers of
rapists and one of the rapists in Delhi case in the BBC Four documentary
-- but should it stop there? Should not there be any talk of
strengthening judicial system? Should not there be well-informed talk on
what truly constitutes Indian culture? Should not there be a discussion
on the road ahead?
Many would say ‘yes’ in answer to these questions.
But,
when it comes to debate on judicial system, it concludes with the
demand for more stringent laws. A little attention is paid to more
serious aspect of speedier delivery of justice, effective implementation
of existing legal provisions, and also deterrent punishment to those
misusing and abusing the loopholes in the judicial system.
When it
comes to debate on Indian culture, either the perverse versions -- like
the ones of lawyers of rapists in Delhi case -- are amplified or
emphasis is more on suitable interpretations of traditions and customs.
There is no attempt made to draw lessons from glowing examples of women
power -- Gargi, Rani Laxmibai, Rani Durgavati, Maharani Padmini, Rajmata
Jijabai, Ahilyabai Holkar, Savitribai Phule, and the list goes on. And,
one thing is for sure, the social and political conditions faced by
these women of grit were worse than what those are today.
Sadly, in
the era of economic independence, people have deified these women of
eminence from history of India, but are not following their ideals and
principles. As a result, even the debates on women empowerment end up in
so-called panelists (many of whom are women) on various media platforms
emphasising that ‘shorter the skirt, the more feminine it is’. As was
seen by nation during the justified protests following the brutal
gangrape incident in Delhi, many immature women activists raised slogans
like ‘Meri skirt se unchi meri jubaan hain’. Do not such flippant
slogans indicate that these immature women activists support
commodification of women? What has short skirt got to do with freedom of
speech and expression? Do they want to say that short skirt is symbol
of higher intellect? Did any of the great women cited above engage in
such frivolous demand? Of course, these questions may cause discomfort
to many.
As far as polity is concerned, every political party has
been claiming to be in favour of ‘equal representation to women’ in
power. However, everyone knows, what has happened when it came to
passing a law in this regard. Whatever representation has been given to
women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country, also is being
misused in most of the cases. Women get elected from seats reserved for
them, but the show is run by their husbands or other relatives. Can it
be called an idea of women empowerment?
There are many areas in
which women are trying to come up shoulder-to-shoulder with men. But,
they are facing various problems that are a result of faultlines
nurtured carefully through the ages by powers-that-be. These faultlines
have a wide spectrum -- meek response in dealing with repressive
traditions and customs wrongly linked to religious beliefs, minority
appeasement, reservation based on caste instead of merit, consigning to
worthless debate the value of meritocracy, questioning every welcome
change, etc. In all these faultlines, at a deeper level, women continue
to suffer. They may not necessarily suffer at the hands of men, but also
in the complex situations that are products of these faultlines.
Of
course, changing all these is an uphill task. The change will not come
in a day or two, or for that matter, a decade. But, it does not mean
that there should not be any discussion on these aspects. Only when the
India’s Daughters are freed of the compulsion of getting caught between
the extremes of liberty and traditions, will they be free as equal human
beings.
Till then, the endless and inconclusive debate over a
documentary or a derogatory statement or an article will continue to
blur the bright future of India’s Daughters, who are contributing
silently and patiently towards building a great nation.
(Filed on March 8, 2015)
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