Many of us have heard or read the Sanskrit shloka "Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante Tatra Devata...", meaning where women are revered, gods are pleased to be there...or something similar. This shloka is often used to prove how respected women were in ancient India. But then, what about Madhavi, who was given by her father to a king, to be "loaned" to various kings in return for white horses? What about Ahilya, who was turned into a stone by her husband, the Sage Gautam? What about Seeta, who was turned out of her home on account of a few slighting remarks by some people, by her husband Ram, who is called "Maryada Purushottam"?
There are countless such stories, which pose the question: Why did we, as a nation or as a people, hate women so? And much more importantly, who do we continue to do so even today? In an India, where women have achieved so much? And where many parents claim that they love their daughters much more than their sons?
But is this true? Then what about baby Afreen? Baby Falak? A case a few days back in MP where a father beat his three daughters so viciously that one died?
These were babies. Unable to fend for themselves. But grown up, physically able women are killed blatantly by their families - sometimes by parents or brothers/uncles on some pretext or more commonly by their husbands or in-laws - for either money, or you guessed it right - a boy child. Many of us, particularly those who believe in a kind of so-called "Hindu" philosophy, will say that it is fate - "karma". It is also called "Naseeb". And the sad truth about our society is that even parents who had brought up the girl with reasonable care and love, give up on her the moment she is married. If she is tortured, threatened, or is just unhappy, it is her "naseeb", fate, and she has to "adjust", give the marriage and everyone else some time - but they conveniently forget that that is precisedly the thing she may not have - time. She may be killed or kill herself before long. And then they may weep a few tears, and forget her. After all, she was only a girl.
There are countless such stories, which pose the question: Why did we, as a nation or as a people, hate women so? And much more importantly, who do we continue to do so even today? In an India, where women have achieved so much? And where many parents claim that they love their daughters much more than their sons?
But is this true? Then what about baby Afreen? Baby Falak? A case a few days back in MP where a father beat his three daughters so viciously that one died?
These were babies. Unable to fend for themselves. But grown up, physically able women are killed blatantly by their families - sometimes by parents or brothers/uncles on some pretext or more commonly by their husbands or in-laws - for either money, or you guessed it right - a boy child. Many of us, particularly those who believe in a kind of so-called "Hindu" philosophy, will say that it is fate - "karma". It is also called "Naseeb". And the sad truth about our society is that even parents who had brought up the girl with reasonable care and love, give up on her the moment she is married. If she is tortured, threatened, or is just unhappy, it is her "naseeb", fate, and she has to "adjust", give the marriage and everyone else some time - but they conveniently forget that that is precisedly the thing she may not have - time. She may be killed or kill herself before long. And then they may weep a few tears, and forget her. After all, she was only a girl.
