I was thinking of writing something about Rabindranath as it was his 152nd birth anniversary yesterday. But then, late on Sunday evening I watched Aamir Khan's new TV show - Satyameva Jayate and that turned me upside down!
Probably many people are blogging about that episode as well, I do hope they are. I don't want to summarize what I saw there. You need to watch it for yourself. I'll write about what bothers me the most and if possible, how we can solve that (theoretically, I mean).
Female foeticide and infanticide are I think the most unkindest form of torture ever. For people who think abortion is a sin, what would they say about this? During abortion, at least the mother gets to decide (I am not going into if that's right or wrong) but in this case, she is unaware of the entire act. Also, pressurizing a mother to give up her baby and abusing her if she does not do that can be the ultimate form of domestic violence. We saw in Satyameva Jayate about the corruption amongst doctors, police and even the legislature but you know what? It's not the corruption that bothers me, but the inhuman behavior of the doctors, especially the women doctors that made me reel inside. How casually they were talking of foeticide!!
Like most people, I also had the wrong notion that these kinds of crimes are rampant in the lower strata, where people are illiterate, uneducated and have no idea of what they are doing. To my horror, I saw the case of the lady from Delhi whose so called "well educated" family tried to force her to abort her twin daughters and when they couldn't, they tried to kill one of the babies. On the other hand, tribal people, who never have any formal education, never ever try to do these kinds of things. They rejoice over a newborn irrespective of its gender.
In societies where the birth of a boy is considered good and girls are still regarded as second class citizens, even in the 21st century, what do we do?
We need a strong non-corrupt government that will punish the offenders. By punishment I do not mean a mere fine, I mean imprisonment for life. Some exemplary punishment will scare the criminals. Other than that, we need to instil this idea in everyone that boys and girls are same. How to do that?
Even now, there are so many families that don't really treat their daughters in a similar fashion with their sons. I personally know of many girls who are taught to have a dependent status. They are very well cared for by their parents, they have the best education that their parents can provide for, but when it comes to getting a job or get married, the parents would want them to get married first and then choose a job or go abroad. Why so? Do they tell their sons to get married first and then go abroad? Why do people still give dowries? How can they complain of domestic violence when they have themselves bent down to the wishes of the marital family and provided the dowry? Why couldn't they nip it in the bud and take their daughter back home? Society, they would say would frown upon their divorcee daughter. What is better - a divorced daughter staying at home or a married daughter murdered at the in-laws house?
We can't expect girls to stand up against all wrongs if they don't have any support from their families. Neither can they take any rebellious stance if they were always taught to have a subservient status. Girls need to be taught, from the earliest time possible, to be self-sufficient. Economic independence is the first thing and with that would come emotional independence.
Rabindranath talks about Justice as the Divine Command. We all have our own work to do. When forgiveness is an act of the coward, let us be ruthless in punishment. It is sinful to bear with torture as it is to oppress others.
We have a long way to go, a long battle to fight. But think of the oppressed people the world over. Think of the revolutions in France, China and Russia. Think of the African slaves who were treated in the worst way anyone can think of. They have conquered from that situation and have slowly but steadily got their equal status. Everyone has overcome. So shall we. Do not be afraid, you don't have anything to lose but your chains!
Probably many people are blogging about that episode as well, I do hope they are. I don't want to summarize what I saw there. You need to watch it for yourself. I'll write about what bothers me the most and if possible, how we can solve that (theoretically, I mean).
Female foeticide and infanticide are I think the most unkindest form of torture ever. For people who think abortion is a sin, what would they say about this? During abortion, at least the mother gets to decide (I am not going into if that's right or wrong) but in this case, she is unaware of the entire act. Also, pressurizing a mother to give up her baby and abusing her if she does not do that can be the ultimate form of domestic violence. We saw in Satyameva Jayate about the corruption amongst doctors, police and even the legislature but you know what? It's not the corruption that bothers me, but the inhuman behavior of the doctors, especially the women doctors that made me reel inside. How casually they were talking of foeticide!!
Like most people, I also had the wrong notion that these kinds of crimes are rampant in the lower strata, where people are illiterate, uneducated and have no idea of what they are doing. To my horror, I saw the case of the lady from Delhi whose so called "well educated" family tried to force her to abort her twin daughters and when they couldn't, they tried to kill one of the babies. On the other hand, tribal people, who never have any formal education, never ever try to do these kinds of things. They rejoice over a newborn irrespective of its gender.
In societies where the birth of a boy is considered good and girls are still regarded as second class citizens, even in the 21st century, what do we do?
We need a strong non-corrupt government that will punish the offenders. By punishment I do not mean a mere fine, I mean imprisonment for life. Some exemplary punishment will scare the criminals. Other than that, we need to instil this idea in everyone that boys and girls are same. How to do that?
Even now, there are so many families that don't really treat their daughters in a similar fashion with their sons. I personally know of many girls who are taught to have a dependent status. They are very well cared for by their parents, they have the best education that their parents can provide for, but when it comes to getting a job or get married, the parents would want them to get married first and then choose a job or go abroad. Why so? Do they tell their sons to get married first and then go abroad? Why do people still give dowries? How can they complain of domestic violence when they have themselves bent down to the wishes of the marital family and provided the dowry? Why couldn't they nip it in the bud and take their daughter back home? Society, they would say would frown upon their divorcee daughter. What is better - a divorced daughter staying at home or a married daughter murdered at the in-laws house?
We can't expect girls to stand up against all wrongs if they don't have any support from their families. Neither can they take any rebellious stance if they were always taught to have a subservient status. Girls need to be taught, from the earliest time possible, to be self-sufficient. Economic independence is the first thing and with that would come emotional independence.
Rabindranath talks about Justice as the Divine Command. We all have our own work to do. When forgiveness is an act of the coward, let us be ruthless in punishment. It is sinful to bear with torture as it is to oppress others.
We have a long way to go, a long battle to fight. But think of the oppressed people the world over. Think of the revolutions in France, China and Russia. Think of the African slaves who were treated in the worst way anyone can think of. They have conquered from that situation and have slowly but steadily got their equal status. Everyone has overcome. So shall we. Do not be afraid, you don't have anything to lose but your chains!
6 comments:
Riya, agree, agree and agree. And don't get me started on dowry. Everybody I know, has been involved in the dowry business in some way or other. Yes you can call it 'totwo' as much as you want, but it is nothing but dowry.
bhalo lekha Riya. bhalor thekeo beshi joruri.
Right. Bengal e "dowry" r byapar ta otota na thakleo, koto chheler bari theke ekhono bole, "apnar meye ke apni sajiye deben" ar tarpor sei goyna gulo giye dhoke shoshurbari'r bank er locker e.
Tachara subtle form of domestic violence ki hoyna so called shikkhito somaj e? Ashapurna Devi'r bhashay Elokeshi ra ekhono ache, sudhu tibro chitkar kore jhogra kora ta change hoyeche sarcastic comment e.
i think ei female foeticide er utsho chinta is 90% economic.. absolute STOP on dowry and female education [not only literacy] is the only probable solution to this problem. jedin mohilara family te tader male counterpart der moto taka earn kore ante parbe, sedin oder 70% problem solved. baki loker mindset change o oi economic independence er sathe sathei asbe. khub carefully watch kore dekhis, economically independent bou-ma ke kono shashuri chot kore ghatate shahosh pay na over a non-working barite thaka bou.. example jhuri jhuri achhe charidike.
Amio bhebechilam je problem tar root holo ecomic, kintu na. Majority-i tai bhabe, kintu sedin program tay ja dekhalo tate to so called shikkhito ebong bhalo kaj kormo kora barir lokerao eta korche. Setai amar question...keno korche? Oi je doctor mohila'r case ta dekhalo, se to ei sob criteria guloi fulfil korche...taholeo keno?
Tobe hya, generally economic independence ta onek problem solve kore. Economic independence thekei emotional independence o ashe.
ager comment ta diechhilum SMJ na dekhei... gotokal watched it on youtube... just no words to say..
hats off to the team of SMJ... bhalo research work and presentation.. problem tar route, cause, how it started, effects of the prob... sob kichhu jene bujhe just saradin amar mon-matha kirom kharap kharap lagchhilo.. honestly speaking, ei issue ta nie ami khub gobhire konodin bhabio ni er aage.
Sincerely salute those moms, jara eto torture [MP r mohilar to heights, jake plastic surgery o korte hoechhe] shojhyo koreo tader meyeder ke bachiye rekhechhe, nijeder khomota onujayi jothashadhyo diye manush korchhe..
can just only pray to GOD, that He be enough kind to shower his choicest blessings on those mom n daughters and punish those pigs brutally..
Exactly so! Kintu amar question ta thekei jaye, well to do family teo keno ei problem?
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