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Food for thought!

As we go on to celebrate women's day, celebrate the victory, the dignity we hold up as a woman, smile for her who has reached the moon and for her who is ruling the country, Is she, she who is working in the kitchen still in any better off position?

When we talk of liberating women do we really mean all women? or are we actually respected? Well I clearly believe that our country is divided into two societies. One where we see her in a black dress with red boots holding a glass of wine and the other where we see her covering her face everytime a male walks by. And the problem that I  understand is the growing distance and the vacum between the two societies.

If she can fight for a Jan Lokpal Bill or report us from the Kargil War, she clearly has all the required potential. Then why are they still subjugated to so much discrimination? Is it the insecurity of the male ego? 

Well, I got down to write this as a recent situation is preoccupying my head for quite some time. An helper of ours, who is a married female went back home as her husband who was working in Chennai returned home. Her mother who I call Bai, is also working with us. Few days earlier I noticed tears in Bai's eyes. I tried talking to her and finally Bai broke out. Her daughter is beaten up in her in-law's house. Everyone including the husband, the mother-in-law, husbands sister got together to beat her up every evening. What took me back even further is that the neighbours all know about it and they called up Bai to inform as her health is really detoriating and she has to be admitted in the hospital. When I asked Bai on the neighbours intervention, her reply was that wife-beating is still a very prevalent act in these villages. The husband and the mother-in-law pretended in front of everyone that they had to beat her up because she was trying to run away, I sat there wide eyed,open mouthed.

I told her that under no circumstances can they beat her up, but I soon realized none of them knew this. They also do not know what to do in these kind of situations. Police gets easily bribed and Bai kept weeping regretting to give birth to a daughter and inviting trouble for herself and not being able to take care of her.

Is this the age that we are living in? Yes, this is happening at the same time when Saina Negwal is earning our nation fame and Kiran Bedi is fighting for a corruption free India. As I am almost about to graduate from the best women institution of the country among all the hard core feminist and their liberating ideas, from an institution where we seek equality in all grounds and leave no stone unturned , this situation gets me thinking.It is probably time for a few of us to go back and get the rest who could not study in these institutions into the ratrace. It is probably time to share, teach and grow awareness among all the other females who are still subjugated and cry behind the walls and this is what I call bridging the gap. It is probably time to reduce the growing distance of both the societies. Probably then a day would come when these women will not cry for being a woman and cherish and be proud of being one. A friend of mine updated her facebook status saying 'The best bit about being a woman is wielding the power to create and nurture while enjoying the thought of being a beautiful creation herself', Probably a time will come when all these women will feel this way and that is when we will probably enjoy celebrating womens day..:)

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