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Whither Gender Justice....In Response to THE HINDU...INVITE OPINIONS
- Mr. Vachaspati V.

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Whither Gender Justice In the Editorial of The Hindu, 'Gender and Justice', on 7th Feb 2003 it was stated that it has been a common refrain among many that foeticide is the lesser evil than infanticide and as such sex-selective abortions in themselves do not militate against the spirit of Gender Justice is correct. In the Sunday Edition of 29th September 2001, the same magazine was full of items of Gender Issues. In the sexual harassment article by Radhika Chopra, she explained the lacunaes of the system dealing with women. In the article, 'Rite of Passage' by Dr.Vijay Nagaswami, it was clearly pointed out about the fact that 'Eve-teasing in India is closely linked to the issue of masculinity and the masculine agenda'. It can be interpreted that this masculinity can be equated with patriarchy, and it has its psycho-dynamics in origin. In the same magazine, Dr.Samuel Johnson, 'Nature has given women so much power but the law has very wisely given them very little'. It can be interpreted like,' Nature has given women so much power but the law , customs, traditions in our culture given them very little'. In another dispatch by Ms.Lata Rameshan, 'The Leering Gender Divide', it is said that most men and women tend to look at the issue of sexual harassment through the prism of sterio-typed and often clinched, mosaic of the reactions is correct with that the majority of the Indian families and the society. In fact, this sexual harassment is only one of the indication of low status of women in the society. Hence, I am provoked to write this article on the eve of death of Ms.Kalpana Chawna who came from middle class family from the highly gender sensitive state that is Haryana. With her death once again the Gender Justice came to the forefront. We celebrate International Womens' Day every year on March 8. But just couple of weeks ahead in February last communal carnage in Gujarat, the way women are raped and a pregnant woman's womb was cut opened and the foetus was taken out and killed, expressed the degree of prejudices against women in India. The life of Phoolan Devi tells the detailed items of inhuman attempts of humiliation on any women on the soil. Bride burning, wife baffling, eve teasing of school or college going girls irrespective of teasers became quite common in the Indian society. Hence, the question how to prevent these discriminative practices against women became biggest challenge to the civilized society, and how to empower them has relevance to discuss in public. Women are lagging behind in Political, Economic, Physically in India. Our political parties failed to come to consensus to provide reservations for women in legislatures. Economic inequality is due to the prolonged dependence of women over men. And their contribution is mostly under rated or ignored. Physical inequality is declining Sex Ratio that is the prime concern now after the 2001 Census. The character of Indian society and culture, that is hailed as great, may be known by observing the fluctuating Sex Ratio against women. In the year 1901 it was 972, in 1911 it was 965, in 1921 it was 955, in 1931 it was 950, in 1941 it was 945, in 1951 it was 946, in 1961 it was 941, in 1971 it was 930, in 1981 it was 935, in 1991 it was 929 and in 2001 it was 933. There is nothing to celebrate from the statistics of 1991 and 2001 as it appears the Sex Ratio has increased. In fact in 0-6 years age group it is against female. Hence there will be shortage of women in near future. These fluctuations may be due to female infanticide arised due to economic reasons. For the middle class families who are the main perpetuators of this female infanticide due to economic reasons as bearing a child is uneconomical to them and the parents think the expenditure spent on her is lost forever, and another cause is the preference of the male child. What ever the reasons for Female Infanticide is unjustified. It is a crime against humanity. Where as in developed countries there are 1060 females for 100 male, as in those countries the life expectancy of women is generally longer than men due to the availability of health facilities. The Punjab and Haryana will stand as culprits before all of us, as their Sex Ratio indicates the status of women in those states. In India, the girl child not only eliminated before the birth, but also, if survived, sold to others by the parents due to poverty, as some tribals do in India, or neglected, if she is alive, nutritionally during the growing period, which ultimately result in maternal deaths, or subjected to buring for want of dowry or made to commit suicide. Statistics indicates that 11000 rapes, more than 12000 kidnappings per year are reported in India. These statistics are just a mere tip of the ice-berg. Many cases are not reported to the concerned authorities. What could be the reasons for this state of affairs? The origin lies in the culture only. Our great culture discriminates women as our religious texts, which laid foundations made women as animate objects. Our Great Dharmashastras are against women and equated them with the cattle. Particularly, Manu allowed husband to beat his wife with the stick if she questioned his orders. Many even denied education and property to women, disallowed remarriate for widows, and codified methodology of subjugation of women and this methodology is being indoctrinated generation after generation. The womens' objections raised our of compulsion often ignored. Many even says, 'while creating them God allotted them a love of their bed, their seat and ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice and bad conduct'(IX:17). He again says that wome never fit for independence (V:147:148). Various others in the Bhakti cult followed this tendency. We worship Kali and Durga, but at the same time we subject our women to humiliations, marginalization, harassment. This smriti culture might have entered at the DNA level! They are called this way of life that is religious. This is the reason, men often raise their hands and all the available weapons against women in India. Women too are responsible. Because even in this 21st century, that is the era of Information Revolution, they failed to change themselves along with the pace of men. Instead of ascerting themselves by empowering from the modern educational facilities and information channels, they are making their daughters. No women in the middle class watches the News, BBC, National Geographic Channel etc. Every women in the middle class watches the only entertaining programmes and serials that shows family politics and argue these are the things women need to know. Utilization of available information resources of information failed to reach its destination in India in general in the middle class in particular. Even college or school girls are watching all the programmes other than programmes of information. The indifference of women reached its culminating point as they failed to come to the conclusion now to vote even when the policy makes in the parliament failed to provide reservations for them. If they did like this every thing will be set right. Their demands may be met. They forget the Kalpana Chawla too came from Middle classes but crossed the boundaries of caste, religion, politics, national boundaries and even earth's atmosphere to fulfill her dreams. Now, India is proud of Kalpana, but no middle class women will follow her path as they are indifferent for progress. She did a lone battle to achieve or to do something. With the indifference, economic dependency, lack of enlightenment, Indian women lose their rights over their sexuality. Because of this there is spread of H.I.V and population explosion. Women have secured strong economic, socio-cultural and political footholds in certain countries. In such countries, we find various positive effects: women have succeeded in various fields; institutions function according to well-defined democratic norms; the levels of crime, violence in general and against women in patricular, corrupton and population growth rate are low to very low; decision making is not concentrated in the hands of a few people; citizens activily participate in local self government; and the voice of women is listened to and respected at all levels from family level to the nation. In these countries, women have begun to seriously alter the very nature of politics and have made enduring and substantial gains for themselves in every field. This situation can be witnessed in the Scandinavian countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, where they are moving in the direction of almost as much patricipation as men at all fronts. However, in India, women are treated as marginalized citizens; as legislaturs have failed to come to consensus in providing reservations to women legislatures. This is the paradox of human societies. Those who went to west in search of job are not interested to return to India. It is because we have corrupt culture here. Even the Women Prime Minister and Chief Ministers and other women dignatories have hardly done anything to improve the conditions of women in India. All the family planning programmes, though implemented way back in 1951, have miserably failed in India since women are left ignorant and powerless. The opinion of women within the family is always ignored, leave alone national politics. Even the opinion of women who about to get married is also ignored. The opinion of women whether to have children or not have children or how many children she can host is often ignored. This is due to her dependency over men by all means. Women deprived of job security and the violation of Human Rights against women has become rampant. The subjugation of women in India starts before birth continues till death. This has ultimately reduced them to the state of masochistically enjoying being victimized. Here, the gender relations in India from family level to the nation are devoid of justice. Hence, the nation is losing the valuable Human Resources as almost half of the populaton kept marginalized except few distinguished stars like Kalpana. The real tribute to Kalpana Chawla lies not in naming Satellites, awards, buildings etc on her name. But the cultural atmosphere that produces more and more Kalpana Chawlas is the real tribute. This is the Gender Injustice arised out of economic growth without distributive justice. Kalpana, we salute you , your achievements and we are all proud of you. You will be remembered as long Indian history is written. And among the millions of stars in the sky the star by name Kalpana will shine forever. The Empowerment of Women is necessary to check the declaining Sex Ratio. Hope your cherished memories will made these 'sleeping' women in India awake.

Soffit aire liquidation. Cryptophyte alexandrite pithiness foaming shed deaconess embryological unawares.

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