Kedi Haralu
…………. “it would be a sight to remember if we had a street full of half naked women protesting?”.......
The recent news which took the cake was the protest against physical and psychological abuse of women by the men dominated Indian society. Running through a busy street, half naked would not have turned heads at all, if it had happened in the west, but not in a traditional, religious society, where social stigma is worse then a death sentence. The boldness of the woman concerned has opened up all the skeletons in the closets, which otherwise would be taboo even to discuss about it. The suppression of women in the Indian Society is as old as the Indus Valley Civilization, but has never been challenged nor has the Government been able to enforce the laws and acts, since it would surely mean political suicide. But if they had an iota of sense, they would have surely realized by now that the major chunk of voters are women, thus if they really meant business, the women organizations can even topple the ruling Government.
Even the British Raj failed to discourage the dowry system, but one thing we can be grateful to them for, which is the banning of ”Sati,” which was still prevalent in the early 1900’s. it is inconceivable to even think of burning alive my wife, for the death of a husband was bad enough. The issue of dowry is in itself a paradox, for if one looks at it from a business point of view, for any amount received or given the person needs to ensure a money receipt, so what do we write in a money receipt in the case of dowry? It’s something to ponder about, for if the women have given dowry, she is infact the rightful owner of the marital agreement/partnership. Therefore, she does not owe her husband or in-laws anything, so why do Indian women silently go through the pain of abuse and segregation. I guess its something the Indian Society, with all their rituals and gods have forgotten the most essential and significant part of a relationship, which is “equality between sexes. ” It is true, that unlike our Indian counterparts, we do not have this problem, for ours is a egalitarian Society, where the issue of caste or class has no foundation and does not arise. This is what separates us Nagas from the other Indian societies.
The battle of the sexes has begun, and the recent example of the half naked woman running in the open street in protest to all the physical and psychological abuse she had to undergo, is just a start. Earlier we heard of women taking out their frustration by self emollition i.e. dousing her self with petrol or kerosene and becoming a human torch. But in the process, it is the woman who is losing, for the husband will happily go out and get a new wife, conveniently forgetting about his earlier wife. Women are becoming more practical and now know how to really get their revenge, for sticks and stones may break ones bones but words and action has no cure. I would hate to be in the shoes of the woman’s husbands’ shoes. Imagine life in the office or out in the streets “there goes the culprit who was served hus just desserts.” The boldness and creativity of the woman in this case must be recommended, for she ha completely exposed her husband and her in-laws, without even lifting a finger. She has infact started a revolution of the “weaker sex” which is sure to gain momentum, on the other hand one should be careful, for if again they go too far, there is a chance that feminism will crop in i.e. Women’s Lib, which is completely against the biblical teachings, for they propagate the New Age theory, where everyone is God, and hence to consider themselves as a god, their action and deeds and beliefs become one sided. This is just the opposite of machoistic.
In conclusion, there is also a positive side to this story. The Indian Society has taken it really well and have no problem with any kind of change, if it is for the betterment of the society as a whole. But, just to set the ball rolling, what will the reaction of the RSS and VHP be. Bing fanatical is acceptable in a Muslim Society, but not in a Hindu dominated society, for the mindset is completely different. But this is not the case with the RSS and VHP. It is interesting to know the future, for if the Hindu fanatics react, it would mean suicide for the BJP party, since their backbone is the RSS and VHP, but again, if they remain silent, it would be a sign that they are weak and can be manipulated easily. It is going to be a difficult call, and if the BJP gets through this crisis as victors it would mean that the party is something to be reckoned with and also becoming political wizards. But whatever the case, it is encouraging seeing that Indian women are fighting back and hitting out at places where it really hurts. The issue of dowry has never been challenged by a woman, therefore she has surely created a precedent for others to follow. In a funnier note, it would be a sight to remember if we had a street full of half naked women protesting? The first thing the government needs to do that the CRPF Battalions are immediately pulled out! (just joking).
