Essays

In the ancient Indian scriptures, woman was given a glorified status. She was an embodiment of Shakti. No religious

ceremony was complete without her. However, Manu made such statements about women as relegated her to a position of backwardness and timidity. Her status and respectful position in the society suffered a jolt during the times of Manusmriti.

During the Mughal period, the status of women was degraded further. Purdah system came into vogue. Sati system was very prominent, which put serious scars on the contemporary society. The Sati system was stopped by legal action when Raja Ram Mohan Roy took up the issue with the State during the British rule over India.

During the distant past, Savitri, Parvati, Seeta and Ahilya were the role models of Indian Society. During the freedom struggle, Aruna Asaf Ali, Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, Sucheta Kriplani and other women played steller roles for the liberation of their motherland from the clutches of the British. They struggled and fought against all odds along with their male counterparts. At no point of time, their energy or commitment could be derated uiz-a-viz those of their male counterparts during those times.

At present, women have been playing major roles in politics, economy, household, society and nation-building. With the advent of the technology-dominated era and commercialism, women have also changed. The timid female form in the saree has been replaced by a youthful, fashion conscious and smart girl in jeans and T-shirts. Women are jostling shoulders with men and are competing with them in engineering, sciences, space research, medicine and business. They are more hardworking and sincere in all the walks of life and are more productive than their male counterparts.

The glory of modern Indian women continues to enlighten the world. Who can forget Indira Gandhi, Rani Laxmibai, Shabana Azmi, MS Subbulaxmi, Kiran Bedi, Mother Teresa, Medha Patkar, FT Usha, Madhuri Dixit, Meena Kumari, Arundhati Roy, Kalpana Chawla and Mohsina Kidwai. These great daughters of India have done us proud in the fields of politics, administration, sports, cinema, performing arts, medicine and science. Girls perform better than boys in board examinations and competitive examinations. Some women are successful business tycoons and have made a mark in the international arena as well. But alas!

Despite all the glory and sacrifice, the women in India are still treated as second class citizens. The stories of female tortune, rape, bride burning and Sati are heard even today. The primitive instincts of the modern society have taken their toll. Women represent 48.1 per cent of Indian population (1991 census). But they do not enjoy the prominence in this vast country at social, family, national and international levels, which they rightly deserve.

The obvious reasons are—male dominated society, male ego, religious and social beliefs and above all, the illiteracy and backwardness of women. For the last elections of Lok Sabha in September-October, 1999, no political party had issued enough tickets to female candidates. Further, the issue of reservation and seats in Lok Sabha and in the state assemblies is in jeopardy. The new Lok Sabha might be able to get the Bill passed, according to some expert political analysts, albeit with some difficulties.

Dowry, sex determination during the time of maternity, prejudice against the female child, denial of ancestral property rights for the females, eve teasing, wife-beating and child marriages are still prevalent in Indian society and the villages are the most affected. If the woman is a housewife, she has a limited social and intellectual circle. Her capabilities are limited to the percents of the household. If she works in an office, she has to face the malicious insinuations of her male colleagues. She cannot travel extensively, cannot make friends at will (as the males do) and is treated as weaker than males. He has no right to perform better than males in any walk of life.

The solution to this problem is deeply rooted in our psyche. The male ego must be made compatible with the female identity. A husband must respect his wife even if she is a housewife. He must cooperate with her if she is a working woman. She must treat her as a friend and not as a mere money-making tool.

Secondly, the State must pass and enforce legislations so that the status of women in society is brought to a respectable level through the long arms of the law. In 1985, a separate Department of Women and Child Development was set up. In the Sixth five year plan, a separate chapter, on "Women and Development" was included. The government had started and implemented major programmes like Support to Training- cum-Employment for Women (STEP), Mahila Kosh, Woman's Development Corporation etc. The female literacy figure is 164 males to 100 females (1991 figures), which is a good sign and has been Marie possible because of the efforts of the State agencies However, legislations and efforts of the State have not made deeper inroads into the rural and urban areas. For example, sex determination of fetus still continues in all the rural regions of the country despite the enforcement of legislation on Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, which was passed in 1994. Finally, the women of India, especially the rural women, must liberate themselves from the shackles of illiteracy and backwardness.

They must oppose all types of tortures inflicted upon them — eve-teasing, bride burning, child marriages, exploitation in the offices, lower wages for labour etc. Several women's organizations have been working relentlessly towards this goal. Women from all walks of life must unite and must give priority to their education, growth and the prosperity of their families.

The discussion brings a major conclusion to light—the status of women could be improved by women themselves and nobody else. It is the modern era of satellites, achievements and technology-based gadgets. The primitive society of India is being replaced by liberal, optimistic and hard working society that would be guided by the free market forces. Why should women be left behind? The major thrust areas of education, growth and enlightenment of women should be the rural pockets.

The urban women are quite modern and up-to-date with the realities of life. The rural women, however, need a close encounter with freedom, liberalization and knowledge. The State is doing its best but a lot more needs to be done. Female infanticides, female torture, Sati and dowry must be banned in the country. Police should accept more female officers and constables so that they are able to empathize with the female victims of our society.

Finally, women must become literate as education is beneficial for them as well as their families. The family web is woven around the woman. She has to be up to the mark and educated so that she could fend for herself and her family during the hour of crisis. The status of women would improve only if they educate themselves and grab every opportunity to become stronger and more powerful than before. The true colours of the Shakti would be evident only when she is educated, enlightened and aware of her rights in this male dominated society.