"According to Chanakya Pandita, women are
generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy."
(Bhagavad-gita 1.40, Purport)
Not just
this.. Something about women being prone to be unchaste and stuff like that and
how it is upon the men of a family to take care that a woman does not go
astray?
What are we
cattle?
And who made
man the king of the world? Like he is so pure and free of vice.
Remember the
ever so controversial verse from Tulsidas ‘'Dhol,Gawar,Shudra ,Pashu aur Nari'
,Ye sab tadan ke adhikari.”
And also what
about women of other families? They should be allowed to go ‘astray’?
Then there
was Manu, the Indian law giver, with his much celebrated recitation of law, ‘manu
smriti’. He was not a big fan of us women either.
Do you know
how deeply that is embedded in our society to this date?
No wonder,
women are treated like they are in this country.
I was going
through a bit of a rough spot and someone close to me suggested that I should
read Bhagvad Gita, and was kind enough to lend me his own copy.
I happily
obliged.
And while
there is some absolute wisdom in Shrimad Bhgvad Gita, it is these so called
scholars who piss me off. After centuries of blindly following their word, can
we seriously expect the society to suddenly take a u-turn and start viewing
women in a different light? You know as fully independent individuals who are
more than capable of taking care of themselves.
In a country
like ours where ‘smart’ girl is considered more of a derogatory comment than praise,
sometimes I wonder where exactly are we headed.
There is
more to women than simple child bearing. I know that, some of you know that but
when is it that all of us will know this – and not just on paper.
So many
legislations in place for women reform but let me tell you something we can
never legislate for reform, REFORM COMES FROM WITHIN.
Next time you
sit next to an unknown woman on a bus – try earning her respect. You don’t have to do much, just not staring
will suffice. And if you see some one else doing it – please for once don’t
mind your own business, speak up. And just because I mentioned a bus doesn’t
mean that those who don’t use a bus are off the hook.
Go to the
fanciest of the gyms in town and you’d know what I am talking about.
Ill behavior
has nothing to do with class, age or even gender for that matter. But as the
generation next if we don’t start putting things in perspective beginning right
now, who knows what our children may face when they grow up.
