Alas..!! Women

By Pardeep S Attri

Though the top most position of India (President) a woman is occupying but it would be one of the biggest misconceptions “by this women society is going to be empowered” as being claimed by the most of the political parties. We can only hope that Mrs. President will do something for empowering or making women society to live with dignity. Before this let’s see past record of last six to eight months.
From May to October last year (2007) in the district of Agra, there were 32 dowry death cases & 167 cases of humiliation.
According to Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) District Crime Record Bureau’s comparative statement for the last 3 years, grave crime on women including rape, murder, kidnap & harassment increased while the cases of molestation & bigamy remained more or less the same. Kidnapping of women & girls has been steadily increased from 25 in 2005 to 35 in 2006 & 47 last year (2007). Cases of harassment have also increased from 128, 148 & 168 in the respective years. Total numbers of rape cases in 2005 were 32; those become 33 in 2006 & increased further to 42 in 2007. Molestation cases increased 166 in 2006 to 167 in 2007. Conviction rate is as low as about 25%.
One another recent study conducted by Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG) revealed horrifying facts. According to survey 65% women conceded to being abused in public and in front of neighbors! 35% women reported that their children, especially girls, were victims of violence and were physically and verbally abused by the father 70 % reported verbal abuse, threats, 68% reported slapping, 62% reported kicking, 53% reported punching, 49% reported hitting with hard objects, 37 % reported biting, 29% reported choking & 22% reported branding with cigarette butts. There must be many cases those might have been left unregistered due to social & economic fears.If we go deep in women society, i.e. if we analyze the condition of Dalit & Muslim women one will easily die if one has any shame. When all upper caste communities student in schools, one can find out Dalit, Muslim students working in the fields or playing on the roads. No sign of education can be found in these classes, in-spite of life long program run by all the state Governments i.e. “Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan.” The whole money of “Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan” is being wasted by the Governments. There was news few months back that few state Governments spend this money on organizing the party functions or in “Puja” & the criteria of being considered as educated is “person should be eligible the write his/her name”!! No more than this has ever being taught considering that if everyone will become educated they will demand their rights & jobs etc, for which almost every Govt. is shamefully helpless. Do you think it’s enough that person who can write only name is educated?
Women in India was always invisible, women can be treated lesser than animal no one is going to stop you!! Every day one can see easily the increasing news of domestic violence, dowry deaths, female feticide etc. the condition of women society has made so miserable by Hindu scriptures (Chanakya Niti, Manusmriti ) & Veda’s that they can’t even imagine that there can be better place of living for them. The dominant men society believe that they can have good lives only by “Oppressing and Exploiting the Women” for their own personal and communities welfare, leisure, comfortable lives, and for avoiding physical work.
If this trend of female child killing, sexual abuse of women society keeps on going the day won’t be far away when people won't be able to find girls to marry for their sons. People in some places are already finding it hard. There will be more prostitution leading to AIDS, social instability, wife buying & violence against women.
pardeepattri@yahoo.co.in
30 April, 2008Countercurrents.org