THE CHANGING INDIAN WOMAN

THE CHANGING INDIAN WOMAN

Copyright Protected By: -Manu Nair

It is said, the woman should walk alone at midnight, free and fearless. A woman whom Shakespeare called 'frailty' (abala) and Mahatma Gandhi termed sabala. It's still a man's world, saints are few and far between. If man is not born free, woman is born in chains, in bondage. She is indoctrinated and brainwashed that parents would take care of her in childhood, the husband would protect her in her youth and the children would look after her in the old age, she is the possession of man to be used at his will. Exceptions go to prove this rule, dictum, man is superior, and woman is only subordinate. The Indian woman came a long way to emerge from the shadow of man and asserted herself for her emancipation. The Indian Society in ancient times started exceedingly well realising the equality of sexes while accepting the irreversible biological roles and the marginal inherent disadvantage of woman in physical strength, compared to man. In Vedic ages, from 3500 yrs to 2600 yrs ago (from now), man and woman in Hindu Society enjoyed equality in all walks of life and pursuits. They received the same religious and philosophical education. Woman philosophers like Ghosha (daughter of Sage Rakshivan), Lopamudra (wife of Agastya), Apala, Gargi and Maitreyi are quoted to have written hymns in Rigveda. During the Epic period too, the woman occupied a place of prestige and reverence in the Society. The bride was free to choose the bridegroom amongst the eligibles. Ravana, though stole Sita, respected her womanhood. In Hindu Religion, Saraswathy is depicted as the goddess of learning and Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Even in the realm of gods and goddesses, the female manifestations Lakshmi and Saraswathy reign supreme. According to Manu Smriti, the Mother is the most respectable, worshipful person on earth in preference to the father and the teacher too. Manu warned of the breakup of families if their womenfolk suffered. However, through the Epic period man's physical prowess and skill at weaponry elevated him to the status of protector of women. Man bestowed on himself a superiority complex that the woman was relegated to a secondary status. And, she suffered from a sense of inferiority complex. Besides, the numbers counted at times of war, racial conflicts and the race for social dominance. With the motto of 'increase and multiply', the woman's role got more confined to the home and the hearth. She became a prisoner of her own biological role, her world narrowed down to one of satisfying the wishes of others, the lust, greed and pleasures of man. The women became an oppressed lot and an object of exploitation in labour and wealth. In some societies, she was even denied the right to inherit the property of her parents. The male dominated society even laid down that in addition to her normal attire, she cover her head and face (with a purdah) to keep her away from public gaze. Modern social scientists observed that "From about 200 AD, pre-puberty marriage became the order of the day". Sati, committing immolation at the funeral pyre of her husband was considered honourable and desirable, if not enforced by the self-proclaimed moralists and guardians of the society. Widows were segregated and separated from their families and almost condemned to a life of indignity. The unfortunate women resigned themselves to their 'fate'. Casteism in Hinduism added to the misery of the womenfolk as most people of the lower caste were even denied education. The advent of Islamic Religion in the early second millennium though promised equality of human being did not help in improving the status of the Indian woman. The women at large remained illiterate as compared to the men folk despite the fact that there were outstanding learned and powerful women all through the centuries. Nevertheless, the Mother had a powerful influence and some authority in her own household, particularly in matrilineal societies. The awakening of the Indian women came about while under the British rule in early 19th century. Raja Rammohan Roy spearheaded women's welfare movement and persuaded the British to ban Sati (from December 4th, 1829). The Indian Independence movement in early 20th Century saw a mass awakening of the Indian women. Gandhiji propounded and upheld the equality of the freedom of the man and woman in society and in politics. Speaking of the union of man and woman he observed "Between husband and wife there should be no secrets from each other. I have a very high opinion of the marriage tie. I hold that husband and wife merge in each other. They are one in two or two in one." Millions of Indian women, young and old, roused by the Gandhian way of nationalism founded on truth and non-violence took to Independence Struggle on equal footing with men. The struggle for Indian Independence is unique, it is not the story of able-bodied men alone fighting the establishment, but is of the entire populace resorting to non- cooperation with the colonial rulers and their agents and participating in Satyagraha in a resolute manner and accepting all the sufferings thereon. Women in droves took off their ornaments and contributed their mite to sustain the freedom movement. Gandhiji visualised the emancipation of woman in a holistic manner, political, economic and social, Mrs. Indira Gandhi ordered her troops to march to Bangladesh to liberate Bangladesh,Rani Lakshmi Bai fought bravely against the East India Company,Razia Sultana laid down her life fighting the forces of male machinations and then we have the example of Joan of Arc and not only pertaining to the war women like Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale had rendered their services and their valuable time to tend to the old, the sick the needy and the wounded respectively. We also find women from other countries like Lady Diana, Benazir Bhutto, Sheikh Hasina,Khaleda Zia and Suu Kyi not only in the political field of all who had made left an impression in their day’s politics in their own countries.Therefore a woman is truly the preserver of the human race, for that matter the female is the real preserver of her own species.
Education-enabled knowledge, freedom of thought and action was the foremost efficacious tool of transformation of the Indian woman to modernity. Apart from the enlightened men of India, the Christian Missionaries amply contributed to the development of women's education in India by establishing innumerable institutions from late 19th Century throughout the length and breadth of the country. Jyotsana Kamat observes that "When Gandhiji assumed leadership, the average life span of the Indian woman was only 27 yrs. Babies and the pregnant women ran a high risk of dying very young. Child marriage was very common and widows were in large numbers". (To be more precise, official estimate of male life expectancy was 26.9 yrs. and of female was 26.6 yrs. in 1931. The males lived a little longer than the females.) By the end of the coming decade from now, the female life expectancy is projected to rise to 71 yrs. while that of male to 67 yrs. This is a measure of the tremendous progress of the Indian woman even ahead of her counterpart. She has adopted a small family norm and so is left with enough time and vigour for intellectual pursuits. Today, women of India are abreast of men in all civil activities and professions, in politics, administration, business, education, healthcare, arts and crafts, science, engineering and technology and whatever under the Sun. She walks on the earth free, holding her head high and radiating an air of enlightenment all around. She is the Mother, mother of all creation.
In India at the time of the marriage of the girl she needs to dress in the traditional attire that is the sari or saree and when both of them get married she is known as Lakshmi as she brings with her a lot of happiness and wealth when she enters into her husband’s (boy’s) house. Goddess or God Saraswati (not to distinguish between women and men as they are equal) is also considered as the God of Learning and wealth. Learning means knowledge which in relation transforms into wealth.
Yet, she should be cautious in walking on an unknown path alone at midnight because there is evil lurking around.Lots of women work in call centers late in the night and this would lead to a lot of ills especially in metros like eve teasing, rape and murder. She is also in the midst of evils like dowry, male violence against her, greed and jealousy of others. Man's insatiable sexual greed knows no bounds. All cannons of civilised society do not stop altogether all men and women from committing crimes. The criminal hopes to evade detection or to escape with light punishment. Detrimental, retributive punishment being meted out, e.g., in some of the Islamic countries can give women safer haunts. Even men of substance are not safe in midnight darkness particularly in democracies like ours. Women, though equal to men in most ways should rather not tread in where men dare too. All social evils cannot be eradicated at once. Keep away from evils, avoid getting caught in the evil designs of others. Repose faith in God. Life is enjoyable living with dignity.