Yeah, I am talking about the first episode of Satyamev Jayate, which I think have disturbed at-least 80% of girls, who watched it, at-least for a while.
I was one of them. I watched it in the middle of night and got soo disturbed for being a part of such society, being a part of propagation of such evils, by silently ignoring it, by accepting people in our social circle, who desires a boy child for that stupid reasons.
Most of us know at-least one person in our extended family & friends, who truly believes in superiority of boy child over girl and propagate such thinking. And what we do about it, just ignore their opinion in such matter as being old fashioned. But, it won't let that person realize that they r doing a crime by having sch attitude. And accepting such people in our society, we are being part of propagating such evils. Why not boycott such people from our society, similar to boycotting a serial killer, who believes killing is good ? We don't do that, we all are equally guilty for making such evils acceptable in society by making such people acceptable in our social circle.
Every time, I think about it, it make me feel soo bad. But, for how long - a couple of hours,a day at-max. We get disturbed by such things, we talk about it, then we just ignore it, since we are fortunate enough not to be a victim of such things. Since, we are the fortunate ones, who got a family where such evils do not exist.
But, do we deserve to be the fortunate ones ? As we are anyway wasting all the fortune by not doing and not trying to do anything significant. I know I am not good enough to make any significant contribution in eradicating such evils. But, I am not good enough for PhD either. I am doing Phd, just because I am enjoying it and I don't care about being good at it.
So, why not try eradicating such evils ? Atleast, I will feel good for not being a part of it ..... [something to think about after PhD (don't wanna to leave things in between :()]
Yes ..i was pretty disturbed when i watched that episode ( and also about the pedophiles) .. and i have seen it all around .. the preference and supremacy of boy child ..
ReplyDeletehere are my observations ( and again i am not jsutifying ..am jsut trying to think putting myself on the other side) :-
1) everybody wants a boy child in villages since girls are more of liability with dowry and ongoing cash gifts on the first kid. his/her marraige e.t.c e.t.c
this practice for the same reason is less prevalent in cities or medium class families ..since ultimately its about "lack/stretching of resources"...wherever its more stretched ..the desire of a "useful progeny" is more severe.
2) the notion that parents will/can be taken care of only by their son in old age .. is again what fuels it..its human nature ultimately to secure your life/future .. girls are of no use if they just go and serve somebody else's parents when her own parents need her the most
3) in US there is a huge demand of girl child ..reason:- girl and boys are equally capable of earnign and takeing care of their parents ..but girls are far more likely to care since by nature they are more emotional and attached..so parents have a far better chance of seeing their kids/grand kids ..if they have a daughter..rather than son. so ultimately its self-preservence.
zest is ..people are inclined to towards one or the gender based on the society culture..
now yes the atrocities violence or any other discrimination .. which crossign the boundary of just "desiring" is just unacceptable.
Those evils some into existance or rise ..because of "tight resources" most of the times .. hence they are more prevalent in low income families (though i think the desire part is prevalent in all income groups.
In rajasthan "witch practice" is a prime example of degrading women ..for seizing their lands ..all the witches are helpless often widowed and have land ..i did a project with Tara ahluwalia and she has great insights on all the atrocities on women in rajasthan.
all said and done ..i have to admit ..that if i was in a society /place like that ( lets say a small village where womne have no respect and have only a tough life ahead) ..i would go with female foeticide. Unless the atrocities against women stop ..and they get a respectful life to live ..there is no point of giving them birth and making them suffer through the hellish life just because its killing ..i think its more like "survival of the fittest" where fit is what society is creating..society is making it unfirt for girls to survive ..we can not keep giving births to girls ..hoping they might be "mary kom"...we all should make a society which is receptive to both the genders equally so that as a mother i don't have to worry of hardships my kid will face unnecessarily
I agree that its depressing to read about girl foeticide, and even more depressing to see the lower status of women in all walks of life in India - from conception to marriage to death. But I heavily disagree that by doing the PhD, you are doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteYou are contributing in 2 ways:
1. As a positive role model to other girls, and other families. When your mom talks about you to her extended circle, you are someone who earns well, lives well, and didn't need her parents to save a dowry for her.
2. As a PhD (especially if you become a professor), you will affect the lives of many many students. All of them will see you and know how a girl can be as good (as smart, as successful) as a boy.
Slowly, people will change their attitudes. The 1000 people who will get convinced that girls are as good as boys in our generation will affect 1000*1000 people in the next generation. And hopefully, in 100 years, everyone will be equal.
Stay positive, and keep being the amazing person you are.