I remember the year 2004 when I was
teaching a post graduate course in social work in the Government College in
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh (MP) when Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Uma Bharti
became the Chief Minister (CM) of the State. Soon after, the regional press extensively
reported that a dress code for girls in the colleges of MP was to be
implemented soon by the BJP Government. The reason given was “provocative
dresses” worn by the students were leading to “perversions”.
I had decided back then that if the BJP
Government imposed the dress code, I would change my attire from my regular salawar
khameez to pants and kurtas in solidarity with the protesting girls even if it cost me my job as a lecturer in the Government College. However I did not have
to do anything of the kind as the Government bowed to wide spread
protests across the state. It was a proud moment for me when young girls
stood up to the proposed diktat by the then BJP Government.
Come 2017 and a statement by BJP minister Maneka
Gandhi as reported by the Indian Express comes to my mind - "Women and Child
Development minister Maneka Gandhi recently made a statement that has left a
lot of people baffled. Speaking to NDTV, she said early curfews in hostels
ensured safety. “When you are 16 or 17 you are also hormonally very challenged.
So to protect you from your own hormonal outbursts, perhaps a lakshman rekha is
drawn. It really is for your own safety.”"
It is important to take note that Maneka
Gandhi herself has exercised her freedom from her young age by pursuing formal
education only up to I.S.C. She took up modeling at age seventeen and dated
Sanjay Gandhi as a teenager. But that does not matter. She adheres to BJP –RSS’s
skewed ideology concerning women as its minister of Women and Child
Development.
Other BJP – RSS functionaries have also
expressed their regressive ideas about women very vocally in recent times. This
is not surprising as this is the part and parcel of RSS-BJP ideology in its
endeavor to build a Hindu Rashtra. However what is worrying is that ever since
BJP has come to power at the center, it has started executing its ideas in an
aggressive way. For example the Vice Chancellor of the esteemed Banaras Hindu
University (BHU), a BJP appointee himself reportedly advocates discriminatory treatment towards
girls in the university as follows
2. Girls cannot avail of the 24X7 library facilities as it would be immoral for girls to study after 10 pm.
3. Girls cannot use mobile phones after 10 pm.
There are no such
restrictions on boys. During my recent visit to Banaras Hindu University, I was told that the girl students are not allowed to raise their voice against the discrimination meted out to them or participate in any protests.
It is under this back drop that the
appointment of BJP CM Adityanath and his regressive views about women should also
be understood. More importantly, by appointing Adityanath as the CM of UP, the
BJP/RSS has given a clear message that this is what BJP stands for and requires
the people of this country to abide even if it is contrary to the Constitution
of India.
I therefore bring before the readers what Adityanath
as BJP CM thinks about women through his article titled, Matru Shakti Bhartiya
Sanskruti Ke Sandarbh Mein:
In reference to talking about women's reservation, he says:
In reference to talking about women's reservation, he says:
Translation of important points:
‘There are many other dangers in trying to
make a woman like a man-
1. When a woman becomes as
impressive as a man, then the home is destroyed.
2.
It is legitimate to train girls
but a homemaker should not be the fairy of an assembly.
3.
If men acquire the qualities of
a woman along with those of men, than they become God but if women acquire the
qualities of men, they become demons…
These are the points made by several old sayings, and we should take them seriously....'
These are the points made by several old sayings, and we should take them seriously....'
Adityanath also says:
Translation: 'Otherwise the
thoughtless charming storm coming from the west of women’s freedom will uproot them and
they [women] will be thrown from a well into the valley.'
He also says:
Translation of important points:
‘Our scriptures which have described the
greatness of women, after considering the importance and limitations of
women have also talked about giving protection to women always. The way in
which energy if allowed to remain unregulated and released without control is
wasted and can even be destructive, similarly women in form of shakti (energy) do not need freedom, but require need based protection and channelization. Therefore
what the shastras (scriptures) say-
Women shakti in childhood is
protected by father, in youth by the husband and in old age by the son. This
way, women are not fit to be left free or independent always. As stated by the shastras
that women are not qualified for freedom does not mean that they are dependent
but that as energy [women] need protection and control. The energy of the women power that is
protected this way alone converts into midwife and mother of great men and when needed she
emerges from home to destroy demons in battlefield…’
From the above writings and many of his
speeches that have been televised it is clear that Adityanath’s views about
women are deplorable. Adityanath bases many of his beliefs about women on the
Hindu scripts, texts and mythology and advocates that women be protected/controlled
by men of her family. He also believes that women’s freedom/liberty is a western
concept alone and there is a danger that women in India are likely to succumb
to it.
However if one were to refer to Hindu mythology,
epics and scriptures, there are innumerable occurrences contrary to
Adityanath’s views where women have actually suffered humiliation/injustice at
the hands of men including those from within the family. One will also see how
women have fought for their dignity and freedom from the times of Sita and
Draupadi and that women’s struggle for liberty and freedom is not a western concept alone as Adityanath
wants us to believe. I give select examples here to prove my points:
1.
The two greatest women icons Draupadi
and Sita in Hindu epics suffered great humiliation at the hands of their
husbands. Draupadi was staked by her husbands in the game of dice. Even while
she was being disrobed, none of her five husbands came to her rescue.
 |
| The five Pandavas watch helplessly as Draupadi is disrobed. Pic Courtesy Pinterest |
Ram
deserted Sita while she was pregnant merely on hearsay. That too, after she had given the test of her purity by passing through fire! What is important to
remember is that Sita exercises her freedom in the end to return to mother
earth rather than reunite with Ram. There are many other instances in Ramayan
where women have been wronged by their husbands. For example Dashrath had three
wives, Urmila fended for her own self when Lakshman abandoned her to accompany
his brother Ram to the forest and so on.
 | ||||
| Courtesy: Pinterest. Sita Returns to Mother Earth |
2.
In Mahabharat, Bhisma abducted the
three sisters Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, when Amba was about to garland king
Salva whom she loved. She protests, goes back to Salva and leaves for the forest
after facing rejection from him too. She later practices great asceticism and
penance. She holds Bhishma responsible for
her misfortune and takes birth as Shikhandi for revenge.
 |
| Amba and Bhishma Courtesy: httprahulsketchbook.deviantart.comartAmba-587664299 |
3.
In Mahabharat although
Gandhari’s energy was ‘controlled and channelized’ none of her hundred sons rose
to be great men. On the other hand, Kunti exercised her freedom to have a son
even before she was married. Kunti also chose that each of her sons was born
with a different father. And yet, her sons turned out to be more virtuous than
the hundred sons of Gandhari. But ultimately both Gandhari as well as Kunti received
a lot of heart ache on account of their sons. In fact, Gandhari had no sons
left to be by her side in her old age although she had hundred of them.
4. Ahaliya was turned into a stone
by her much older husband sage Gautama. Her only “fault” was to have been
deceived and seduced by Lord Indra disguised as her husband Gautama. The irony
is, Ahaliya was to be eventually liberated from her condition only at the touch
of Ram’s feet, the very same Ram on account of whom Sita returned to mother
earth!
6.
Renuka was beheaded by her son
Parsuram who was ordered by his father Rishi Jamadagni to do so for her having
faltered in her chaste thoughts only for a moment! Fortunately she was brought back to life but only
when her son wished so.
7.
From the days of Dushyant till
the present day, there have been many incidents where husbands have refused to even
recognize or acknowledge their wives leave alone support or protect them! Women
from the times of Shakuntla have fended themselves well with great dignity under such circumstances.
8.
Birth of wayward sons is also
mostly blamed on the wrongful behaviour or thoughts of women in Hindu mythology. For example,
Kashyap Rishi’s wife Diti is said to have given birth to unworthy sons as her
mind was impure with lust. It does not
matter if Kashyap rishi himself had more than one wife! It was a common
practice among Kings, Rishis and even Devas’ to have more than one wife while
women were even cursed for having just “impure” and “unchaste” thoughts!
The important part is that learning from
such incidents in Hindu mythology and texts, women in India since the days gone
by have fought for liberty, be it Sita or Mirabai. Women fought back then and continue to fight even now (individually as well as collectively) - first,
for equality and dignity within their own homes and family, next, within the religious
beliefs and practices and ultimately for equality and dignity in the society at large. Today
many women have made great strides to be able to live life on their own terms and
not succumb to diktats. Women continue to fiercely safeguard their liberty,
equality and freedom as clearly recognized by the constitution of the country
and not as any foreign concept.
Therefore it is high time that all those in
the country who believe in women’s dignity, freedom and equality recognize BJP
for what it is. It is time that BJP’s regressive ideas concerning subjugation
of even women are understood
and strongly condemned. It is time that all male organisation RSS’s skewed ideology for
the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra where women across all communities will
have only secondary status to men is checked collectively. If this is not done,
BJP/RSS and its hard core - orthodox Hindu ideologues will inflict irreparable
damage to not just women but men too and to the Indian society at large.
1-April-17
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