Patriarchy and the unheard sigh of “Beti Hai Anmol”

Although we ‘sanskari’ Hindu-Indians brag about our ancient civilization, great religion and rich culture, (coin fancy slogans like “Beti Hai Anmol”), and our incorrigible lawmakers make huge political capital out of it, let’s admit that we are hypocrites of the first order. How else otherwise can we explain the slur of patriarchy and gender discrimination that strangles our society even to this day? No doubt that the affluent West has not been immune to similar demeaning evils. But with the sunshine of science-backed education, rational outlook, liberty, and democratic ethos empowering people to break free from the stifling noose of the Orthodox Church (that had Galileo run for dear life once!), the West has been able to combat these regressive inequities to a large extent. Thus quick to jettison the millennia-old weight of injustices, modern ‘Eve’ in the West is no longer the male-oppressed handmaiden of the early 20th century. Aggressively aware of her rights now, she fights and thumbs her nose at the male chauvinists.

Yes, with winds of liberty and freedom sweeping across the globe, Indian woman is on the march too. We have women pilots, army officers, entrepreneurs, politicians and sports champions. But the march has been tardy and tedious impeded by male resistance, prejudice and apathy. Parliament, assemblies and the law courts are still a male domain. The khaps’ writ still runs supreme across wide swathes of the Gangetic plains. Birth of a female child still evokes frowns and cold stares among the village elders forcing foetal deaths; superstitious women still head to fake babas seeking their not-so-divine blessings for a male child and miracle cures. Female infanticide and skewed gender ratio still hog headlines in several Indian states.

The sad tragedy is that it is not just the khap-accursed illiterate, superstitious rural folk trapped in the vicious cycle of sexual/gender discrimination. What about us: the educated middle class families? Have we been able to rise above this societal crime – both moral and legal – that we ourselves overtly and covertly commit in our own homes against the ‘Anmol Beti’? Against our wives, sisters, daughters-in-law, and why, even our daughters? The discrimination may vary in severity from home to home but deep down in our polluted, patriarchy-conditioned, misogynist male hearts the devil is still alive and kicking. When it comes to exploring the world on her own terms in true sense, we have to admit that somewhere the patriarchal prejudice/bias rears up its ugly, discriminatory head. About sexual freedom the less said the better. Our yardsticks change. What is sauce for the gander is no sauce for the goose! Worse: when it comes to ancestral property, again patriarchy-driven self-interest and blinding greed become the guiding forces and even in well-to-do homes with full awareness of her legal rights, the female heir is conveniently cast aside like a fly in the milk! The poor female sibling caught in a dilemma of filial sentiments becomes a hapless victim of deprivation while the male inheritors, throwing law and morality to winds, brazenly exploit her sentimental vulnerability to the hilt and make merry.

Am I flaunting a holier-than-thou attitude? Maybe yes, because I am a patriarchy-born child too. But when I peer within and hear the echoes of the silent sighs of a victimized ‘Anmol Beti’ in our homes, I feel neither so proud of being an Indian, nor of the mantra-chanting, tilak-dhari moral hypocrites amidst us who wear religion/ God-fear on their sleeves but flout it in their deeds.

Rise, O suffering woman, rise!

Enough! Like a phoenix now rise

Against male hegemony ‘n greed rise

For your rights and liberty rise

To the high skies of freedom rise

Rise, O suffering woman, rise, rise, rise!

 

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PS. Correction: In my last blog, there was an error. It was actually the ‘State CID Cyber Crime Wing’ and the able team of SP Rohit Malpani, ASP Narvir Singh Rathore and Constable Komal who successfully handled the cyber fraud case.