Hyderabad: It’s not girls aping Western culture but our outdated mindset that prevents women from being treated as equals to their male counterparts, which is the main culprit behind crimes being committed against women in our country. Union minister for commerce and industries, Nirmala Sitharaman took the opportunity to drive the above point home at a girls’ convention organised by ABVP in Vijayawada on Friday.
Responding to statements that Western culture — from attire to habits and lifestyle — was the root cause of atrocities against women, Sitharaman pointed out that in that case such restrictions should be applicable to men too. And many in the city agree with her argument.
Applauding the timely remark of one of the top leaders of the ruling party, city based racer Aamer Baig, “The problem really lies in our mentality. And this statement addresses just that. It’s absolutely important to get rid of small minds and small thinking. People around the world wear what they want, and there seems to be a problem with that.”
Actress Regina Cassandra says, “I have also faced issues of men touching me inappropriately, and most times I was wearing Indian clothes. It’s just ridiculous that we want to blame Western culture and women all the time. A cow also gets raped in the country. Do we ask what the cow was wearing? The only thing that needs to change is the man’s perspective of looking at women as someone he can overpower and subjugate! As to Western culture, it’s just that people want something to blame when there are things beyond their comprehension.”
From travelling to lifestyle choices
Aamer elaborates on the real problem – double standards — we are taking away the liberty of girls by curtailing them. “I can hitch hike to anywhere I want even in the middle of the night as a man, but a woman can’t. In Coimbatore for instance, liquor shops won’t even sell alcohol to girls. That’s the kind of restrictions that we need to stop. I want to live in a society where an individual — irrespective of the gender — can do whatever he/she wants to! And blaming Western culture for anything is ridiculous.”
And the troubles women face, even when they aren’t travelling alone was recently brought to light by theatre activist Akram Feroze, who is on a pan-India journey to collect relief material for Kashmir flood victims. He is accompanied by artist, Poornima Sukumar. And after the first night of his journey, he took to social media to post: “The challenges of women travelling... As we stop over for our morning calls people were amazed to see a women getting down from a truck... Salute to Poornima’s courage… this is why #winteronwheels is in itself a revolutionary idea!!”
And we all know of the commotion that lifestyle choices of women have triggered — from drinking and smoking to choosing to be in a live-in relationship. Earlier this month, the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a campaign against live-in relationships as part of a drive to raise awareness about atrocities against women.
Such relationships "go against the grain of Indian culture and the institution of family", the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad claimed as activists formed a human chain at Delhi University.
And overnight a JNU student’s open letter went viral. “Respecting women is about respecting their choice – even the choice to say no. Women are able, rational beings – by the virtue of being humans, and anyone who thinks they respect women must first acknowledge their ability to make decisions for themselves,” the note read.
Parenting
At the Friday event, the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries had said: “The discrimination starts from home and parents do not allow their daughters to be treated equally. Girls are told to be submissive and do domestic chores while boys enjoy freedom. This must be changed. Parents must have the same yardsticks for girls and boys.”
And Baig, a father of a daughter says, “I want to see her grow the way she wants. I think parenting has everything to do with the issue right now.”
The same issue of parenting was also brought up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day. “I want to ask every mother and father, you ask your daughters 'where are you going, who are you going with?' But do you ever ask your sons these questions? After all, those who rape are also someone’s sons,” he had said.
Jeevitha Rajasekhar, part of BJP and the film fraternity and also a mother of two, says, “I bring up my two daughters like they are the kings. They need to be taken away from the limitations our society puts on them. I make sure they know that they are no less when it comes to their brothers, their friends or anyone because of their gender. Unfortunately, the double standards have been infused in our blood, from the time of birth, but it has to change.”
“This change has to reflect in larger structures. Thankfully politics is changing with an increasing number of women in posts, this has to apply everywhere. And this campaign has to be taken to rural areas as well, where there are atrocities against women,” she adds on taking Sitharaman’s statement forward from just being a byte in the newspapers the next day.
We love our culture after all
Young artist Priyanka Aelay, who is often spotted with saris at events, points out, “India is obviously known for its tradition. But a society and a culture are dynamic, changes happen with time as people try to adopt, to get comfortable. You can’t expect a working woman to wear a sari all the time when she can be comfortable in a jean and t-shirt ensemble. Yes, culture is important, but so is practicality.”
