It was not a great news to have in the New Year, but there it was as I scanned for news on Google : 70-80 men molested ~ helped molest two women near Juhu beach in Mumbai at 1:45 PM 01/01/08.
What a news to have at the beginning of the year! Added with India's inability to cash in on early advances in the on going test match with Australia, does this indicate what 2008 has in store for our country? I hope not. I hope India do get to beat Australia in a test series (elixir called hope!). And we might achieve it this time, it is not impossible. Our cricketers are capable enough - is my belief.
Now what about cases like this New-Year Dual-Molestation? Is this a cause for concern to our country with its booming economy? I think it is. I think we all need to be concerned about the increasing violence in our society.
For many a generations various social practices were effective in chain-in the beast within humans. Just by themselves, and at a individual level, these taboos might seem to be playing a restraining role on freedom of the individual. I am specifically talking about the ease with which we are losing 'traditions' and entering into a void where nothing is a taboo.
Many a time, tradition has proven to be a stumbling block in the path of free thought. And in many such cases tradition had to be dispersed with. But in some cases, it is tradition that has kept the moral fiber of our society in a constant state of health. One of them is the sanctity of women. For more than two decades the sanctity of women has been going down, hard and fast. I believe that a society, a culture which has given so much in terms of philosophy, arts and everything that is sublime and eternal must have something in it to save itself from the moral degradation that has spread through it like a all devouring parasite.
I bemoan the truth that we Indian's associate greatness in culture, arts and philosophy with the past. What about now? Aren't we the true inheritors of our country's culture? If we are then we have a task to do. We have a duty to evaluate why we are failing in moral standards while at the same time we are growing economically. I am not proposing that economic growth and morality are related as one to one. But when we can be great at something why are we fast losing our greatness else where?
Alas, the time has come to pass when women are just like commodities that they help sell. The popular notion of morality is always set by the age's arts. The biggest "art" nowadays is cinema - their you will find the "meat" that is making the beast to awake and crawl out.
Before our very lives and eyes the biggest 'adharma' ever happened is being committed. The biggest adharma is that we are quickly replacing the notions of right and wrong. We are heralding in generations where what we consider to be morally wrong will be taken as normal.
I don't know how many of us believe in religion and if looking for answers there is what is needed. But the hope inspiring words on Lord Krishna (made popular by TV) come to mind -
"Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya
Glanirva Bhavathi Bharatha,
Abhyuthanam Adharmaysya
Tadatmanam Srijami Aham."
Bhagavad Gita (Chapter IV-7)"Praritranaya Sadhunam Vinashaya Cha Dushkritam Dharamasansthapnaya Sambhavami Yuge-Yuge."
Bhagavat Gita (Chapter IV-8)
Meaning :
Whenever there is decay
of righteousness O! Bharatha
And a rise of unrighteousness
then I manifest Myself!
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born in every age.
7 comments:
I think the point you are missing is the unequal development in India. economy is expanding technology is booming and the blessings are being enjoyed by a handful group of people. The gulf is increasing between developed and under developed population. The under developed and rural population is continuing being so and the middle class and upper middle class are fast getting into MORDERNISATION- life style is changing, adapting western ways, But I wonder if there has been much liberalisation of thoughts! the thinking process is still wht it used to be, We will countinue to have such unfortunate incidences untill we have uniformity, enlightment and mordernized THOUGHT process. 70-80 men molesting two women coming out from 5 star hotel, seems unlikely that those bunch of men representing the mass have ever entered a star hotel, they reprenst the mass mentally, the attitude Indian men have towards women..... The white collar jobs has produced few virtual gentlemen but believe me only a small fraction of Indian men are mordern in their thinking, their actions and respect fellow men and women. the base is still very raw and needs a lot of work we are still developing!!
Our atire and lifestyle will not decide our extent of mordernisation but out thoughts will.
lastly lets hope team India does well!!!
Thanks fr the comment. What you say is true, modernisation does bring about good thoughts and removes 'bad' attitudes that are almost a tradition with Indian men. I totally agree with that.
But I lament the fact that we have been losing the respect we traditionally accord to women. I do think that Indian culture was always to respect women. And owing to potraying women as a object of enjoyment, the moral scale is tripping there.
The image Indian women had from ages is different from what women want for themslves today. And society is resistant to change, with the new role and new image you can not ask for the same kind of respect women were given in early days. They were respected for being mothers, mentors, seen as 'lakshmi'..... can you imagine your mom or grandmom wearing jeans going out to late nite parties, going to office coming back late and sometimes thinking for themesleves their enjoyment? i think no u can't ...our society have certain pre-requisite for giving a woman the so called respectful status.
and lastly Sex is still a taboo a sacred thought in our society and till it continues being so women will be potrayed as an object of desire and enjoyment.
You are in your second comment assuming that now-a-days women are respected if they are 'traditional'. I dont think the crowd behaviour towards the two women would have been any different if they were in saree's instead of western outfit.
I strongly think yes..had they they been in some plain saree drapped around them unattractively much attention wud not have been spared to them....
the society still expects the idol! and the mass mentality is under developed, its dangerous for women in any Indian City, which consists of hetrogeneous mix of people from all strata of the society ...
Ofcourse miscreants will be there irrespective of anythng...
Hi, your views mite be right. But I feel there is a point missing. You are analyzing about the attitude/behaviour whtever of present day men. My point is this is mainly because the parents/ guardians these days do not instill of our culture values into kids mind. Most of them, I bet most of them put there kids into a mindset of earning more money/fame/name kinda materialistic stuff. So is there any way people these days can learn moral values? Your view was only wrto women. I see people not respecting there parents/elders also. I feel the mindset of parents/guardians should change. I wonder why you have put such ultimate quotes? Because I see no end coming atleast until people like you and me are present. And I see quite of lot of them :)
Post a Comment