ABOUT WOMEN AGAIN
The tri -colour flag of India for the 63rd year was hoisted in the red fort a few days before. Indian freedom was not accomplished in a day; it is the result of the painstaking efforts of our national leaders, their quest for freedom, their unbiased unity and their longing for the future generations. After 63 year long ride of Indians with the country independent, where they able to fulfill the dreams of those leaders who invested their soul and life for the country?
While addressing the nation in the dawn of Independence Day, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointed out two barriers country is yet to overcome—Terrorism and Naxalism. But aren’t there baser things which our country is yet to tackle? Today the question that goes through my mind is, are we free yet? Though Indian women took an active participation in the struggle for freedom they miserably failed to free themselves from the clutches of male domination. Men are supposed to have the rights to do whatever they want. But what is the status of the women? Of course, women have physical drawbacks when compared to men. But other than that, they have all the privileges enjoyed by men. The perspective of a woman in India is largely shaped by the society. We are forced to say that woman herself curtails her freedom. A grown up girl is put under immense scare by her family, citing the atrocities inflicted on her by men. Our media have got a prime role in instigating fear in women. Thousands of people die owing to thousands of reasons; but media neglects all these and are selective in


reporting the murder of a minor girl or a rape incident. The
Cynical attitude of Indian media while dealing with women is highly contemptible. Instead of giving women the confidence and strength for self defense, society asks her to lock herself up in the house. I doubt, is this freedom? I feel sorry for those women patriots who fought for the freedom of our country; their efforts have gone in vain. They were to preach that locking themselves indoor for the whole day doesn’t mean freedom.
It’s time for women to remove the scales from their eyes. They should air their voice against whatever they think is wrong. Never believe that this is the misuse of freedom because freedom of women in India is still an elusive dream yet to get its shape.
Anees Jung the noted writer while addressing United Nations Fund for Population Activities said that after travelling across the country she found Kerala and Punjab most deplorable in treating women with dignity, though Kerala stands the highest in literacy rate. The greed of Keralites and the sudden development of the state is said to be the reason. Even men in India are frightened to open up. They believe words like “sex” and “feminism” are still taboo in the society. What India needs today is an open forum to discuss these things. Schools and colleges should act as centres of such discussions because they shape the future of India.