| by N.S.Venkataraman
( December 22, 2012, Chennai, Sri
Lanka Guardian) In the wake of distressing incident of assault on college
student in Delhi a few days back, an article was written and published
suggesting that in today’s law and order conditions, women should be careful in
their outfit, mode of dressing and should avoid going in the dark hours with
strangers and so called boyfriends.
Immediately after the publication
of the article, there was huge protests from several young women calling the
writer as a male chauvinist, questioning his wisdom and calling him as
advocating suppression of women.
It is true that the constitution
guarantees women and men equal rights but nature has not made men and women the
same way. While there are several women who are intellectually superior to men
and have shown great qualities of efficiency in all walks of life, the fact is
that the women are physically weaker than men. In the present conditions in
India where might is right, the rowdy men pouncing on the women are likely to
succeed in fulfilling their ugly desires and the women suffer helplessly. In
such cases, while huge protests can be made, law enforcing agencies can arrest
the culprits and public domain will be full of anguish, the fact is that the
harassed woman would suffer lifelong.
Hundreds of such cases have taken
place in this country, particularly in the rural areas and amongst women
belonging to lower income group families which go unreported. Even in such
cases which would be widely publicised, the media would forget the issue when
other sensational stories will occupy the space. Under the circumstances, is it
not smart that women should be careful and take particular precautions to
protect themselves all the time ?
It is certainly not the case that
womens’ rights should be curbed, but there is genuine anxiety that women should
remain safe. One of the angry women, responding
to the article asked “do you want women to stay indoors all the time
like a century back and cover themselves from head to toe like women in the
Arab world and suffer from fear of all men around her”. On the other hand,
protecting oneself does not mean that the woman should remain indoor or cover
the entire body, but it only calls for an element of safety in the day to day living
style of women.
A woman in the age group off
15-30 going in public transport or in two wheelers or by walk in the midnight
hours is certainly not smart. A woman half dressing herself thinking that she
is modern attracting the attention of everyone around is certainly not smart.
Another angry woman asked “what about the women who remain very careful but
still are attacked and abused”? This is a sad condition as we often hear that
even men in the family abuse women and several incidents have been reported.
This condition all the more shows the need for care and caution by the women.
Certainly, women have to be bold,
fearless and should be aware of their rights and privileges and devoid of
feeling of any diffidence. While all these great qualities can be exhibited
which will evoke admiration, it is certainly not smart to make themselves a
victim of aggression by rowdy men due to their free living style and holding a
view that freedom means free living without care and caution.
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