obituary....

My condolences! This day again comes and goes like a carousel which moves emptily in the amusement park after people have gone and then gently settles back into its resting place. It’s like a tired requiem we have for keeping appearances and confirming with the norm.
Punjab, the land of prosperity, the granary state of India has till date not been able to stem the rot which is killing female fetuses blatantly where the govt. turns a blind eye and the society is so indifferent because we’ve become hardened by everything around us. This lust which is all pervading in all spheres shows its ugly head foremost when the magical heir is wanted. We lead the figures in public consumption in all luxury (Mercedes Benz , BMW’s and bigger diamonds and ostentatious houses displaying our wealth) but we all also lead from the back in sexual exploitation, rape , dowry, denial of basic rights like education , food. I think Maslow, did not take Punjabi’s into consideration while he was busy formulating his principles. How can we celebrate A woman’s Day when last week only a young girl was found strangulated , mutilated and thrown down a mountain side on the flimsy excuse that sufficient dowry was not given by her parents……
What is Dowry? Monetary value of the girl or value that which shall ensure a secure married life at her marital home. (Please note, that here I do not bring into the equation happiness here). Happiness is an alien term, forgotten in the increasingly competitive, materialistic life-styles of Punjabis where a person is measured by the cars he drives, the wealth he flaunts.
WE commemorate a day; hold platitudes, ceremonies to celebrate women and money is spent lavishly proclaiming the empowerment and independence and the strides they have made. And, then we measure them from a date (milestone) Aug, 15th 1947. This particular date which set us free acts like gallows on a freed man/woman (pun intended).Why is that we make empty figure-heads out of them with symbolism ruling the day...? It’s boring and repetitive if I make you recount the injustices woman face, you’d probably leave the article mid-way and say here she goes again. Not that I’m planning to sing the popular ditty here, but Can we please do something realistically for the rest of the 364 days??