Human beings, then women

We all have our avatars, some days we all want to be a queen diva, some days we don the Tarla Dalal hat and start cooking as if the world is going to end and some days we just want to hibernate into a kiddie hole and disappear. And some days ones inner safai Devi surfaces and we become Kanta Bai and Nikki rolled into one possessing a demonic eye and microscopic vision to spot the cobwebs and speck of dust.

A woman has so many roles and we juggle constantly with them trying to fit into the roles of being a mother, daughter, sister, friend, caregiver, and lover all rolled into one. Always, we are cast in to a stereotype role, which is cast for us.

Do we ever get recognized for being a human being? Sadly, no even as I write half of them are going to shake their hands and say it’s a feminist tirade and would leave this reading half way and the other half would say she is on her periods. Typical male attitude that it is that time of the month. Its more interesting to read the next statement of the salwar wearing, slogan shouting deliver of the masses by Ayurveda’s and yoga, Baba Ramdev.

Do note, he wore a female outfit to abscond! When we are the other half, why is it so difficult for the world to accept us human beings? From the moment I am born (if I’m allowed to be born) most of my childhood is focused on gender based situations, play with dolls, wear pink what if I like blue? What if my brother wanted to play with dolls and I with the train set? Why are boys told not to cry? And we are soft and can shed a tear and be emotional. We stereotype and cast our children into these roles unintentionally and push them into these roles setting the note for the future years.

Even in the 21^st century, we still worry about women not being allowed into the temples to worship the goddesses. And some places they are not allowed just because they are on their menstrual cycle, a sign of their fertility. How do we become an endangerment to the sanctity to the society and the purity of the sanctum sanctorum? All the Gurus, religious scriptures say we need to control our thoughts, our inner most hidden dark dirty thoughts that are impure, and not the outer manifestations.

As we grow older, we are told don’t wear this, don’t venture out, don’t do this, dress demurely, not wear revealing clothes. Isn’t it our mindset than what we wear that reveals the impurity?

Every day we hear the repeated news of acid attacks, rapes, disfigurements and dowry deaths and just suicides. Why are we subjected to this? Just happens, is the shrug and we move on to other news. Yesterday, brave girls marched from NIT Srinagar in spite of the cowardly threats of rape and murder. Accolades should be given for this .

Till, we don’t educate our children from the primary level this vicious circle will keep on going, we will keep on stifling our girls at every step and we will keep on putting our boys on the pedestal and hoping for deliverance on their hands. Education is the only answer, to create awareness and to change the mindset that is crippling the society .

Treat us as equal , because its our birthright and not because you are giving us a favor.

Destroy the idea that men should respect women because we are their daughters , mothers , and sisters. Reinforce the idea that men should respect women because we are people.’