Why don’t the women react?

- VK Anushree -
We are living in Manu’s country. Manu, as we all know rejected freedom for women in any phase of her life (Na stree swathantriyam arhiti-Manu Smriti). When these great rulers tried to kill her identity, some parents are trying to kill their girl-child. The girl-children have to fight for the right to be born-let alone the right to expression.Indian society is highly patriarchal. The head of the family and so also the decision-taker is the male-member. When it comes to important decisions regarding the life of the girl-child (she is a member of the family), the decision is used to be taken by a male. First, he decides whether she would be born or not. Regarding education and marriage, the female society is completely and perfectly voiceless. She cannot choose the right course for study and the right person to marry. All decisions come from others and she will be kept silent although the trend shows some changes now a days.Our society as a whole does not want a woman to express herself boldly. How many controversies we have seen in recent times? It is in our country, people burnt Tazlima Nazrine’s ‘Lajja’. Films like ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’ had been banned even before the first show. Even Sania Mirza’s dress code has been questioned. Above all, for how many years we have been trying to get 33% seat reservation for women in the Indian Parliament?Now, let us consider another dimension of the problem. Here, who is the enemy of the women? The society, the male counterparts or they themselves? There is no meaning in abusing others. Most of the time, we have to admit that we are our own enemies.Women are always ready to obey male instructions; not to question them. First, we must learn to analyse what we are told. For centuries, we have been obeying and obeying others. We are living in rigid framework which we ourselves do not want to break. That is why when a Kushboo or any other woman say her opinion in public boldly we the women become aggressive.Indian woman’s life is mainly based on her family. She had a security feeling when she is under the protection of her family. She does not want to mar her safety and security by coming to the forefront to react. She is really afraid of “freedom”. She is not prepared to sacrifice the smooth-going life. We do not want to face any problem.But, as we look back, the human race has gained nothing without facing oppositions. Let us consider our freedom struggle for example. It was not a cake-walk. Why cannot we, the women face some problems to earn a more dignified way of living; to earn our right to say what is in our mind? We must take the initiative here. We cannot expect our male counterparts to do everything for us.