स्त्री और उपभोक्ता संस्कृति - चर्चा : गुरुदयाल अग्रवाल

पिछली प्रविष्टि के क्रम में...

Dear Sharmaji

sadar “bandey”

I stress that the instinct of victimizing/exploiting the women is inborn in u. Right from the time immemorial we have been told that the women have to be “pati-varta” and that her man is her god. This culture is many many million years old – world-wide.

Perhaps, in the initial stages this culture was prompted either by law-of-nature or a man’s “jungle-paravarti”. As per the law-of nature, which does not distinguish between animals and men, the law is that the mightiest of the animal has the freedom to have unrestricted access to any female in the herd till such another one displaces him and becomes the lord of the herd and thereby all its females.

As the woman was always the weaker sex and the man being physically more stronger automatically became the superior sex. And since the female population was more than the man he had the liberty to have a number of women as his mates to be used at his pleasure. This prompted jealousy and competition between his women who all went out to enlist his better preference and they became conspirators against each other. (To my mind this is the origin of the scheming instinct in the women. Look at the sass-bahu relationships. But, this presently is not the subject)

Now the man was the Master and woman the slave and a commodity to be freely traded or presented to superior person from whom the man wanted some favor. The gambling of ‘Draupadi’ is indicative of the woman being a commodity

For millions of centuries the system of education or enlightenment was only verbal as there was no script and this was also confined to a particular class. The common man was uneducated and concerned about earning his livelihood and run his family. Naturally, therefore, there was no compassion or consenscious-ness in the minds of the man or the woman. The culture was established and lived in it. The women were mercilessly exploited and once they were tainted they were either done away with or expelled from their homes. This gave birth to increased exploitation, prostitution and forced prostitution.

World over we have lived this system for million of years and today we are slaves of the system and it is deeply ingrained in our blood

To talk of women’s liberation today is a total mockery or at least wishful thinking.

With the advancement of education, in the last century, in the west the women became more self reliant, conscious of their situation, and talked of women’s liberation. They also became economically independent but at every step they also had to compromise on their sensuality and sexuality in so much so that prostitution is now a legalized profession and free sex a way of life.

The talk of women’s liberation was only a meek whisper some 20 years back but with the rapid advances, opening up of TV and the IT sector as also global business partnership the young generation (only the educated ones and also the half educated) took to the new culture by storm and predominantly because it gave them economic independence. Today, they have no inhibition if this requires desired sacrifices. With them it is no more a taboo.

In the west a girl before reaching the age of puberty has already lost her virginity and it has started happening here also

Today, many socialites and learned people talk of women’s liberation but no body knows as to what type of liberation they are talking about. Is it:-

1.Economic independence only

2.Economic independence with social recognition, respect and equality

3.social recognition, respect and equality BUT within the norms of society where

the woman is still a one man’s woman.

Are we ready to allow the women to become economically independent and have relationships without effecting our family life. It is a fact that at least 90% women who go to work would have relationships willingly or under pressure/threat of circumstances.

Are we ready to live with a woman always suspecting her credentials and would still bed with her.

I think NOT. And at the same time I shall have no second thoughts if I get an opportunity to enter into a relationship outside the marriage.

Let us, therefore, do away with double standards and face the facts. The fact is that before we speak of women’s liberation let us convince ourselves that the women has a right on her morality. It is her choice to have relationships like the men. We have to accept the concept of sex by choice.

NOW coming to the point:

“that in case the women get together they can fight the system”

I do not think it is at all possible. The women can get together occasionally and raise their voice but they have to live individually. They have to go out alone on the road,

go to their work-place alone and always pray that they come back safely to their abode.

They always have to fear of exploitation and rape and no where to go. Even if they go to a police station the better chances are that they would be gang raped there. Courts are oblivious to their situation. Even the so many women’s organizations take only solitary cases out of thousands not because they want to get relief to the victimized women but because they are heavily paid by the TV channels who thrive on scandals or as they it “sansani”.

The fact remains that no corrective initiation can succeed unless the Government of the day wants it. Unfortunately none of our governments want the situation to improve as all of them are those gangsters who father this corruption besides doing everything else which brings them instant rewards.

Now where do we bark?

It is, therefore, essential that before we talk of any thing let us first bring good people in legislatures but it would take many many centuries and till that time let us wait with patience.

(I am not an organized thinker and may have repeated many things many times. I have, however, tried to narrate what I feel on the subject. Also I do not have Hindi software and do not know where to get it and hence obliged to reply in English)

With best regards

Sincerely – g.d.agarwala

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[आदरणीय गुरुदयाल जी,

मैंने आपकी भावनाओं को ध्यान से पढ़ा और उन्हें भी अपने ब्लॉग पर प्रकाशित कर दिया है.

मैं सदा आपके विचारों की क़द्र करता हूँ. लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि यहाँ आप कई सारे मुद्दों को गड्डमड्ड कर रहे हैं. जो बातें आपने कही हैं , उन सबकी चर्चा हम सब प्रायः किया ही करते हैं. लेकिन इसका अर्थ यह नहीं है कि इस असुरक्षित जंगली दुनिया में स्त्री ने जो स्थान अपनी शिक्षा और आत्मनिर्भरता के बल पर बनाया है, उसे नकार दिया जाए. माना कि करने को बहुत कुछ शेष हैलेकिन इस पुरुषसत्तात्मक समाज को बदलने के लिए किसी को तो आगे आना होगा न. स्त्री को सचेतन होकर अपने वस्तूकरण का विरोध और प्रतिरोध करना ही चाहिए - यह मेरी दृढ मान्यता है.

आपका

ऋ.]