In a country like India, where we are raising our voices against women-centric crimes, and constantly trying to make it a safer place for women to reside in, is there any hope for complete safety? Or is that a far-stretched concept?
Being an Indian, more than anything, I would want India to be a safe country, one where we can live without any fear or nagging at the back of our heads of when or where it is okay to be alone. We all want to be independent beings. But can we really, truly be independent in our country?
In our country, education is still not a necessity, it is a privilege, and in my opinion, until this changes, all the generations currently living are unsafe. Why is this so? With the amount of uneducated or poorly educated people who live in the country, with little or no exposure to the real world, this thinking has no hope of changing. And whatever safety measure the government or governing bodies take for the safety of the citizens it is never going to be enough because the roots of the people are disoriented.
There are still people who believe in the superiority of males and see women as unequal or caretakers of the house. Even if they don’t live in such surroundings, there are other obstacles for independent women of India. Things like buying or renting a house, taking your car to the garage and other major things.
Most of these places are male-dominated, and it is not possible for a woman to hold her ground in such a situation. In my experience, if a woman goes alone to get her car fixed or to look at properties, she is told that this is not something she will understand and she should have a male member of her family help out, and the way she is spoken to is completely degrading.
Who would want to live in such a place, where in spite of being completely independent, you have to depend on others for some of your requirements, which, if you were living in another country, would be perfectly normal for you to do on your own?
It’s no wonder then, that so many people want to move out of the country, to get themselves a better life. The question then is, why do men move out of the country? Well, we have more people securing jobs based on contacts, than on their own merit. So, you might be a better candidate for the job, but if there is someone who stands for the same job, with a powerful hand on their shoulders, it is undeniably going to go to them, and not you. And is your hard work for the company valued, appreciated and commended? Or does it just fade away in the background, because hard work is necessary, you have to do it.
Keep slogging. Do you really do all the hard work to take yourself ahead or is it so that no one can get ahead of you? Do you do all the hard work to take the company to new heights or so that your position is secure at the company? Do we respect that people might just be exhausted once in a while and need a break or do we just care about getting the work done?
We need better standards, more equality, and to be acknowledged and respected as fellow citizens of India, and not as ‘men’ or ‘women’. Everyone is a sane and distinctive member of society and knows what they are capable of, and lives accordingly. They don’t need to be told by an outsider who or what their capabilities are.
A professor once said, “you are all my students, but you’ll are also individuals and might be the best in what you do, I don’t see you as students, but as independent-minded individuals with a mind and voice of your own.” Everyone deserves that kind of treatment. We need higher standards and respect for one and all no matter what career they choose or how they live their personal lives. We are all individuals of one of the largest countries of the world, full of diversity and variety and we need to stand as one! Divisions of any kind are just going to tear us apart, or rather have already torn us apart.