‘If a leader doesn’t convey passion and intensity, then there will be no passion and intensity within the organization, and they’ll start to fall down and get depressed’ – Collin Powell
So, whether a political leader or a public figure, they play an imminent role in the society of common citizens! Agreeing to this , I believe, once you become a leader or a public figure of the respective organizations, your presence matters, your words used for public speeches mold to serious matter of concerns, your actions in the name of social welfare are all meant to be accountable to every part of the society. Neither it should sound provocative against the society nor it should depress or try to gullible the society with the untimely prepared speeches that can lead to disparity in thoughts and may have the tendency to evoke social disharmony in a society. And here, going by the of quote of Collin Powell, I would like to draw your attention on the recent controversial statements that were aired on the media on the speeches, unreluctantly delivered by the respective Chiefs of the so and so organizations of Hindustan, in our very own motherland, India. They are praised as the virtuous leaders of their respective organizations that holds a prestigious position at par with an institution that abides to serve their mission for development of an egalitarian society.
Yes, I am talking about the one of the reputable distinguished members of the Rashtriya Syawamsevak Sangh (RSS) and none other than the acclaimed spiritual leader of Gujarat’s Swaminarayan Bhuj Temple, publicly known as Swamiji, on their strong patriarchal prejudiced views against the whole of the women fraternity. Such speeches especially at the onset of International Women’s Day, celebrated across the world every year is absolutely a disgrace to the feminine gender that is thought provoking and indeed a matter of concern. It indeed reflects a hypocritical appeasement of these leaders when they make such controversial statements effortlessly and instead of mortification, they take pride in delivering such nugatory orator skills to the people. On one hand, with such prudent approaches towards women, we see the same faces with hands held high and palms seamlessly joined while emphasizing “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans to the masses. Sadly, they forgot that the word ‘Mata’(Mother) is the very origin of womanhood. The same womanhood concept that these leaders/public figures had today passed a disappointing remark implying the presence of a misogynistic society in India. While at the other hand, it is to the same masses where biased speeches are been flared in the form of knowledge welfare basket against the women of India, their values, virtues and dignity in the society. Ironically, it is the modernized culturally driven 21st century, where such speeches are given boastfully and are still managed to sweep across the nation.
“Education and affluence drive families to divorce”: RSS Chief (Source-The Hindu, Feb 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/education-and-affluence-drive-families-to-divorce-says-mohan-bhagwat/article30836308.ece
“Menstruating women who cook will be reborn as dogs”: Spiritual leader of Bhuj Temple, Gujarat (Source- India Today, Feb 2020,https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/menstruating-women-who-cook-will-be-reborn-as-dogs-bhuj-seer-shocker-1647581-2020-02-18
And these two statements, inaptly stated by these two leaders (also being the public figures) were found floated on the social media on the same very month of February. It had just implied their bizarre petty outlook towards the women fraternity fueling the concept of gender disparity. The question here is not about how such derogatory remarks had been successfully laced out, but about how long we as citizens shall allow such miffs to surface in the society that constantly bashes off the sentiments and emotions of every single woman being born as a woman in India? We take pride that today, it is the era of parity, where woman fits onto the same shoes as men, where the age-old prejudices are nullified, where women today are self-efficient independent and powerful statures of the society and that there is woman empowerment. Women participation had risen continuously in the field of politics, defense, policy making, Governing bodies, technology, sports, literature, art, education and many more. But are we women empowered in our truest sense when it comes to the dynamics of equality, recognition and acceptance of who we are today and how we want to present ourselves in this human society? In her every first step, we had to reiterate by a second thought regarding our safety, security, dignity and respect. As the recent new global UN report says, 90% of the men are found biased against women and vis-à-vis, which implies 90% women do too!(Source-https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/annual-report) . So how can we say that there is empowerment? Are we making an unfair assumption befooling us every day or is it the fear of being bogged down to speaking the truth? Or we have lost to ourselves in changing petty mentality towards women?
Yes, in today’s India, the phallocentric society still exist, and, in this society, the paradoxical concept still seems to rule over the ‘woman being’ in the nation. It is this society where from social prejudices to social expectations, to the age-old dowry harassment’s to sexual harassment’s, to the uprising upsetting rape cases, domestic violence and mental harassment’s are repeatedly given the place for its existence. Despite the evolution of spirited women-based organizations, women-centric laws, schemes for women empowerment, women’s rights are still looped to constantly fight for survival in this country. Many cases fill and refill the newspaper columns, in certain women-centric blogs, poems, social events, social sites and many such other platforms that either manage to get heard or stay unnoticed and unheard. And adding to this highlight, cases reported are usually heard from the women who is literate and courageous enough or belong to the family who is educated sensibly to take the stand. While rest of the families are found preferred to slog their whole life with such age-old plaintive wails bereft of the justice. Severe cases are common in families that belong to the marginalized sections of the community, poverty-stricken or with huge debt-burdens. And these are the same sections of the society that rushes to attend the long impactful ‘bhasans’ or ‘speeches’ of these leaders or the so-called public leaders that deliver the same in the name of development or in other words, ‘vikas’. Precisely, Government in India on one side, emphasizes budget on women education with the aim to educating every girl child with the popular scheme ‘beti bachao beti padhao’ while surprisingly at the same time, their very own wings delivers their indistinct thoughts with persuasion that women are best as housewives and men the breadwinners. These are the same leaders who were witnessed again to indirectly point out that educating women is the root cause of destruction of relationships, education that leads to affluence creates arrogant women which could be the reason where the divorce rates have been skyrocketed in the nation nowadays. That families that are educated and affluent are easily found to drive to divorce, comparatively. Does it really make sense? Isn’t it a hypocrisy when it is placed parallel to the development steps taken by the government for every girl child and women? And not to forget it is a statement made publicly to the same masses who are already battling to certain issues fighting for their women’s justice and respect for women. Isn’t it a sign of bewilderment? On the same pretext, in today’s scientific world, our country is still bogged down with people whom we acclaim as spiritual leaders that dares to openly unleash such derogatory remarks against menstruating women. Where on earth that, too in this 21st century, it is justified to say that men should not consume a meal cooked by a woman who is menstruating or else, she will be reborn as dogs? It is indeed embarrassing to know that we are led by such leaders or spiritual gurus, today, that only symbolizes the rotten existence of such petty mindsets that is provocative, appalling, and an upsurge of gender discrimination. Apart, letting the freedom of making such statements in the wake of such crucial emphasis on women empowerment also reflects the poor administrative governance in the Nation. For the problem is not only stating such controversial statements to the masses, but delivering to those masses where majority stay illiterate, still struggling with the brunt of the patriarchal attitudes of their men, still dying an unsung death unable to cope up with the harassment’s. The problem lies the most when parallelly, for the same masses, various women-based organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Government alone is trying to educate repeatedly on women education and empowerment to bring a change for good and betterment of public welfare.
Even today, we get to watch where still millions of families in the nook and corner of this country, continue to treat their women, their daughter, daughter-in-law, their sister with all flaws and scars just to make her realize that ‘she is a woman’! Many stories are still unsaid, unsung and go unshared not for the fear of being unnoticed but for the fear of slaughter of their respect and dignity they had to literally fight for. And it is only because of the existence of such remarks and speeches of those leaders or the public figures that despite the women-centric development approaches, and Government’s constant effort on battling with the rising cases against women harassment’s have failed to in the administrative system of the nation. No doubt, today, again in the same land of Hindustan, we have stories of some impactful women and their accomplishments right from our then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi to political leaders like Mamata Banerjee and so on. But to utter dismay, if we flip off the pages of humanitarian rights of this country, it is sad and indeed a grievous matter of disdain that we are bestowed with such organizational structures that are ruled with leaders who try to rule with their chauvinistic male egoistic mindset and thoughts that alone counteracts the holistic approach of gender parity and celebrating women rights in this country. So, are we together in the race to combat the presence of such loopholes? Where do we stand as women in today’s India when we say we are empowered? Is empowerment happening at the ground level? Do we want such leaders or the public figures to have the authority over the organizations that stand alone for making development in the society? Are we aware where India is leading to with such leaders? A sound revolutionary call awaits and to be sustained, unless we dig out the narrow social prejudices from this suffocating patriarchy to fight the forever present and increasing discrimination against women!