Liberation
Completely hypothetical scneario struck me through a day-dreaming sequence today. I was having a discussion with my friends & their families, about women's freedom in India. I wasn't interested in participating in that discussion & hence wasnt paying attention. But finally my friends decided to drag into that discussion & get my views on the heated topic. Most of the folks were of opinion that there has been a good progress in women liberation in India. I was pretty reluctant to share my thoughts, as I believed my thoughts wont be appreciated by many as it was against popular belief. Still after my friends insistance I decided to speak.
First things first. What do we really mean by liberation? And what is women liberation? From whom? Obviously there wasnt a unanimity in the thoughts about these questions. All anwers however seemed to suggest that liberation means freedom from traditional bonds that women have been tied to, freedom from male dominance, freedom to live life in own way.
I thought it was better to limit the scope to urban women, whom everyone belive to be considerably liberated. So first I decided to ask one of the female in the group (my friends's wife) about her childhood dreams. She said she initailly wanted to become doctor, next choice was to become graduate and earn a job, persue her career.
What is the current situation then? She is happily married now, have a 2 year old kid & is a housewife. No formal career. Why did this happen to urban, educated and cultured girl? Why did she choose not to follow her dreams? One reason could be she might not have dreamt those dreams with that conviction. Other could be she was left with no other option rather than to be housewife & sacrifice her career. If you dwell over the first reason it unfolds a different picture. Women in India are probably less ambitious. Reason for this may be they have been subliminally impressioned to be so from childhood. Second reason indicates that women's career is still being considered less important than men. Here the former reason intrigues me most. Why is that women in India, moulded to sacrifice their dreams & abandon their thoughts? And this still happens though somewhat less intentionally, in modern, urban India. So I asked her again to dwell on her answers & decide for herself whether women are truly liberated. She agreed that their liberation wont come that easily as their main obstacle today is their own thought process.
I somehow feel issue of liberation is not quite as social problem than a personal problem. Every person has to decide for him/herself, what is that he/she is bonded to & needs liberation. Its all then upto individual's conviction, whether he achieves liberation.
On a different note, I thought low ambition is not a crime anyway. In today's stressfull world, its a great way to live a content & peaceful life.
First things first. What do we really mean by liberation? And what is women liberation? From whom? Obviously there wasnt a unanimity in the thoughts about these questions. All anwers however seemed to suggest that liberation means freedom from traditional bonds that women have been tied to, freedom from male dominance, freedom to live life in own way.
I thought it was better to limit the scope to urban women, whom everyone belive to be considerably liberated. So first I decided to ask one of the female in the group (my friends's wife) about her childhood dreams. She said she initailly wanted to become doctor, next choice was to become graduate and earn a job, persue her career.
What is the current situation then? She is happily married now, have a 2 year old kid & is a housewife. No formal career. Why did this happen to urban, educated and cultured girl? Why did she choose not to follow her dreams? One reason could be she might not have dreamt those dreams with that conviction. Other could be she was left with no other option rather than to be housewife & sacrifice her career. If you dwell over the first reason it unfolds a different picture. Women in India are probably less ambitious. Reason for this may be they have been subliminally impressioned to be so from childhood. Second reason indicates that women's career is still being considered less important than men. Here the former reason intrigues me most. Why is that women in India, moulded to sacrifice their dreams & abandon their thoughts? And this still happens though somewhat less intentionally, in modern, urban India. So I asked her again to dwell on her answers & decide for herself whether women are truly liberated. She agreed that their liberation wont come that easily as their main obstacle today is their own thought process.
I somehow feel issue of liberation is not quite as social problem than a personal problem. Every person has to decide for him/herself, what is that he/she is bonded to & needs liberation. Its all then upto individual's conviction, whether he achieves liberation.
On a different note, I thought low ambition is not a crime anyway. In today's stressfull world, its a great way to live a content & peaceful life.
posted by NiShabd at 11:39 PM
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