Equality

As soon as Indians are increasing in number, a lot has been happening around with respect to old traditions, new laws, women’s right, poverty alleviation, hunger, nature conservation, crime, GDP, health etc. Something recently in the news is the Sabarimala verdict which has allowed temple entry of women which was banned considering them impure because they menstruate. We all know menstruation is a natural process and a taboo to be spoken in public in India. More on this is that only 18 percent of the women are actually accessible to sanitary pads in India and thus it has several evils attached to it, e.g. school dropouts, infection, unnecessary social shame. Kerala is in turmoil because after the verdict there is a huge protest going on against the Supreme Court verdict. More interestingly, the majority of the protestors belong to the ruling party at the center & its Nagpur originated pseudo-Hindu Rakshak party. They are doing all kind of melodrama which has also led many writers to state that Kerala has to be saved from these vote bank politickers. They might want to convey Keralite how they stand for their tradition but even more interestingly when in 1 January women of Kerala built an astounding 630km long queue taking oath literally in support of the verdict. Other news is on Triple Talak which was populously passed from the Loksabha with lots of hue and cry. Now it will test its mettle in the upper house. Something else in the news is the 33 percent reservation for women in the legislature which is on the hanging mode for more than 2 sick decades. News rolling around in the media which started with the TISS findings at Muzaffarpur based orphan telling the tale sexually assaulted children in such places around the country. #Metoo movement was around the corner some days back ambushing major personalities.

Well, now the good news is that my sister has topped the university in her physiotherapy curriculum. She has high ambitions but last November she has contrastingly turned 24. I wonder how discomforting it would be to leave one’s home and be married off to another house and that too in Indian set up where marriages are arranged. She is worried that this marriage thing could come in her way. Without a tinge, I believe this is a serious problem country-wise where talent is dying for independence and free from the shackles of obsolete traditions. It does not mean that every other women or girl is in turmoil state. Some are by decision a traditionalist and that’s completely fine. What about those who are restricted?