Does 'she' need reservation?
“Pithaa rakshathi kaumarE bharthaa rakshathi yauvanE |
puthrO rakshathi vaardhkyE na sthree swaathanthramarhathi || “
puthrO rakshathi vaardhkyE na sthree swaathanthramarhathi || “
This is a good old Sanskrith sentence. It means, a girl will be brought up by her father during her childhood, cared by her husband at her young age. Her children will look after her at her old age.
The last sentence and the most misunderstood sentence is the last quarter of the above shloka. It simply means: “Never let women live lonely. She has to be taken care of.”
The last sentence and the most misunderstood sentence is the last quarter of the above shloka. It simply means: “Never let women live lonely. She has to be taken care of.”
After all, what do you mean by reservation? A simple definition of ‘reservation’ is, creating a separate channel for the ‘weak’ people. Another question arises now. In which fields does ‘she’ is weaker than ‘he?’ May it be educational and political kind of ‘social’ fields; or it may also be righteous, religious or moral fields.
Our culture has always given certain rights to women. In all our worshiping of gods, with her husband, there is a specific work for the her. (FYI, all the accompanying worship works include the word- ‘sapathneekah’-which means, with the wife). That was not women reservation. That was her right. That was her duty as well!
The moral value of a society is determined by the moral strength of women only. Mother is the moral ‘guru’ for her child. Now comes the social field. As you can see from our history, we have given separate post to women. Never our ancestor kings had sent ladies to the war fields too! Still, Raajamaatha’s were respected. All the warriors were blessed by their mothers before jumping to the war field. And of course, those successful queens never fought any wars for reservation.
A lively example: In my native place, I have seen a number of “Ladies/ women associations.” They do come out of the four walls of their house and they involve themselves in many creative works. Appreciable! They celebrate their annual day too! But I could see all the gentlemen working for the annual day (as volunteers). There are so many tasks which only men can do. It is natural. The nature itself has created such differences. The physical and mental structure of women has made them dependent, sometimes.
Have you ever watched the Bollywood movie ‘Sarkar?’ Here goes a dialogue from the movie: “We have to see to the loss waiting for us at a longer distance before seeing the profit lying nearby.” Assume that we have given reservation to women today. As a result you can see more and more women CEO’s, presidents or many other posts ruled by women. The same CEO would leave her two years’ kid (infant?) in a nursery or some baby sitting classes. No more the ‘home’ would be the first school for the child. Now who will give the moral strength to that child? Who will teach the child “My child, respect women; treat them as your sisters”? One thing is for sure: any morally uneducated child will never respect the women. In turn, the society will loose its moral values. This is the loss lying far away!
The moral value of a society is determined by the moral strength of women only. Mother is the moral ‘guru’ for her child. Now comes the social field. As you can see from our history, we have given separate post to women. Never our ancestor kings had sent ladies to the war fields too! Still, Raajamaatha’s were respected. All the warriors were blessed by their mothers before jumping to the war field. And of course, those successful queens never fought any wars for reservation.
A lively example: In my native place, I have seen a number of “Ladies/ women associations.” They do come out of the four walls of their house and they involve themselves in many creative works. Appreciable! They celebrate their annual day too! But I could see all the gentlemen working for the annual day (as volunteers). There are so many tasks which only men can do. It is natural. The nature itself has created such differences. The physical and mental structure of women has made them dependent, sometimes.
Have you ever watched the Bollywood movie ‘Sarkar?’ Here goes a dialogue from the movie: “We have to see to the loss waiting for us at a longer distance before seeing the profit lying nearby.” Assume that we have given reservation to women today. As a result you can see more and more women CEO’s, presidents or many other posts ruled by women. The same CEO would leave her two years’ kid (infant?) in a nursery or some baby sitting classes. No more the ‘home’ would be the first school for the child. Now who will give the moral strength to that child? Who will teach the child “My child, respect women; treat them as your sisters”? One thing is for sure: any morally uneducated child will never respect the women. In turn, the society will loose its moral values. This is the loss lying far away!
We call this planet as ‘mother earth.” That was the extent of women power or right on this earth, right from the good old classical days.
Women should be given more respect than reservation.
What do you say?
Women should be given more respect than reservation.
What do you say?
(This was my view in a debate competition.)
Comments
@guru: can u jus send it.. i wil post it or u do...
Good analysis. However, unilateral, it is....only from the perspective of a male.
1. The quote u have quoted is from ManuSmriti.
2. He has also said that dogs and women get better, if you beat them more. We cannot agree with him, in all respects.
3. Reservation, as such, is not a measure of side-lining men by the implementation of reservation.
4. Mere examples of 'Women Associations, Arisina-Kumkuma clubs, vanita samaaja' will not suffice to speak about women liberation. Let us also keep in mind the number of women from other religions, castes and communities who have had the fortune to go to school at the least, before we even attempt to take a note of dismal number of women going to colleges in India today.
5. Women are biologically different from men, and they are only different from men in that one respect. They have, in spite of all odds and discrimination, proven their mettle, in all fields ranging from the kitchen to manning trains. They have even shown that they are capable of doing jobs that involve physical labour, with the same efficiency as men do.
6. Further,a man need only contribute an equivalent of a few drops of blood in the process of creation of his progeny. Women have to bear the physical and mental burden ( and opportunity) of nurturing a soul for nine months.Maternal Laws, Property Laws et al have looked good on paper,( that too after a long drawn struggle) but we are still to see them in reality. Is it even an issue of discontent to show a sense of solidarity and encouragement in the gesture of reservation?
7. Let us remember that we are only giving back the stolen share of the pie, when we are rightfully giving back the fair share. It will be, at the least, a psychological encouragement, a show of equality in the real sense if we can say yes to the reservation, without these battle-like debates.
8. Yes! and a million times Yes!! She does need a reservation.
---Just my views.