Cartoon Source: Office of the First Minister and Deputy Minister Website. Link:hereI know that writing anything now about the turmoil that took place after the gang rape and murder of the 23 year old girl in Delhi last year may be considered a little late, but for no real specific reason I've decided to share my thoughts regarding the aftermath of that brutal rape now, more than one year later.
The aftermath came in the form of protests and was followed inevitably by a nationwide discussion. The protests that first erupted in the capital and then spread to other metros forced the country as a whole to deeply introspect about how it has been treating it's women. Overall, there was a very healthy debate all across the country, that re-assessed, for the first time in India's history, the status of it's women in society . However, one could say that as a general conclusion, there was an attitude of what to me seemed like defeatism; A highly self critical assumption that as a society, the Indian nation is in a deplorable state when it come's to the status and protection of it's women. I don't agree.
It may be true that the lot of many women in India is deplorable and society as a whole represses them, but there is no need to be incredibly pessimistic about their condition. At least not at the level that the general media has been espousing. The fact that we have had protests and heavy national debates about the status of Indian women is itself a sign that things have changed from only 10 years ago. Crimes like these have been happening forever. There is nothing new about that. What is new is the fact that Indians are not taking things lying down anymore. We now have a sizable middle and upper class that is questioning the present condition of Indian women among many other things. Within this growing middle class are a large number of educated, highly ambitious women that will not take any form of repression anymore. It is because of them that this nationwide introspection ( as I like to call it) has taken place. The continuous increase in the number of individuals entering the middle class will make sure that continuous progress toward complete emancipation is achieved.
Sure, There is a long way to go before this happens; the rural areas being the main drag to this progress; and there are steps that need to be taken to quicken this momentum further. But in any case, what I'm trying to highlight is the fact that the general trend of improvement has already started.The protests that took place last year are a sign that we are already in the middle of monumental change where Indian society as a whole is heading toward higher gender equality. It's monumental because no such shift has taken place so quickly in India's history before. The process will take time, no doubt, lasting another generation at least. Which means around 25-30 years or longer. But this speed of change has no precedent.
The process of change- and this is the important point to note -has already begun. It will further accelerate as more and more girls attend school (See here.) This particular fact was drowned out during the period of debate and introspection (if mentioned at all. I myself didn't see anybody specifically point it out) under the outrage and general wailing that was spewed out on various media outlets.
Changes in culture and tradition take a painstakingly long time. But as long as there is general trends toward progress, there is nothing to be too pessimistic about. The light is at the end of the tunnel, and India is heading toward it.
Sure, There is a long way to go before this happens; the rural areas being the main drag to this progress; and there are steps that need to be taken to quicken this momentum further. But in any case, what I'm trying to highlight is the fact that the general trend of improvement has already started.The protests that took place last year are a sign that we are already in the middle of monumental change where Indian society as a whole is heading toward higher gender equality. It's monumental because no such shift has taken place so quickly in India's history before. The process will take time, no doubt, lasting another generation at least. Which means around 25-30 years or longer. But this speed of change has no precedent.
The process of change- and this is the important point to note -has already begun. It will further accelerate as more and more girls attend school (See here.) This particular fact was drowned out during the period of debate and introspection (if mentioned at all. I myself didn't see anybody specifically point it out) under the outrage and general wailing that was spewed out on various media outlets.
Changes in culture and tradition take a painstakingly long time. But as long as there is general trends toward progress, there is nothing to be too pessimistic about. The light is at the end of the tunnel, and India is heading toward it.
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