Where exactly is the women’s place in our society? In the event of increasing crimes against women in our country, it becomes essential to analyze root cause of the issue and factors that may help in improving the current grim picture.
It’s not that the crime against women didn’t occur before in India but now, with greater connectivity and communication, crimes are getting registered and covered more extensively. Rapes are being talked about more, which didn’t happen earlier because of the Taboo and shame factors associated with such crimes. But still, the fact remains that such acts are being increasingly committed despite an improving literacy level in our country. With development, a society should move forward but with India, the movement seems to be going in an opposite direction i.e. regression.
There are several factors which have brought us where we are today, in terms of the way we treat our women.
1> Celebration of Social backwardness
Thanks to our flawed political strategies, unemployment and inflation are rampant. With poor getting poorer, general hopelessness is prevailing in our lower as well as middle classes. In addition, utterly sinister policies like the Food security Bill glorify poverty rather than eradicating it. Paths to progress are scarce. Economic factors heavily affect social equations with the weaker section (Women) being at receiving end. In absence of employment and progress, criminalization of society is inevitable.
2>Portrayal of women in Bollywood
This is controversial and a lot of admirers of Bollywood claim that the Item songs and general depiction of women here do not instigate Rapes. Hello! You are talking about a country having extremely regressive values and largely illiterate population. How can you expect a relatively immature audience to enjoy your heavily sexed up Item numbers and movies and still not get affected by it? This is a country where fans are stupid enough to worship big stars like Gods. Go and apply terms like “Audience Discretion” in developed countries. Unfortunately, Bollywood is the biggest culprit in planting moronic ideas about women in minds of males.
3>Tapori culture
This factor is very much related to the previous factors. Influence of bollywood and unemployment has given rise to a uniquely Indian phenomenon called Taporiness. This is prevalent everywhere, be it trains, streets, buses, Hit movies (e.g. Salman Khan Movies). It is no longer a shame to abuse and harass people including women. If you are a Shi^^t person who commits violence, you won’t end up in Jail – you will be called a Bhai. Lawlessness and a weak judiciary are also vital for fuelling this phenomenon.
4> Male Worshiping -> Female Hatred
This is a deep rooted cultural trait of Indians which has given rise to many social evils such as dowry, female feticide, lower quality of life for females etc. We are a culture that believes in Black and White. If males are worshiped, females are hated. If Rama is worshiped, Ravan is burned. There are simply no grey areas and therefore, either you are an object of immense love, else, you are loathed. Ours is just not an egalitarian culture.
We have a long way to go when it comes to social democracy. Issues pertaining to 50% population of this hugely populated country cannot be neglected.
