Prof Javed Mughal
Someone’s aptly written verse, “Adhi rait se baher hun mein, Adhi rait mein ghari hun : Adhi Maan chuki hun uski, adhi baat pe adi hun” is enough to hold a mirror to the of-late plight of our women-folk in India particularly at a time when the humanity claims to be enjoying at its best in the fresh air of democracy. The verse tells a tale of long-protracted struggle by this feminine gender to find an independent space in the society down the decades and even centuries and now they reached a stage where they can claim to have attained some success. If we look backward in vale of twenties or thirties, our hearts sink down in despair to come across the abject predicament our woman passed through. What our women are getting today was due to them long before. It was all due to the conservative mindset of this country who, misinterpreting the concept of Parda, subjected the women-folk almost to the domestic incarceration. Education, socio-political exposure and Govt. Job were far-off and impractical dreams for them.
This women-folk has passed through many acidic tests and trials to exist in the social set up. Now the entire scenario is changed. It is amazing how the concept and composition of news have changed in the past two to three decades. Being a columnist or social analyst today I feel gratified that after all these centuries the world has been compelled to bring women and gender issues to the centre stage of all spheres of human activities. It was only till a few decades ago, women and gender issues were deemed irrelevant, unimportant and superfluous to men’s concept of the larger scheme of things. Yet today, men have no choice but to recognize and acknowledge that women have to be made the centre of all schemes of things — political, social and economic — for communities and nations to march forward towards progress. Crimes against women, particularly the increasing incidence of rapes across the country have larger connotations, which can no longer be ignored. The very fact of crimes against women, at home and outside reflects society’s collective victimization of the population that also holds up half the sky and no amount of ego linked with religious and cultural superiority would white-wash the abuse against women. The very fact of crimes against women, at home and outside, indicates the Government’s total failure to provide human security to half the population that contributes to the nation’s growth despite the country’s assertions of superior political systems and a booming economy. Women were never considered fully human and their contributions were always disregarded and disdained. Therefore, women were and continue to be perceived as prey for men, who have never quite gotten out of the hunting and gathering mentality. But the world is beginning to realize that without women it cannot go forward. Yes, it is a very positive development that women and gender issues, particularly rape and other crimes against women are finding space in the front pages of our newspapers and making the breaking news in our electronic media. This would have been vehemently opposed by male Editors not too long ago because women’s place in the media was believed to be the columns on cooking recipes and beauty advices. Yes, it is also very crucial that women and gender issues are front-paged because the media has enormous amount of influence on how society and state perceives and treats various vulnerable sections. Unless rapes and other crimes against women are incessantly front-paged, society and state would continue relegating half the world’s population to the corners, contours and crevices of the collective consciousness. Not too long ago, women and gender issues were considered to be ‘soft’ issues. Thankfully, times have changed and with it the thinking, at least among those who have the responsibility of taking the nation forward, including the media.
This is a good start because to bring about change in society and state, the top leadership has to change first and lead by example. Now, regarding front-paging women and gender issues, particularly crimes against women, there is always the danger of sensationalizing such issues hence it is imperative that media personnel are sensitized on women and gender issues and educated on terminologies that would leave no space for misreading and misinterpretations. This is important because normally victims are doubly victimized when their characters and personal lives, etc. are critically held under the microscope by the all-knowing public, as also to change the popular thinking that women “ask for it”. The other aspect of front-paging women and gender issues is that they are as political as much as personal and the two cannot be separated. Because all policies, plans and programmes are aimed at benefitting the people, including women, unless people are ensured of safety and security, none would be able to accrue the benefits of the best policies and plans. In any case, there cannot be any nation-building in an atmosphere and environment of fear.
If charity begins at home, nation-building also has to begin with women otherwise nation-building would be reduced to building a house without a foundation. Our media has compelled the global society to recognize the importance of woman who is the second indispensable half of the human life which is quite incomplete until a woman is clubbed with a man. Media’s eagle’s eye on the sufferings, exploitation and injustice to women folk by the so-called male dominated society has not only awakened the women world into the clime self-realization but has also rung an alarm bell for those who treated this creature as dust particle.
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