We failed to teach our sons how to treat a girl/lady –
For the last few days the whole of India is boiling regarding the issue of rape and brutal murder of a lady veterinary doctor from Hyderabad, Dr.Priyanka Reddy, whose body was burnt alive after rape. A candle march, a protest on roads, demand of a new law or strong implementation of the existing law, we as a society first has to decide what we actually want and what actually needs to be done to prevent such incidents. This is not the only incident that took place in India, starting from the Nirbhaya case when the whole country boiled the same way it’s boiling now to till date a series of such incidents has taken place but every time we do some type of protest and slowly everything fades away from our memory.
In India when a baby girl is born or a newly married girl enters into her husband’s home, she is considered as Laxmi, when we celebrate the Navratra festival, we pray to a lady as goddess of Shaktii.e. MaaDurga, who destroyed the evil, Mahishasura, and on the day of BasantPanchamiwe pray to a lady as goddess of wisdom, i.e. MaaSawaswati. We Indians, as a society, always looks towards some lady for all the three most essential things we need in our life – money, power and wisdom. In modern days we became successful up to some extent to send girl children to schools for their studies so as to realising MaaSaraswati in every girl and after studies many girls, not all, are heading towards a good career which is an attempt towards realising MaaLaxmi in every girl but when it comes to realise MaaDurga – an epitome of Shakti, who can destroy her enemy and gain victory over evil people and is not only able to save herself but the entire society from such demons, we fail categorically.
In India we provide physical training only to those girls who wish to join army, police etc., want to become a wrestler or want to have career in similar fields where such trainings are required. The need of the hour is that just like the way we send our girl children to schools for studies since childhood, we should also send them for physical trainings like karate, Judo, martial art etc. since childhood so that girls not only advance in their studies as they grow but also be able to physically protect themselves if someone approach her uncomfortably. Since ages we have made ladies dependant on their male counterparts in all respects. In modern times ladies are becoming more and more financially independent but most of them still depends on others for their physical protection. The schools and colleges should and must include physical training for girls as compulsory subjects as the part of their curriculum so that these physical trainings can become easily accessible to all girls.
Apart from the physical training to girls what we need to change in boys who are real culprits of all these crimes. We as a society or more specifically as parents failed to teach our sons how to treat girls. We always ask our daughters and call them frequently whenever they return home late in the night and nothing is wrong in it as it shows our concern and how much we care for her but we never ask boys or call them when they return home late in the night, who knows they might be creating trouble for others. We always question girls not boys but the matter of the fact is in such cases someone’s brother, husband, son or even father are involved. We as a society must start asking questions whenever we find our own brother, husband, son etc. outside homes without any purpose or concrete reasons late in the night.
The main thing that lies at the fundamental of the problem is gents and boys thinking and what society has taught them with regards to how to behave with and treat a girl or lady. We came a long way from the time consideringevery woman, except the wife, as mother and treating every girl with the same concern and care as sister to the time where society itself glorifies woman for their sexuality. Our view of looking at woman has changed dramatically from being a Janani(mother – the source of life) to now just a physical body – a source of physical pleasure. The moral teachings that were present in our education system is totally absent nowadays. Needless to say, a society without a character produces educated illiterate people who will only destroy the society for their personal gains.
At the end, it is worth mentioning here that although providing physical training to girls can help to improve the situation but it will be just a counter of the problem and the main solution which can erase the problem through its roots is the emphasis on moral education specially for boys in this regard, which must be an important part of their upbringing.
Author - Pramod Kumar