Educated Illiterates!!
Is it only a dream to expunge all the misdeeds against women??
A miasma of female foeticide and dowry harassment continues to permeate our society.
Recently I came across one video of a woman, a doctor by profession where she depicted how she was persistently harassed for dowry by her in-laws and later when she got pregnant with twins, she was wickedly made to undergo foetus test from where she got to know that she was carrying twin girls. She was pressurised for abortion. Even once her husband, an orthopaedist himself, pushed her down the stairs to get rid of the twins. After that she somehow managed to call her father and frustratedly said that she would be rather given death than this marriage. She delivered the preterm babies while living at her parents place and even after delivery she was forced to give one girl child for adoption. When her daughters were of four months old, she was asked by her parents to give one more chance to her marriage. She lived with her in-laws for two years so that her daughters could get the love of their father. She tried relentlessly, but in vain, all ended up in litigation.
What is more poignant and startling about this story???
- Her in-laws ? Surprised to know that they were all well educated. Her mother-in-law was principal in a school. Father-in-law was professor in a college. She and her husband were both doctors. Everyone was thriving well. Then the greed for dowry and non-acceptance of a girl child especially two daughters were quite appalling. It raises the question. Are they really educated? What is the fun of having degrees when we can’t learn and implement the moral values and ethics in our lives.
- The family where she was born? They educated their daughter, coddled and cosseted her and made her independent. But they were not able to free themselves from the clutches of orthodox society. Sometimes parents become so vulnerable because of age, financial burden and family pressures that they want things to be settled rather than falling apart.
- She herself? Even after being hounded and harassed, she believed that her little toddlers would be able to open the closed hearts of her husband and in-laws and would get some love of their father. She was just clutching the straws. Being paediatrician herself, she could earn very well and could raise her children with pride but even then she unceasingly put endless efforts to revive the marriage where there was neither love nor trust
Female foeticide is an insidious problem and women do not come forward because of family pressures, financial dependency, illiteracy, values. But if the educated and well versed families also do the same thing then where will our society go?? We often talk about women empowerment and women rights; however, I feel that we should add lessons on moral values and ethics in our school and college curriculum to make everyone understand that every life is important; whether it is a girl or a boy. Patriarchy should not be practiced and equal importance should be given to women.
It’s high time to come out of conservative dogmas. Every mother-in-law, mother, for that matter every women should take a stand for each other to make this earth a better place to live. I wish all the heinous crimes against every women should stop so that no parent is ever afraid to bring new girl to life on this earth.
Regards