The nightmare of being a girl haunts almost every female. In this male dominated society, we seldom find cases where a girl is considered to be a good omen. They face hardships and discrimination at every front. Nurturing and giving proper education to a female child is no doubt a herculean task because we are passing through the worst times ever. Practically, we may no doubt be forward and modern, but literally we still live in primitive times, when no one wanted to parent a girl child. The petrifying feeling of rapes, molestations and abductions haunts every parent. They want to live a stigma and blot free life. But is it possible in a country where a girl is brutally raped in a moving bus inserting iron rods into her private parts, or a 5 year old is sexually assaulted by her own neighbor, or where rapes are an everyday occurrence? The answer is simply a big no. this speaks of the cheap and mean mentality of the people who take the undue advantage of democracy. Let us ask ourselves a question: is a girl child safe in the present phenomenon? Is she free to make her own decisions? Is she free to walk around without being harassed and teased?
A father, when holds her daughter for the first time, dreams of her bright and shining future. He wants to give her daughter the best possible education; he toils very hard and chokes his desires in order to fulfill the desires of his daughter. He works from dawn to dusk so that her daughter lives like a princess, and the daughter in all ways is no less than a fairy to her father. Then, a day comes when she has to leave her paternal home and take a big leap in future. She gets married and takes up the new challenges of life. Here, in her new home she has to bear the tantrums of the new family members. Mother-in-law is mostly the one who takes the command of the entire house and in many cases, turns out to be a monster-in-law. She makes the life of her daughter-in-law no less than hell. Treats her like a slave and finds ways and means to belittle her. This may not be true in all the cases, but most of the marriages turn out to be an ugly affair due to the unwanted interference of the mothers-in-law. The new bride finds herself to be in a limbo. She wants to escape but cannot. She wants to give vent to her feelings but, remains silent, lest it would destroy her married life. I have personally witnessed many cases where girls swallow all the hardships and do not give air to their feelings, just because it would scar their married lives. What would the modern analysts say to this? Who would come to the rescue of these girls? Female empowerment, gender equality, uplifment of females, all these slogans are hallow, until and unless we fight against the basic rot prevailing in the society. We need to give assurance to the girls that we are listening to their grievances. There are some cases where the victims raise their voices against injustice, and the outcome is that they are provided with justice, but they face divorce and lead solitary lives. Their partners leave them in lurch and fail to take a stand. They feel oppressed, dejected and disturbed. Who is to be held responsible? The girl who raised her voice? The in-laws who tortured her or the court who gave the verdict?
The innocent face, the tortured mind and soul, the bruised heart is not enough to melt the callous heart of the oppressors. How on earth can a man harm another man? Does it speak of a civilized nation? The fact is that the extend of domestic violence has reached to its zenith and the worst thing is that the law makers are the law breakers. We all know that dowry is a social evil and taking dowry is against law, but no one follows it, neither in letter nor in spirit. The people are so avaricious and they want to satisfy their thirst with gold and money. They even torture their new bride for coming empty handed and not filling their pockets with money and other accessories. Is money the only means of happiness? What about the love and care that is fast vanishing from our society. Why is it only the girl child who has to bear the pangs of sarcasm and depression every time? Why is it that the fairer gender has to bear the brunt of sufferings to carve a niche for her in the society? The sufferings do not stop here; again a girl has to pass a test when it comes to giving birth to a child. If she gives birth to a baby boy, he is welcomed by all and sundry, but if a baby girl takes birth, the mother has to hear sarcastic remarks from all, as if she commits a crime? What is the fun of such a democracy, where bodies are free, but minds are chained. There is poison in the thoughts of people. Their ideas are corrupt, their souls are bankrupt. Enough has been said about gender equality, but when it comes to practice, no one comes forward. Female feticide or killing of a baby in its fetal stage is a draconian crime that is observed in our society. What right do we have to kill a baby who has been gifted to us by the Almighty? Does it speak of sanity? It is totally insane and inhumane. If this act is banned, then how come the cases are still taking place?
Much has been said and nothing has been done to curb the evils prevailing in the society in the name of gender violence. There is a need of revolution that can give the rights that are being snatched from the fairer gender. Every child is special, be it a boy or a girl and deserve equal love and care. We should not create bars between the two. Besides a girl is one who fills the life of her parents with happiness and after marriage gives unlimited joys to her kids, then who are we to decide who is superior or inferior? Stop saying and start practicing that is what is needed at the present hour.
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