Woman: Product or Endangered
19.1.2013,
Mumbai
In the olden days woman was never a product and
never in danger. She was the conscience of the family, the backbone of society
and the pride of the nation. Nature defined her as the procreator and religion
as a deity.
For a long time she was reverential and fiercely
protected both by the family and society. This did not any way mean that she
was either weak or inferior. She participated in the national movement and
marched shoulder to shoulder with her man.
When the country was free she was as much a support
to her man at home as outside. It was because she carried food for her spouse
to the fields in the villages that the farmer was able to raise a healthy crop.
She minded the shops in between her house work while her small town husband
took a break and she was an asset contributing ideas to her city born business
spouse who knew how to earn crores but was clueless in how to save rupees.
Life was fairly uncomplicated in the 60s as well
when the country was celebrating independence. India so far ruled by outsiders
had never known to fend for itself and therefore this was a slippery phase of
trial and errors in every possible way. The country was in a happy confused
state and this was reflecting in all the performing mediums. There were
alarming highs and startling lows in every sphere combined with an amazing
confidence that one would be able to turn the wheel when one desired.
The nation was going through shifting equations and
this reflected in society and consequently family systems as well. This was the
decade when the joint family began crumbling. Having tasted freedom everybody
desired a carefree lifestyle, free of responsibility and accountability. Most
of them did manage to break free and those who didn’t felt oppressed.
The 70s was a turbulent time. The country had
achieved freedom but without adequate preparation. The common man was
frustrated without opportunities and society at large was repressed. It has
been noticed that when circumstances downslide relationships change
drastically. Unemployment was a growing problem and the youth was anti
establishment and angry. It was time for the woman to get out of the house and
share into the family kitty. She did.
(Feature for Kolkata’s Bengali magazine Samayer Kolaj. To be continued tomorrow)
Bhawana
Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com
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