[S.T.D.]

Author - Virarajendra


TAMILS SHOULD LEARN TO RESPECT AND DO JUSTICE TO WOMEN BOTH YOUNG AND OLD - AT HOME AND IN PUBLIC PLACES

Women like Men are a wonderful creation of God. However the histories of all countries throughout the World have recorded, that many Men (not all) from time immemorial have dominated, enslaved, and tortured Women mentally, physically and sexually.

TamilNadu too from the earliest times, have not been an exception to this naked truth. Whatever happened in the past is past, and it is prudent that we consider what is best for the present and for the future of Women in Tamil Nadu in particular.

The woes and greivences of many silently suffering Women from injustices meted to them by the Men at home and in public places - in TamilNadu, in other States of India, and in many Asian Countries though well known to many, are still not being well addressed in public platforms and forums, and postive steps are not being taken to put an end to this situation even in this third millenium, whereas in many other countries especially the western countries the Women enjoy much social security and justice from the respective governments from the acts of the irresponsible Men.

There are many social injustices done in our Tamil society to Women both young and old, at homes and in public, which many of us are aware of but collectively have done nothing to remedy this situation - by educating the society in this direction and instituting social reforms to improve the prevailing conditions of our society.

This doesnot mean that all Men are cruel to Women. There are very many who realise and appreciate the rights of women, likings of women, the dignity of women, and respect their social freedom and freedom in voicing their opinions, very kind, polite and courtious to them, and also respect and value their modesty.

But fair majority of Men donot fall into this category, as a result of which the Women in TamilNadu class all Men as cruel. The reasons for this anti-social behaviour of many Men could be attributed to illiteracy, lack of ethical studies, lack of knowlege of religious teachings, and their holding on to the traditional thinking that Women are weaker than Men, and that they should respect Men blindly even if the Men are wrongful in their acts and words or do grave injustice to the Women.

It is hightime all Social Reformers with much influence in the society, and all Religious Leaders commanding the respect of the society, very seriously think in this direction and evolve a strategy to arrest this situation without allowing the Tamil Society from deteriorating any further especially in this third millenium.

It is also very essential that all Tamil Women who have come to higher social status by way of education as professionals in different walks of life, should band together and form a powerful "Tamil Nadu Ladies Association" to give a new lease of life to their under privileged fellow sisters from these injustices from their Men, and from the Men outside their homes. The educated Women naturally inherits the vim and vigour to question and fight back the social injustices meted to them by Men at home and at public places, unlike the less educated and underprivileged who become victims of the atrocities of the irresponsible Men.

The membership of this Association should be from every cities and villages of Tamil Nadu and should become a very powerfull organisation fighting against the social injustices of all sorts to Women by Men, be it to the village Women in "Kudisais" or city Women living in "Maligais".

This Association should have a membership of very great strength intellectually, by ensuring that there are many women - Professors, Lecturers, Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers Accountants, Managers, Directors of Companies, Jounalists, other Professionals and women in other commanding positions in TamilNadu Public and Private sector.

This Association should have branch offices in all cities and villages in TamilNadu and should be financially powerful by collection of Funds from various Foreign Social Development Organisations, and from funds from a large membership of Tamil Women from the length and breadth of TamilNadu, to educate the Tamil Society at large on the utmost necessity to Respect and do Justice to Women both Young and Old, at Home and in Public Places, and to fight all grave injustices meted to them by very irresponsible Men within and outside their homes involving restriction to their freedom of thoughts and acts, against - mental and physical torture, degrading of their modesty by rapeing, sexual harassment, eve teasing and kidnapping - even if it is required to be fought at the Law Courts.

The high social development of Tamil Nadu entirely depends on the upliftment of the "majority under privillaged Tamil Women" by way of higher education, environmental ethical and religious studies, infusing good - social etiquettes, habits and practices, with pleasent qualities, politeness, and courtesy towards others, refiness in their ways of home life and in dressing and grooming themselves very neatly in their traditional garbs more fitting for the third millenium.

It is this upliftment of the majority underpriviledged Women population, "which will help them to groom and bring-up, well disaplined, cultured, socially and ethically refined clear thinking Men population in Tamil Nadu - with pleasent qualities, having better norms of social etiquette, smart - dressing and grooming practices, and refiness in their ways and attitude towards their home and public life.".

In this instance I wish to remind of the famous Palamoli,

Noolaip pol Selai, Thaayaip pol Pillai.

The present day legitimate woes and grievences meted by Women of Tamil Nadu from irresponsible Men - are very clearly portrayed by a contributor to the former Forum Hub (the present Mayyam Hub) namely "Meenakshi" in the year 2003/4 - (if I am not mistaken). I am reproducing her postings from two different threads in the Forum Hub of that period, and my posting in the same Forum Hub during that period in reply to same. We must remember this is not only the voice of the “Meenakshi” of the Forum Hub, but it the voice of thousands and thousands of women like “Meenakshi” throughout Tamil Nadu and other part of the World where Tamils live.

Will the privileged Women and the clear thinking Men of Tamil Nadu jointly come forward, to do a strategic planning for course of actions, to put an end to the woes and grievances of these underprivileged Women, and also help them in their Social Upliftment & Freedom.

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"Meenakshi’s postings are reproduced below, which clearly shows the legitimates grievences of Women in Tamil Nadu which needs urgent attention".

IT IS MENFOLK WHO HATE WOMEN SO MUCH. IT IS MEN WHO DO BRIDE BURNING, HARRASS THEIR WIFES FOR DOWRY, KILL THEIR WIFES ON SUSPECION, FORCE THEIR WIFES TO GIVE UP THEIR JOBS. MEN GET DRUNK LIKE HELL AND DESTROY ALL MONEY. MEN BEAT THEIR WIFES BLACK AND BLUE .MEN KILL GIRL CHILD AT EVERY POSSIBLE WAY AND TRY TO ABORT THE FOETUS IF IT HAPPENS TO BE A GIRL. MEN SUPPRESS ALL WOMEN IN THE NAME OF CULTURE AND PREVENT WOMEN FROM LEAVING THEIR HOMES. MEN DENY WOMEN EDUCATION AND CAREER AND MEN TREAT WOMEN AS SLAVES, MEN ABUSE WOMEN, INDULGE IN EVE TEASING, RAPE WOMEN AND SEXUALLY HARRAS THEM.

IT IS NOT WOMEN WHO HATE MEN. TELL ME HAVE ANY WOMEN DEMANDED DOWRY FROM THEIR HUSBAND? HAVE ANY WOMEN KILLED BOY CHILDS ? HAS THERE EVER BEEN A CASE OF BRIDEGROOM BURNING? HAS THERE EVER BEEN A CASE OF MALE INFANTICIDE? IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE ADAM TEASING? DO WOMEN EVER HARRAS THEIR MALE COLLLEAGUES SEXUALLY IN WORK PLACE? DO WOMEN IMPOSE PURDAH ON MEN? DO WOMEN PUT RESTRICTION ON WHAT CLOTHES MEN MUST WEAR? DO WOMEN DEMAND THAT THEIR HUSBAND MUST QUIT JOB AFTER MARRIAGE? DO WOMEN GET DRUNK AND NEGLECT THEIR FAMILIES? THINK OF ALL. THINK HOW WOMEN IS TREATED AS A SLAVE AND KEPT IN CHAINS BY MEN IN THIS WORLD.

SO WHEN EVER A WOMAN ACHEIVES SOMETHING IN SOCIETY, THE CHAUVINIST MEN WHO HAVE NO CULTURE IN ACCEPTING HER ACHEIVEMENT DESCEND TO VULGAR DEPTHS AND DESCRIBE HER AS HAVING SLEPT WITH SO AND SO, AND WHEN A WOMAN TRIES TO POINT OUT THIS YOU BRAND HER AS BITCH.

God could not be present everywhere so he created mothers (women)

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