I have been following this huge enthusiasm in TV channels to portray the Woman's Day as a special day of celebration, and this has perplexed me. Would a celebration of this day mean that on other days we need not treat women with respect? Does not celebrating the day make you a misogynist?
The Indian culture is often blamed for having too many holidays for celebrations. But if one looks closely at any of these holidays, they are typically meant to celebrate an event - a triumph of good over evil, a welcome for a new season, etc. No celebrations have been meant to remind us of something.
So,where exactly did this culture of trying to celebrate days after persons start? I believe it is much more a western culture which we have been attempting to ape without really understanding the implications in our cultural settings.
India has a deep seated belief in the position of women in society - no, it is not rooted in equality between men and women as is practiced in the West, but in a clear understanding of the position each gender plays in making a society vibrant. No married man can deny that even if the man can claim to be the boss, at home, his ear belongs to his wife first and foremost. A man's domain is clearly different from that of a woman, and in India, this is acknowledged, mostly without shouting from the rooftops about it.
Just as the males have a reasonably undisputed say in domains outside the house, the women have an undisputed say in domains inside the house. The difficulty arises when, influenced by western thinking, we attempt to make men and women equal in everything.
The biggest demerit of such a claim of equality is comparison between the two genders, which is often unequal, and many a time leads to poorer relationships. The question should therefore never be who is superior - the man or the woman; rather the question to be asked is what is a man, or a woman good at, and are they given the space to explore these spaces.
It also leads to unhealthy competition. Should the country then consider reservation for women at all (for seats in colleges, in buses,etc.)? A well educated woman is an asset to any house as well as to society, but not necessarily by 'earning' her living through contributing money to the household.
Ancient India always gave space to geniuses of women, as does modern India. They have contributed to sciences as well as society without in any way contributing to the commerce. To respect these women (as any other women), is normal and should not require any further ado. To expect to remember a day to treat women differently presumes that on most other days, this respect need not be bestowed, and this is an unfortunate thought.
Let us take a moment to reflect on our culture of mutual respect, of quiet celebration of our uniqueness, of our togetherness, and the strong culture that persuades us to treat all with respect no matter what their strengths or weaknesses are.
TV studios have a task to increase TRP, and they are free to air programs of a certain nature - we need not fall into the trap of doing the same in our personal lives.
