The GIRL CHILD

I was watching the programme on ‘Girl Child’ on NDTV. It was about the mind set of Indian men, rather the society. The mind set that is biased against the girl child. Against women.

(Talking about NDTV, I have the pleasure of knowing both Prannoy Roy and his graceful wife Radhika Roy right from the days when Prannoy used to be  hosting ‘The World This Week’, a great weekly serial  on DD. Have met them over dinner both at our place as well as his, along with other charming couples Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat [ CPM leaders] and Kishore Chandra Deo and Preeti [Union Minister for Tribal affairs]).

Though, Badagas, do not have a bias AGAINST girl child as such, the fact remains, that the Badaga men, still, do not consider Badaga women to be EQUALS.

This is greatly due to the fact that daughters are not given equal share of the property. In fact, no share at all. For centuries, this bias carried on making the daughters to be dependent on the ‘mercy’ of the brothers. And, the reason for the brothers not willing to share the property with the sisters, well, you guessed, is due to their wives.

Unfortunately, for these men to have a bias against women, is the result of the fact that many women do not consider others of their own sex, to be equals. Confusing ? Not really. Every mother in law considers the daughter in law to be a step lower.

Every woman hopes that the entire property will come ONLY to her husband and not given to  his sisters.

There have been enough and more Katta Panjayats – Koottu [consisting of mostly men] in both village-hatti level as well as Seemay levels. But mostly these Koottus have  not been successful in ending property disputes. Many have gone on to seek legal remedy – a lengthy process in our country.

Luckily, now that there is a law that gives equal share of the property to both sons and daughters, the importance of these kootus on property, is becoming irrelevant. This law is applicable even to daughters married after 1987(?).

Prannoy Roy concluded in the ‘Girl Child’ programme, “men are the problem and women – the SOLUTION’. True ? Or, is it the other way round?

It is time that we, who consider HETHE as the greatest  Goddess, to ponder about this and change our mindset against girls and daughters!?