Women against Women-Is That the Real Essence of Feminism

By: Dr. Sanchita Ghatak, Associate Editor-ICN

LUCKNOW: Being a female by species I do not endorse feminism. I may be harshly ridiculed on this but I am no way a supporter of male chauvinism either, that may attenuate my sin of not frantically supporting my class.  

A recent hustle bustle in the media about Sabarimala temple made me actually think of pouring my thoughts on this sheet of paper. I then went through several videos on this issue and heard the views of both and realised something significant to be mentioned.

It is not a fight about entering a temple or not its all about trying to prove something baseless.

I have my own reasons of calling this entire issue unsubstantiated because of several reasons.

A group says being on periods is natural and probably provided as a blessing from God to be eligible to bear the future in one’s womb. So how can it be a curse and be untouchable during those days. And not enter holy places like Sabarimala.

Yet another group strongly says that it’s a way of cleaning the body and womb. So whenever it a cleaning procedure the foundation is somehow unclean, that’s how the need for cleaning is needed, and thus prohibition from entering holy places like Sabarimala.

Whatever it is but neither I am bothered about the reason given by the first group nor the second group, the reason being I feel women these days in name of feminism are behaving like a small kids who is all the time nagging and getting hardnosed when denied of something he can do without.

My reason of saying all these which will be detested by the feminist for sure is that the women who are protesting the most are the ones who hardly visit any temple. If asked to fast will eat and drink the most. Now another level of protest may happen that why are they not being allowed entry in a denim or a skirt or any dress they are comfortable wearing in places like Mahakaleshwar. It sounds very silly to me

There are a lot of things the men do but the women hate to do and vice versa.  So what is the real fight against.

Not getting an entry in the temple or not wearing jeans or something else. Many temples in south allow only women to enter not men, but I haven’t seen men fighting for that. Places like Kamakhya Devi in Guahati-Assam, the deity is considered to have a four day period like a women. During those days the temple is closed and a ritual of “Ambavachi” is followed which is only for women and no men please. This is so because in a mythological story it is said that that vagina of Godess Durga fell  when the dead remains of her was being destroyed by Lord Vishnu by his Chakra to save the earth from destruction by the rage of Lord Shiva on losing his spouse. When Lord Shiva was carrying the dead remains of his spouse and was performing Tandav( a furious dance form) which could have been the cause of destruction of the entire universe and the creation. It was Lord Vishnu’s step to cool him down.

Stories apart, I as an individual would have personally supported the cause had it been for ban for entry of so called lower castes of the society and actually work towards no caste system which even today is strongly prevalent in our society.

Why Sabarimala issue was even raised. Its only said that not all women but only who have crossed the fertile period of their life can enter. I just wanted to ask what is the big deal like. How many of the women visit those temples regularly where there is no such issue.

My only request to the women is not to be intransigent but work for the real upliftment of the women folks in terms of societal change, education, social wellbeing.

We still get women killed by another woman mostly her mother or sister in law, we still have female infants being destroyed in the womb again by a women, flesh trade centres are run by women most women rehabilitation centres are run by women who are engaged in women trafficking.

Instead of fighting or agitating on such baseless issues why can’t the women fight for themselves on these hard pressing issue.

Yes, I will be strongly denounced by my own gender but my beliefs stay strong on this.

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