Latasinha's Weblog

Caste color to gender issues

Generally, the suppression and slave like conditions do not evoke much sympathy in the hearts of men-community. On the contrary, many male members of the society try to cash on women’s sufferings. In the present atmosphere of politicization of casteism in politics, gender issues are very conveniently turned into caste issues by vested shrewd persons.

On January 21, 1994 a 45 year old Harijan woman from Duana Village in UP was stripped and paraded nude by some anti-social elements. Hundreds of villagers and her own caste-men watched it silently. Neither anyone came forward to rescue her, nor shown the courage to condemn it. Later on, it was given a color of caste issue reporting – a Dalit woman harassed by caste men. 

Such a reporting was done intentionally to evoke public emotions and reap benefit out of it. It pushed the oppressed women into the background unnoticed.

In fact the male-dominated society and callous Government turns a blind eye to the gender issues. Mr. P.A. Sebastian, Secretary of the Committee for People’s Democratic Rights, says, “Women have to face an uphill task for taking women’s issues as, firstly most people are indifferent to atrocities that do not affect them, it is only a microscopic minority, that reacts. Secondly, the administration and judiciary are very slow in reaching and taking any kind of measure and sometimes even stall the proceedings.”

October 15, 2009 - Posted by latasinha | Women's issues | Gender or caste?