Zor Se Bolo - Jai Hypocrisy Ki!

Rows of girls sit along the neatly lined rows of plates, looking forward to being revered and venerated, being put on a pedestal that equals the goddesses. They try to bask in their short lived glory, for they know that this is a far cry from what they are subjected to on a daily basis. 

India is the abode of countless deities, a majority of which are female deities. The concept of Navratra twice a year is a reminder of the fact that India takes pride in the Navdurga. The last 2 days, the nation woke up to celebrate Kanya Pujan, to celebrate being a girl, for this day, every girl is considered to be a manifestation of Durga.

 Ironic, considering the heinous treatment meted out to girls in our country on an everyday basis. Leaves me wondering, does 9 days of goddess worship negate the other 356 days of misogynism we practise?

Our older folks continue to be defensive about questioning anything remotely related to religion, since they have been conditioned to accept things at face value. But our generation likes to test the waters and decide for themselves. So, while this post might stir the hornet's nest, we proudly proclaim there is nothing wrong in thinking differently.

The portrayal of goddesses is also an agent of social construction of female expectations. Idols and images of goddesses mostly show them as the epitome of beauty, fair complexioned, well endowed and adorned with jewellery. This idyllic image of perfection further gives shape to the standards of beauty women are expected to live up to.

The general connotation of 'devi saman aurat' is not one, who like Kali, when provoked, fights for her honour and righteousness, but is characterized by an all forgiving attitude, bearing all the wrong coming her way, meekly accepting her fate. While we are acceptive of a weapon wielding goddess, we are uncomfortable with the notion of a fiercely independent and power yielding woman. There exists a wide gap between what we venerate in mythology and what we seem to practise in the realm of real life.

 The Indian system of marriage is so quintessentially a despicable arrangement, each ritual comprising it is abhorrent in that the girl's family goes through an unspeakable ordeal. So, while you call your bride "ghar ki lakshmi", we know you are making a surreptitious reference to the dowry that she brings in, why on earth are you spending extra efforts and mind on concealing your true diabolic intentions? 

 Meanwhile, our society boasts of being modernised, yet the matrimonial advertisements demand brides who will couple up as a working woman and a homemaker. We still read a plethora of news reports everyday about how girls are harassed, burnt, even murdered for the sake of dowry. In this era of social awareness, we can certainly no longer be insouciant or negligent of what’s eating up our moral and social fibre. We don't want a superficial, pretentious, morally depraved society, do we?

The 15 minutes of respect endowed upon the girls end even before they could sink in. With the submersion of the idol, we seem to drown our reverence towards females as well. Let’s not limit celebrating female power to 9 days, let’s take it upon ourselves to make it last longer.