Nice Gotham!

Peace

Gotham,

I don’t think religious fundamentalism is necessarily an offshoot of economic deprivation. Don’t forget that Bin Laden has an engineering degree! Were the London suicide bombers economically deprived?

A distorted and perverted religious ideology has enough potential to opiate even an educated and secular mind.

But I wholeheartedly endorse your second magic pill—the empowerment of women. Women at the helm of world affairs can bring about a radical change in our world. But how and when will it happen? Is it a chimera? Are veiled women as depicted in Suchitra’s blog oppressed or are they just being modest in not revealing themselves to the prying eyes of lascivious men?

Women are oppressed all over the world. To some extent they are themselves to blame for it. In India and many societies of the world, female feticide is very common, and it happens with the acquiescence of the mother herself. And then these women attribute their wretched condition to God’s will or their culture!

Sanjeev

Sanjeev, your last paragraph is ridiculous and damaging. It lacks compassion and insight in its ignorance. Please refrain from such comments about women.

I'm kinda dissapointed that i'm unable to fashion any kind of intellegent responce to Sanjeev's comment.

Lets just say that I am an International Studies AND womens study major (along with 2 other majors because i'm insane) and i hate to be so undiplomatic, but, you are not correct. You can still hold that opinion if you want, but I would just like to inform you that you are not backed up by facts or the opinions of educated and fair minded (ie not religious or cultural (patriarchial) fundamentalists) people. In fact, if you want to be taken seriously by such folks... I would go read a book or two on the subject before you spout such ignorance again.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk here, but i mean, reeaallly!

Women in poor countries all over the world (all over really, but concentrated there), are PROPERTY of their fathers and husbands.. and brothers and other family. PROPERTY. from childhood, they are treated as women (the word said with as much hatred and disgust as possible), not PEOPLE. They are told that the reason the exsist is to be the slave of their husbands. That they are rediculously below men not only socially, but spiritually as well! They are told, when they are beaten within an inch of their lives for saying 2 words the men didn't like their silent maid/sex slaves to say, they are told they deserve it and should have just been killed all the way. So, how can women fight from such a position? When honor killings and domestic violence are threatening them every day? If they speak out against the way they are treated, they will be beaten and killed.

Women are powerless in these societies. When people are forced to be economically - and socially dependent and their abusers.. its for a reason. so they CAN NOT do anything about it.

I can go on about this but i'm almost late for my Third World class. But please Sanjeev, go to the library (or amazon.com) and look up some books about feminism and women especially in relation to economics, social ills, or the 'third world'. pllleasseee!

Love,
Ameya

Hi Concerned,

Truth is very painful. I am sorry if my comment hurt you. But what I said is 100% factually verifiable Note that I qualified what I said about women’s lot by using the words “to some extent”. I was acutely aware of what I was writing when I was writing it. Okay, may be the part of the world you live in does not practice female feticide; but in India this is an everyday reality. Numerous sting operations have been done by TV channels that show lady gynecologists agreeing to abort a female baby (forbidden under the Indian law) for a pittance.

In some cases feticide takes place against the mother’s wishes. But in many cases, she’s an active participant in it. There are even cases of female infanticide, where infant girls are killed by not being fed, or thrown into garbage dumps, or left at the doorsteps of temples. In societies where girls are looked upon as liabilities and sons as assets, there is an enormous pressure on a married girl to bear a baby boy. Millions of women across India keep fasts; take special diets so that they could have a male baby.

Unless these women—unscrupulous gynecologists and mothers-to-be—change their attitudes, women’s emancipation would remain a pipedream.

Sanjeev

“Women are oppressed all over the world. To some extent they are themselves to blame for it.”

Sanjeev, I agree with you to a huge extent. To some extent battered wives (especially in societies like India) deserve their beatings by acting bitchily and provoking the act with their need to be disciplined. A rape victim may have acted seductively to provoke the act. A homeless people are mostly lazy to get a job. To a large extent prostitutes in many societies like in India create their own wretched situation. All these people blame their God or their culture for the situations they alone create themselves (alright, to some extent!) A woman in India wants a male child therefore supports female feticide and infanticide. These women are to be blamed and other factors like the pressures from her husband, family or extraordinary pressures from economic, social and cultural factors should not be considered. These crimes escape the law enforcement to a large extent in India. The government should not be blamed. Put a blame tag on these women. The only solution is that these women have to change their attitude. Attitude yes! Guys, I am dead serious! or am I?

To some extent intentblog has to be blamed for the deaths in Iraq.

Sanjeev, As usual is Right on! A very good speaker of the prevailing conditions and truth. That's the reality. If you can't digest it, it's your problem not his. He was being very nice actually in portraying the sad reality. There are much more gruesome deeds than that going on.

What a Peace of A$$ that was cool and A$$y gotham!

Hi Ameya,

Thanks for your comments. But I don’t need to go visit Amazon.com or a library to learn about the condition of women in India and the third world That’s because I live right in the middle of a third world country called India. What I have written is based on first-hand experience; I didn’t learn about it in a class-room or from google.

Just the other day, a woman was booked for killing her new-born girl. She said she killed her because she didn’t have the resources to feed the baby, who already had an older sibling—a girl. It was clear from her statement to the police that she wouldn’t have killed if the child had been a boy. Her husband said that he didn’t have any problem with another girl! Learning about this incident depressed me no end, but this happens to be the reality, no matter how much we pretend or turn our face away from it.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040118/cth1.htm

Hardly a day passes here in India (and I am sure in many other impoverished countries) when we do not hear about a dowry death. Dowry of course is the presents that the girl’s parents give to her on the occasion of her wedding. Young women from educated families married into educated families are charred to death for not bringing a bigger car or an air conditioner. Her troubles get particularly accentuated when she gives birth to a girl.

And do you know who the prime accused are in invariably every case of dowry murder? The mother-in-law and the sister-in-law of the woman killed!! I have seen umpteen number of victimized women narrating the tales of their torture at the hands of their in-laws. And in each case of daughter-in-law torture, mother-in-law happens to be the chief guilty party!

Read this shocking story:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99nov02/punjab.htm#8

Obviously these stories sound very revolting to you living in more civilized societies. But like it or not, such is the scenario in some parts of the world.

Burying our hands in the sand like an ostrich will not change the reality.

Sanjeev

Heads you meant of course! Not a grain of lie or twist again. Like it or leave it.

Dinesh, I was trying to think what logic you must have used to deduce and come to that sort of conclusion:-) I think you're smoking Opium! LOL!

“Her husband said that he didn’t have any problem with another girl!”

“Geeta’s husband claimed that he had never expressed a desire for a male child”

It doesn’t make it the “truth”

So you think that the husbands in such situations are all unaware? Wouldn’t he be jailed if accepts his guilt?

“And do you know who the prime accused are in invariably every case of dowry murder? The mother-in-law and the sister-in-law of the woman killed!!”

Do you think that these women would commit the crime if they are not encouraged by the men folk?

“Just the other day, a woman was booked for killing her new-born girl.”

When in 2004? So fid not google it! You live in India right and you get your information first hand!

Did you read this article about the same woman from the same link? Yeah such things don’t get a lot of coverage and don’t catch the eye.

I believe the professor is in a much better condition to understand the root cause and the “truth”
It’s circumstances, says psychiatrist
CHANDIGARH: It is not normal for a woman to kill her child, but circumstances like the family’s craving for a male child and poverty can force a woman to commit a heinous crime like killing her newborn daughter.
“We come across such cases once in a while, but in majority of such cases the woman also kills herself, which she did not in this case,” remarked Prof B.S. Chavan, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the Government Medical College and Hospital, at the ghastly incident at the Gynaecology Department of the PGI.
He said the woman could have been under tremendous pressure from her husband, mother-in-law and other family members to bear a male child. “Seeing their urge for a male child, she must have feared ill-treatment and being thrown out of the house, which must have compelled her to kill her child,” explained Professor Chavan. He added that there was a possibility that she could have been threatened of dire consequences if she failed to give birth to a male child.
He said poverty was another major factor which made persons commit these kind of crimes. Psychologists at the PGI felt that the fact that a female child was considered a liability had much to do with such incidents. “Be it from any section of society, the fact remains that parents start collecting money to be able to manage a good dowry and marriage for their daughter, when she is still a toddler,” they opined.
Professor Chavan said it was mostly women who were depressed with their family lives who ended up doing this kind of crimes and they were so unhappy that at times, they first killed their children and then committed suicide.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040118/cth1.htm

Your other article about dowry death from the year 1999 blames both Mother-in-law and the husband for the crime. “Husband”

“On October 28, Sarabjit Kaur gave birth to a daughter around 4 p.m. After this her mother-in-law and husband allegedly hatched a conspiracy. On the night of October 28, they attached electric wires to her feet and hands and "killed" her by giving her electric shocks.”

It is easy to get overwhelmed by news and see the picture differently when we are personally involved in the situation. Being outside as an observer gives a clearer perspective about the anecdotal and factual evidence relating to an issue. That is why reading book’s and doing own research even when you think you are getting firsthand information is good to know the “truth” and truth doesn’t hurt if you can have a clear understanding of all the factors.

Firsthand Information, living where the event happens is Far Superior than reading it from any book IV. I'm most likely to give some Intravenous medicines to clear your delusions later on. Chusko Bujji!!!

Firsthand information is good but not distorted facts. Authentic information need not be first hand. There is an inherent bias when you are emotionally involved and more so if you are an actor in the story. An observer's perspective is always the best and that is what we have to strive for even though we value firsthand information.

Since when has television become first hand information? Books and good articles in media are also source of authentic information. Problem is how do you interpret it? Even firsthand accounts made under oath by the witness of a crime are not reliable because of the cognitive bias of a human. In case of dowry deaths and female feticide the factors are many and to play the blame game is silly. To make hasty generalizations and blame women in such cases is a bias which may be due to the “firsthand” information the subject who made the statement may be claiming to possess so that he can put forth his theories which are nothing but “truth”.

Your all points are correct per se. Authentic info need not be first hand. Once we're involved in it, there comes in inherent bias, but seeing it from far can be better in such situations. True! Just like what you presented, there is an opposite side to this...which is in many cases the books or articles cannot simply give you the correctness of the event and the Impact. The authors could have their own colored opinion in the writing even when presenting facts by having their opinion on it. Distortions are simply a part of human nature and human drama. It happens while absorbing the info either thru' a book or real life event. That margin of error is always there. Overall, nothing like catching it live and being close to the event. Distance does make a difference.

Well Gotham I think One has been saying that for a while here, perhaps it is what is on One's Mind.

But you left out sexual repression.

Or maybe not that must of been the secret meaning behind Peace of A$$, just as long we remember it is the being "behind" it that we are connecting with. Get it "behind" it? We need to promote that Sex not War meme. Which would you rather be stuck in a foxhole or in a nice bed in the embrace of a compassionate nurturing women? Lets do posters.

Anyway "Everyone a life worth living" is what I think the slogan for the Global movement should be.

Like I was saying before we should have the CIA running clandestine operations to support women. We can arm them with the best of our intelligence, and fund their media campaigns.

I can write on mountain sides with Lasers, now there is a God like communication tool. Imagine the wisdoms we can communicate.

operation feminine resurgence.... is coming

Who in a poor terrorist ridden country Gotham will do the inspiring and empowering?

Is terrorism a function of boredom or is boredom a function of terrorism?

Again great ideas, how are they executed? What's the plan?

Take Gaza, when it was turned over to the Palestinians, what was the first thing they did? Turn the greenhouses into bomb factories. Their main export to the world is the technology to perfect the art of suicide bombing.

Explain how will the leaders begin to empower women and instill the idea of prosperity?

Isn't that a western concept? Or dare say Judeo Christian value?

Nice ideas presented, what's the plan?

Steve

I don't think there were any generalizations IV. He was trying to point out the role of women in such incidents. How they themselves in many cases are the cause of it, which is absolutely true. It's another story how the women got into that position, obviously because of the conditioning in the culture. You're the one who is distorted and trying to label others thinking they are like you. It's always difficult to get 100% purity or accuracy. It's relative. When one presents one side of the story, why do you so naturally get tilted thinking the other side is not true. Do you feel your side of the view is threatened by the other? Of course, many things in life are not simple black and white. It comes in all colors.
(Waylay gadu inka answer heya ledu, critic nakral chestunav, chey beedia.)

There are always so many angles to a story. This is Why one needs to hear different perspectives, it just broadens one's horizons.

Dinesh,

If a computer savvy and i assume educated man describes woman and her situation like this then the future of indian women is very bright(beating to discipline the woman),(rape victim may have acted seductively),(prostitutes create their own wretched situation).....You are so true it's all women's fault.They desrve this treatment...every woman who dresses seductively needs to be raped.Husbands should beat up their wives to discipline them after all discipline is very important.Prostitutes are already in the deep hole we can just ignore them because they themselves crawled into that muck...

Very interesting post indeed...

I see China aren't willing to let the money slip by and women are just as welcome to the riches......
[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6039296.stm/url]

Obro,

“This is Why one needs to hear different perspectives, it just broadens one's horizons.”

If a woman commits feticide she is committing a crime. If a husband encourages it he is also to be blamed. Give specific examples if you have firsthand information. Don’t let these examples influence your conclusions about women in those situations without having “firsthand” or even unbiased understanding of the news you read. Obro, read the news articles provided by Sanjeev form the year 2004(the other day) and 1999(a gruesome incident of death by electric shock which leaves anyone in shock), you will notice his wrong inferences, distorted views presented as facts and as hasty generalizations . If he has clear evidence to back his claims I don’t have any problems.

As you said, it is true that distance makes a difference. But when some one makes hasty generalizations and talks in extreme and claims "first hand" information (one-sided) it is a clear indication of a bias. It is common in intellectuals to make such errors while not considering other factors with their distorted views. When it comes to the case of female feticide in India and other countries, firsthand information can be valued in understanding specific cases, not in generalizing based on distorted views.

In my post #12 you may have read the article by a psychiatrist (who I believe lives in that place and has a good first hand information and first hand experiences with such victims.) He talks about the same woman who committed feticide about which Sanjeev talks about. See the difference in their views. Sanjeev presents certain claims to be "truth" while the professor has a different perspective. Distance doesn’t matter in this case.

PS: ne posts chadivanu akkada. Joke chestunnava na thoni. Nannu malla confusechesttunnavu. Nenakkada respondchesthanu.

IV: Your posts force me to nod my head. Why don't you use your brains for a good purpose? As much, as I like and respect your Insights, so do I Sanjeev's. He's terrific, that much I know. Especially about India, his understanding is awesome and he's a gentleman in his presentation. But, as you say about the bias, yes that is commonly found in the intellectuals. True. I'll go and study it later and see it for myself.

You're exclusively evidence based in your outlook, what I found about you. It's good that you said if the claims are backed by evidence then you don't have problems. Now, I'll go and search for good evidence and be back. LOL!!

Gotham: As always, very much enjoy your communiques--you seem to have a humorous way of stirring up some deep issues--you've got an excellent thread spinning here as a result of pinpointing one of our truly greatest violations against our very own doorway into this world--the feminine principle--what a barren and boring world this would be without our Sistern--their bodies, minds, and especially--their Spirits! Dave

Great, short piece Gotham!! Two solutions, most definately palpable, in the reconstruction of human, basic and fundamental rights of equality!!

With loving kindness,
North

Gotham,
There is only one magic pill and that is Education.Our current educational systems are completely flawed producing human machines without deep thought where competition,comparison and desire for success are fostered.

We need to compeletely revamp the education systems around the world and for that the educators needs to be educated differently.
We are currently fostering division economically,socially and religiously.

Where there is division in the human mind,there will be contradiction.Where there is contradiction, there will be conflict both within and without and where there is conflict,there is no peace.

Can you comment on what I said above?

regards

Hi Obro,

Thanks for that correction.

Hi InnocentVictim,

When I wrote about the incident that happened the “other day”, I was actually referring to the incident that happened the other day. I read about that female infanticide just a few days back in the hard copy of the newspaper The Tribune. I tried to search it online; couldn’t find it. So I gave the link to another one, which was an exact replica of the latest incident but which happened in 2004. But the moment I posted it, I knew someone like you would point out the anomaly.

Here’s the link that I should have posted in my previous post.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060920/ldh1.htm

Gurinder Singh, the husband, and his parents said they were happy at the birth of a third child--a girl--and did not have any gender bias. Now some unbiased shrink may read between the lines of this statement and detect a conspiracy to defame the poor mother who was forced by circumstances to kill her infant.

Does it matter? 2004 or 2006? In fact posting the wrong link only corroborates my case: what was happening in 2004 is still happening in 2006. I am not writing a Ph D thesis on condition of women in India. I am not an armchair intellectual who’s migrated to the west to have a better, detached view of the situation in India. The incidents you have read about are far, far too common here in India to need any evidence. Not more than 30 days lapse before I read some case of female feticide and infanticide. You say if I have clear evidence to back my claim, you don’t have any problems.

Let me assure you that never do I jump to any conclusions before I have considered all the pros and cons of a situation. Whatever I say is backed up by loads of evidence—evidence that is simply too great in size to be enumerated here. Read the online newspaper The Tribune for a few months; you’ll find sufficient evidence that would strengthen my case.

Since when has television become firsthand information? you ask.

Ever since television gave us that wonderful gift of a sting operation.

A TV channel recently conducted a sting operation. A female gynecologist readily agreed to conduct feticide of an “unwanted” daughter for three hundred thousand rupees. Can there be a greater evidence of women’s own involvement in oppression of their own species? This doctor had a roaring practice; she wasn’t constrained by circumstances. But still she agreed (as caught on camera) without hesitation, despite being fully aware that what she was doing was in violation of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Test law, which entailed imprisonment. The lure of the lucre was simply too great for a woman to resist killing a woman!

But perhaps again some unbiased psychiatrist would analyze her behavior and say that maybe she was forced by circumstances to do what she did; actually she needed the money to arrange for her daughter’s dowry! No harm in killing another one’s daughter for the sake of your own daughter! Or may be the sting operation itself is unethical and against the law! Wrong means can’t lead to right ends!

Just the other day (yes just the other day!), a couple were arrested by the police when their disgruntled maid spilled the beans on them. This couple had become millionaires (this story won’t tell you that, but I know it!) aborting fetuses. But of course the husband, a retired army officer, may have forced his wife to assist him in his evil deed!

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20089191-1702,00.html

The links I have given above are the tip of the iceberg. When you ask for evidence to back my claim, to me it sounds like you asking someone living in Agra to provide evidence that the Taj Mahal is actually in Agra!

Female feticide and infanticide in India is a reality that we can shy away from only at our own peril. We are talking here of empowerment of women. That can only happen if women stand up to men; treat their daughters-in-law as they would want their daughters to be treated by their in-laws; and love their daughters as much as they love their sons (yes, very few Indian mothers love their daughters as much as they love their sons).

Men won’t ever empower women. It is women themselves who have to launch a collective revolt against these violent, debase men to claim a place they so rightfully deserve. You might have heard about that Indian TV serial “Kyonki Saas bhi kabhi bahu thee” (Because mother-in-law was also once a daughter-in-law), a serial produced by a woman. That serial was so popular in India because it reflected the Indian reality: Indian mothers-in-law don’t treat their daughters-in-law the way they expected to be treated when they were DILs. Or may be it was now their turn to take revenge!

Anyway, the title of that serial sums it up all—a woman must respect a woman before she expects a man to respect her.

Sanjeev

Thanks, Gotham, for this post. And great comments.
Prabhakar, I was about to post the following quote from Amritanandamai and then I saw your comment!

Let's educate all women ( and all people). Empowerment for all will follow.

"There are two types of education: education for living and education for life. When we study in college, striving to become a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer – this is education for a living. On the other hand, education for life requires understanding the essential principles of spirituality. This means gaining a deeper understanding of the world, our minds, our emotions, and ourselves. We all know that the real goal of education is not to create people who can understand only the language of machines. The main purpose of education should be to impart a culture of the heart – a culture based on spiritual values."
Mata Amritanandamai Devi

Prabhakar, One word for that post Super!! It says it all.

Didn't I tell you Sanjeev was terrific? I've seen him before reasoning it out. Very clear, not defensive, down to earth understanding. Wonderful reply. Living in India, I see the same thing repeating so often. Critics only for the sake of criticising and getting a kick out of it are cheap in my view. Those who care for the subject and are able to appreciate the good in others when it comes out after the critique, are the real good critics in my view.

Donatella, This is what most of the spiritual teachers say. It is thru' that type of education, the ignorance is shed. How do you make that change within? thru' this. For everyone. Man or woman. Only when the Inside reaches anywhere closer to that level, can you think of a better evolved world. Otherwise same human drama!!! PERPETUAL!!!! Like the four seasons. Summer goes, comes the fall, then follows what? Winter! Invariably spring follows after that to lead into summer. Same story with humans, as long as the Inside is not changed. did you see the burkha (Black veil) pic in Suchitra's thread? that says a lot about the present awareness of the world.

Dear Obro,
Great points! I absolutely agree.
Love,
Donatella

“Female feticide and infanticide in India is a reality that we can shy away from only at our own peril.”

I agree. Huge problem. Take the female to male ratio in a state like Punjab, what is it now 7:10?

Dowry deaths are a very small percentage and extreme cases of domestic violence against women in India. This violence against them increases when they are not able to produce a male child.

“Indian mothers-in-law don’t treat their daughters-in-law the way they expected to be treated when they were DILs”

It is the same human nature everywhere.

“a woman must respect a woman before she expects a man to respect her.”

Domestic Violence by husbands is aided by mother-in-laws and sister-in-laws. So the victim of violence is to be blamed for her own situation because she will commit the same violence as a mother-in-law!

“To some extent they are themselves to blame for it. In India and many societies of the world, female feticide is very common, and it happens with the acquiescence of the mother herself. And then these women attribute their wretched condition to God’s will or their culture!”

These Women attribute their wretched condition to God or circumstances or whatever. You want to attribute their condition to the women themselves.

“Unless these women—unscrupulous gynecologists and mothers-to-be—change their attitudes, women’s emancipation would remain a pipedream.”
What a simple solution if only they change their attitudes! I agree it is a huge problem.
“Women are powerless in these societies. When people are forced to be economically - and socially dependent and their abusers.. its for a reason. so they CAN NOT do anything about it.”~Ameya
“But what I said is 100% factually verifiable Note that I qualified what I said about women’s lot by using the words “to some extent””
To a greater extent there are other factors involved which doesn’t put the blame squarely on the attitudes of those women.
Online media anyone can read. Television is a good media in India. I don’t believe they would make the generalizations they make and put the blame on the women for their wretched condition. If they do, those programs or articles are called “opinions”. Don’t sell your opinions as the “truth”.

Dear Gotham,
I appreciate your writing and your insights. I have since the beginning of Intentblog. There has been a shift in the tone and content of Intentblog in the recent past, and I find I no longer can tolerate much of the wordplay and antagonism I find here. And so, with regret, I say goodbye to a once intelligent, sensitive, spiritual, satisfying source of insightful connection.
Good luck.

Gotham: Economic disadvantage and unemployment will not necessarily lead the people to terrorism. There must also be a real or in appearance a sense of injustice to them by the rich and employed. Without that feeling of being screwed no one would be willing to blow himself up. The same is true for major international conflicts. When powerful countries like the US and Isreal attack weaker countries with aircrafts and tanks it never addresses the real issues. They feel rightly or wrongly that powerful countries are unjust to them and they do not have aircrafts and tanks to fight them. So terrorism becomes weaker sides' unconventional weapons of war. I think it is as simle as that. It is absolutely necessary for stronger nations to create a sense of justice around the globe. If not, terrorism is here to stay in one form or another. Kuran does deal with the subject of fighting injustice and prospective terrorist finds a great deal of encouagement.
Morris

Hi IV,

Truth is stranger than fiction, brother. We shall always have a problem digesting unpalatable truths. You said that if I had clear evidence to back my claim you wouldn’t have any problems. I thought I had provided you enough evidence to back my claim or my “opinion”, if you like.

Excuse me, but my opinion is based on truth, nothing but the truth. That was the whole idea behind posting those links. When the evidence explodes in your face everyday, you simply can’t ignore it. You automatically come to form an opinion. Others may form a different opinion based on the same evidence.

I apologize if my posts have hurt people. But I didn’t make the news; I just reported it. It hurts me to read those stories in the newspaper as well. But I don’t write letters to the editor to stop carrying such news; nor do I unsubscribe the newspaper. That’s not the way. I try to come to terms with the stark reality and ask myself: what can I do to remedy this sorry state of affairs.

It’s only when we take into account all aspects of a problem that we can hope to address it.

Thanks.

Sanjeev

Here is an interesting film about the issue of missing women in India.

Matrubhoomi (film)

Matrubhoomi (translation: Motherland) is an Indian film that was released in 2005. Directed by Manish Jha, this film examines the impact of female foeticide and female infanticide on the gender balance, and consequently the stability and attitudes of society. Its storyline bears some resemblance to stories of real-life instances of gender imbalance and economics resulting in fraternal polyandry and bride buying in some parts of India.

The film begins in a rural setting, with the delivery of a baby girl to a village couple. Her disappointed father, who was hoping for a boy, drowns her in vat of milk in a public ceremony. Many years later, this unchecked trend leads to the village being populated solely by males. The now uncouth and aggressive young men of the village are desperate for wives, and release their frustration through group screenings of imported pornographic films, cross-dressed dance performances, and even bestiality. They are shown to be willing to go to the lengths of human trafficking in order to procure spouses for themselves.

The father of five boys finds out about a single young woman, named Kalki, living some distance from the village, and literally buys her from her father. She is then married to all five sons. Each night of the week, she is forced to sleep with one of the sons, and even the father gets his weekly night with her. Of all the men in the boorish lot, only the youngest son treats her with respect and tenderness.
When the youngest son is killed by his jealous brothers, and an escape attempt with a sympathetic domestic servant boy goes lethally awry, she becomes a pawn of revenge in an inter-community conflict, and an unwilling object of sexual release for even more men. She is chained to a post in the cow shed and raped mercilessly night after night. The film ends on a violent but hopeful note, as she bears a baby girl while the men of the village kill each other off over rights to her and her child.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrubhoomi

Hi Reddy,

I have seen that film, although I have come to know about its name only from you! Watching it gave me a feeling of nausea and sent a chill down my spine. Particularly that serial rape scene when Kalki lies chained amidst cow dung and fodder.

It is really paradoxical that female feticide is more common amongst educated, rich Indians. Punjab and Haryana, two of the most prosperous states of India have the most skewed female-male ratio. Fatehgarh district in Punjab leads the pack with only 766 girls for every 1000 boys! Religious edicts have not helped. Wealthy people are worried about who would inherit their wealth after they are gone; the girls being “praya dhan”(a stranger's treasure you are supposed to guard) who get married and go away.

The birth of a boy is an occasion to celebrate in an Indian family; the birth of a girl is an occasion to take out an endowment insurance policy.

Your figure of 10 million missing girls is grossly understated. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen says that India has to account for some 25 million “missing women”!

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031110/edit.htm#5

“The real tragedy is that women themselves become a collaborator in the ghastly crime, perhaps because they know from personal experience that the life ahead for the unwanted newborn girl will be a sub-human existence during which she will die bit by bit every day.”

“Stiff legal punishment can only curb the appalling practice somewhat, not stop it. For that, the whole society will have to own up responsibility and make a concerted effort to atone for its sins. The man who rapes even a six-year old, the grandmother who celebrates the birth of a male child and “observes” the birth of a girl, the Pundit who lets only a son to perform a man’s last rites, the father-in-law who threatens to cancel a marriage if enough wedding expenses are not incurred, the sister-in-law who pours kerosene over a bride and sets her on fire because she cannot bring in the promised car as dowry… they all are responsible for the numerous cases of female infanticide and feticide.”

“Even the most educated and liberated women have broken their head against the glass ceiling that does not allow them to rise above a certain level. Leave alone the day-to-day life, the hypocrisy is visible even in Parliament. Just look at the way the women’s reservation Bill has been circumvented for donkey’s years. Nobody even has the courage to say that he is opposed to it. They all swear by it in public but hold exactly the opposite view in private.”

Legislation never brings about a revolution. It is a slow, arduous process. But some day, we would see women on top!

Sanjeev

sanjeev

there is a concept in sociology called 'adaptive preference'...reading abt it might help u sort out issues as to why women are also sometimes the perpetrators of crimes against women...

women issues/feminism has moved much beyond coffee table conversations and involves a lot of technical theorizing as well as empirical studies..thus a good reading on issues concerning feminism that u comment on, should not hurt u much...would rather help u substantiate urself better..

ameya..we cannot forget that the study of subjects that u r indulging urself in..and as i am; gender and law, are still considered quite useless for most! hence sanjeev's ingnorance...i excuse it though...as i do for most.

peace

anchal

Just for the record, don't know if anyone is still reading this thread.

The women's body does not determine the sex of the child, the male sperm does. The female is only X. The male has both X and Y.

SO THE MALE IS RESPONSIBLE.

agreed.