Even at the turn of the 20th century, Indian society is largely patriarchal and male-dominated. Changes that have come about down the ages are only marginal and the basic structure remains more or less the same. According to history, however, in the ancient Indian society some women were enlightened and enjoyed greater freedom and more rights. Young ladies like Lilabati, Maitreyee, Gargi were well-versed in the Sastras and could carry on learned discussion with their male counterparts.
It is during the dark Middle Ages of theocracy ( religious domination) and the advent of the Muslim rule in India that the women folk in general were pushed into the harem or inner apartments and deprived of their rights. They were practically reduced to chattels. In those days the birth of a female baby in the house was considered a curse and often took place facoticide or infanticide of girl's fetus. Girls were not allowed any enlightenment and were denied proper nourishment. Girls languished within the domestic confines as bondwoman with little liberty or human rights, as if they were born.to pay the penalty of life by sacrifice and servitude. But in the Manusanhita it has been laid down that girls also should be properly brought up and given education. For if you educate the boy, you only educate him, but if you educate a girl, you educate the whole family. Her children can derive the benefit. Indeed, the proverb—the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world—has a grave import.
In the Middle Ages, hands of the clock were put backwards. Rigid conventions and taboos ruled the day. The cruel practice of Sattee(burning the just widowed girl in the pyre of the husband) continued for long. The first born girl was thrown into river Ganga for the well-being of future children. And women then had little property and other civil rights. Even the other day, Roop Kunwar, the satti of Rajashthan, fell a victim. Sah Banu, the Muslim di vorcee,could not realise maintenance from her husband, though the Law Court granted it, bypassing or over-ruling the Sariat. And crimes, as usual, were being committed against women, almost without impunity (i.e. not getting any punishment). Male chauvinism was the order of the day.
With the advent of British rule in India the movement for women's education, led by Ram Mohon Roy and Iswar Chandra Vidyasgar, gathered momentum and made steady headway. Enlightened leaders of this awakened womanhood—leaders like Saralabala Devi, Kadambini Ganguli, Annie Besant, Sarajini Naidu proved their ability convincingly in politics; they were in no way inferior to the accredited male leaders of the nation. The media, especially newspapers and periodicals, gave wide and hospitable coverage to crimes committed on women. In their unwearied lecture campaigns these flamboyant women leaders impressed upon their sisters that rights cannot be secured by sobbing and begging. They would have to be wrested from the unwilling hands. For it was the persistent Suffragist Movements and not a gift from male statesmen that secured for them the right to vote for women even in the advanced countries of Europe and America. In U.S.A. women got their voting right in 1920 and in Britain as late as in 1928.
In India,women got their full voting right from the very beginning of our independence. In early fifties the Hindu Code was substantially revised to accord equal (property) rights to daughters with sons to paternal property. But bride burning and dowry deaths are still taking place.
The advanced section of women in India have given good account of themselves. There is in modern India practically no field of light and leading that can be called the exclusive preserve of male folk. We had in India Indira Gandhi as an illustrious Prime Minister for about fifteen years. We have had now in our midst capable lady judges, lawyers, ambassadors, engineers, doctors,ministers, professors, even pilots and military personnel. Thus, on paper, sex equality prevails in India. But the Report of the Committee on the status of women(1979) says that women's impact in politics has been only marginal. Yet the state of women even now is subordinate, not quite equal to males, in the present-day society. There prevails even now a discrimination in the salaries and wages paid to.women workers. All these can be removed only by the articulation and assertion of rights by women themselves through their organisations. Their struggle for legitimate rights is steadily gaining ground. Different universities have now opened 'women's studies' courses as a special discipline. Still suppression has not stopped. In spite of recent proclamations that a good number of seats would be reserved for women in legislature and self-governing bodies like the municipalities and panchayats, the bill for reserving one third of total seats in the Parliament has not yet been passed. So unremitting efforts are still called for the womenfolk to fully realize their rights and legitimate position in the bosom of the society.
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