This isn't just another story...

While I wanted my first post to be on a fun-filled, light, frothy topic, it seems I am no longer in that frame of mind. Read a disconcerting book today. Since I don’t want to dwell on the book and author as much as I want to on the subject, I’m going to refrain from any direct mention of the same.

The story was based on a topic we all seem to readily take for granted these days…Freedom. For me, this book was a jolt. I’ve always known that the liberated thoughts and ideas, the freedom of making my choice and moulding my own destiny have not been offered to each individual. I’ve walked the planet long enough to know life isn’t fair, that not everyone is accorded the same opportunities and life for some is more bearable and enjoyable than for others.

However, what was different about this book is that it exposed you to extreme and flagrant violations of basic human rights. Since it was a reflection of true incidents in our society today, I couldn’t help but treat it more seriously than one would read fiction. I couldn’t help but put myself in the situation and wonder why even after years of contributing to development and advancement, women were treated worse than animals in certain parts of the world. Hell even animals are better. They only prey on each other, they don’t debase or humiliate each other the way we humans do.

What kind of a life does such a woman lead? Born to reproach, leading life through a series of restraints, never finding the courage to break free from any. Even if she did find the courage, where would she go in a land so neurotic about the honour of its men. No freedom to education, no freedom of movement, no freedom to talk, laugh, sing, dance. No freedom of choice. Brought into this world only to first silently bear the contempt of a father, and then a husband…and god forbid if she happens to bring another daughter into this world.

If this wasn’t enough persecution, the law of the land ascribes these very same women who gave birth to them as the root of all vices. To be punished if she breaks even one of the various dictums that are viciously suffocating. To be punished if she tries to defend herself from the atrocities she’s put through. Do these women have any choice but to end it all?

Of what use is a life so dark, it’s like being chained to the ground covered with a shroud that cannot be penetrated with even a glimmer of hope or happiness. Of what use is this advancement and growth we all stake our small, petty little supercilious claims to? We take great pride in all that we have transformed and contributed towards as a society…the skyscrapers, laws, governments, industries, medicine, financial markets, space shuttles. However, our largest failure is that even today, we have not learnt that as long as we don’t grow together, as long as even a minority of us fall to such depravity, we will continue to remain on the lowest rung of evolution.