Why?

Do we have the right to celebrate International Women’s Day? The pictures say it all.

Unless we recreate the values of respect for individual liberty and freedom,

?Unless we teach our children, especially boys, that we need to move away from a society designed astutely for male privilege and subjugation of one half of our population at the cost of the development and progress of our country,

Unless we teach our children that there are no special people but only different people who come together to create a beautiful world and for that we need to respect other individuals and living beings and the earth

Unless we stop admiring leaders who are patronising and offering ‘protection’ to our women and let them know that in a safe and equal world no woman or child needs protection (Protection from whom? Men? So let us teach them to behave like humans and not barbarians or brutes!)

Unless we stop idolising men who tom tom about ‘letting’ their women go to work, get educated, travel or show off that they are pitching in to ‘help’ women run the house etc

Unless we create a family culture where every family member irrespective of their gender contribute to the day-to-day operations of the family by taking on age-appropriate work that suits their physical capabilities

Unless we stop worshipping a God, who instead of being true to his responsibility of delivering justice as a king, (and instead of educating subjects who are not literate but are steeped in superstitions), banishes his pregnant wife, not educating them that victims cannot be blamed or shamed and it was not her fault that she was kidnapped and confined,

Unless we give heinous punishment to rapists and sexual abusers and deliver fast-track justice to the victims for which we as citizens should raise our voices against corrupt politicians and not maintain mute silence when witness blatant horse trading or see that our elected representatives are taken to resorts for revelry, to prevent ‘poaching’,

Unless we stop objectifying women using them as tools for political victories and election campaigns

?Unless we create a culture where we understand that speaking about vulnerable sections with disrespect, treating them as lesser beings is against human rights,

Unless we focus on uplifting the underprivileged who live in dire circumstances when men resort to alcoholism and enforce patriarchy and in the process use women as sources of entertainment in their pathetic lives

Unless we stop using young boys and the youth from underprivileged families to engage them in worthless political pursuits or fan clubs

Unless we offer opportunities for youth to be productive and stop harassment at workplaces

Unless we accept our educated and globally exposed younger generation that is ushering in a new global culture that respects human rights

Unless we accept that change is permanent and seniors and politicians learn this truth sooner,

Unless…..

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I look for a day when foreigners can travel to our country (we are proudly peddling the story of how advanced Indian civilization was eons ago) safely and in the process lose out on a very important avenue of national earnings. I hang my head in shame at how the Spanish tourist came out boldly to narrate the brutality of the gang rape ?by 7 men and ?how foreign countries follow the standard procedure of ?dispersing safety guidelines to their citizens before travelling to India ( I choose to use the name India ?instead of Bharat, because that is what the world understands and uses and to be remembered in the global corridors, switching over to a new name that the world is not familiar with will take us one step back).

I await the day when we will not celebrate special days for women or doctors or any other groups of people because we would live in a world where every individual and living being is respected for what they are bringing to this world.

I wait for the day when we confine religion to our personal lives, respecting every person, not questioning or judging their personal beliefs and faith

I look for the day when we use our national resources for the personal development of every citizen of our nation because it is the duty of the state to provide a safe home, clean water and food, avenues of employment, infrastructure such as good roads and public transport

In an equal and civilized world, importance is not given to celebration of ostentation marriages and events and people do not hanker after precious metals and jewellery.

In a civilized society all children get equal opportunities for education and skill development and are able to enjoy a safe and happy childhood

In a civilized society everybody follows rules and regulations, and the government machinery functions for the real benefit of their people

In a civilized society billions of rupees are not spent on electing our own representatives who create a nexus of power and influence groups that thrive on keeping a majority under invisible and imperceptible subjugation through dissemination of concepts of inequality such as caste, religion etc. ?

In a civilized world, there is no need to celebrate International Women’s Day!

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