I am the Perfect Indian women.
…glorified as an epitome of sacrifice… a flawless idol of love , care and tolerance. My heart is made of heavenly substance that is super-absorbent, soaking all the pain around me, so much so that it has gone numb now.
…I justify the term Weaker Sex. You have all the right to let your hand ‘Accidently’ explore my restricted parts, Ogle and shower profanities, and get away with a smile, while I take all the blame for being so improperly dressed in public.. tsk tsk… and of course its my fault that I get jammed between men in an overcrowded bus, where the hands maynot have restrain. But then I wonder what about those numerous nieces, who lost their innocence to their Uncles. Those kids must have done something to provoke them, isn’t it?
I really understand the reason behind beating up women for drinking and for not wearing Indian attire. After all it’s not in our Centuries-old-diligently-followed Indian culture. Can I please have the book that dictates all these rules so that I won’t repeat my unpardonable mistakes? But my ignorant mind still wonders, what Men has to do with women’s clothing?
… Even if my husband strays away, I am not supposed to sue him or leave him, but desperately try to woo him back, no matter how hurt is my self respect or how shattered my self confidence is. And if ever I commit the unforgivable crime of nullifying my marriage, till my death bed , I should be prepared to listen to the waggling of neighbour’s tongue on how I wasn’t a good wife and how my husband resorted to another women and how my parents failed their duty … so much so that I would curse the day I was born.
I am supposed to learn cooking to sustain not me but my future family. I should expertise in compromises and to bow till my back breaks. Wife beating is very much acceptable as that is the only method to teach me a lesson and make me dance to your fingertips.
Oh yes, I am being honored and worshipped as a Devi, A goddess, for all my mentioned abilities… Then do these mortal men deserve to have me.. The Devi?
Even if itsy bitsy of freedom is allocated to me… and some of these duties are removed from my share… I am so tied down by relations and responsilities that I still can never have one right I desire – the RIGHT TO LIVE FOR MYSELF … because I am the Perfect Indian Women.
Btw please stop forwarding all the mails that glorify women and their sacrificing nature. They irritate me. Are you trying to give a consolation prize for the efforts spent by a women? If you really praise them… then FEEL it… Don’t ever click on the forward button if in some corner of your mind, you are thinking about a boy child or dowry or the dress code she needs to follow or the Perfect Indian Wife forcibly customized just for you.
Submitted as a non competitive entry for Indus Ladies International Women’s Day blog contest.
@Swaram
@anishthomas
@Lazy Pineapple
thnak you so much 🙂
@Sathish
/anyways lets hope tougher laws are implemented to end these physical abuses// I really hope so… but then these laws also have loopholes 🙁
thanks a lot 😀
@Samvedna
i would love to read the male version too 🙂
thanks a lot 😀
@lostworld
@A new beginning
thank you so much for your views… indeed the situation is far worse from what meets the eye …
@Kavya
@chitra
thanks a lot 🙂
Beautifully written, Rajlakshmi. I think it expresses the frustrations of our double-standard culture very well. Hopefully new generations will see through it and respect women for who they are. If you're interested, I recently wrote a blog post from my personal experiences, entitled "I am my own woman" at http://mansibhatia.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/woman/
Thanks for blogging about this.
Excellant post. Could not help but agree with everything you've said here.
Superb post! And BANG on 🙂
Gr8 post… You summed up the whole thing in such a straightforward way…
Very lovely & heart touch post
Excellent Write Up!!!!! Very Well Said Dear!!
of course you have valid point