The story of Women,Prostitution,Respect and the “Hypocritical” Indian Society

                 

Ok,if now this one i confess had been in my mind for last 6 months. The idea popped out once when i was travelling by train from Kolkata to  Bangalore .For those of you , for whom the ”K-B” words does not ring a bell; those are two tiny points on the face on a Multi-Colored Big Ball,which until my generation was called  a “Globe”,and which i fear ,has joined the Endangered List ,along with the Bengal Tigers;all thanks to the dawn of the Modern  Internet Age and GPS systems .

Coming back to my  journey , did i tell you how much i  love travelling ! It gives  me  a lot of time to think.Brain  stuck in a closed box for 36 hours with nothing to do but kill time,reaches  new Creative heights(which also  kinda makes me realize  why some the greatest books were written in prison !). Of those 42 millions ephemeral thoughts,at least 2 would be of significant importance

One such incredibly disturbing thought  was how hypo critic my society is towards women.We have  a set of values which we “project” and another in which we believe in.Now i have lived in India for all my life.The only “foreign” things i have consumed are the chocolates that family and friends bring in on their return trips from abroad .Much of my knowledge of the “foreign” society is limited to the Literature that i have read and of course,the Hollywood movies that i have watched over my growing years.So in short i am no expert in  Foreign Societies,in fact of no society at all,as i was much of an un-social animal for practically a large part of my life. Nevertheless I have observed – the way an old man stands by the sea and watches the waves go far away only to return and eventually learns when a Tsunami is on its way.Hence this post is nothing but an account of my “disturbing observations”.

In East India there every year around October -November we celebrate a festival called Durga Puja.The concept being that Good in the end wins against the Evil – the universal concept on which most of the religions ,if not all are based.The center of attraction is a deity called “Durga”(after whom of course,its called Durga Puja) who is the all powerful  Mother.She is the Creator.In most Hindu religions,the woman is seen as the Mother ,the Creator ,the Beginning and the whole Male world bows to her,grinding down the phenomenal Male Ego,to the deepest ground.

Now comes the interesting part,every year during the Durga Puja,the idols would be made from clay,not just any clay,the clay has to be the  Purest -of the best kind.The idols are not made everywhere,one the most skilled do it.One such hotspot location  is Kumar-tuli,Kolkata’s creative capital.And the artists who make it,borrow  it from the Holy River Ganges which flows through North and East India.While the whole wide world knows about the purity of the river Ganges,what most of the world does not know is this part  – The Clay is mixed with mud from a nearby Brothel,the Asia’s largest brothel.The reason is they believe is that even the most outcast should be a part of this Celebration.The Mother created all,a mother,a doctor,an artist and a prostitute.

A society which has such great beliefs commends a lot of respect from me.

Unfortunately things have not much changed for prostitutes  in the last 150 years in my county .If  you are wondering why am i speaking in favour of the prostitutes ,its probably because they are the most faraway points in the society, a word  some think can be used an antonym for “respect” .I speak for them because so few dare to. I do not intend to display my valor but change your opinion for them; for the better,to march you a step towards being a free man/woman.

Leave alone ,the fact that a prostitute’s innocent children are branded “bad”  for life and are often brought up as “unequals”.Can they be expected to live life like a “fully grown mature adult” ,when they have struggled for a “normal” life all their childhood?

When it comes to a religion it is  about piousness,purity and a woman is worshipped as a “Devi ” or diety in temples.Now look at the fishy “flipside” behavior of the same aspect .When a woman sells her body for money,she is looked down with disgrace ,shame and disgust. Now this model of “respect”,is where the beams of  hypocrisy lies  in  Indian society.In fact prostitution is considered such a  “dirty” word most Indian households,only a few would would dare to whisper the word in public,in fear of  being embarrassed and looked down with strange gaze. The land where a Kings had unaccounted courtships ,the land which gave the world Khajuraho and  “Kama Sutra” still lives with such beliefs is so hard to swallow .

We Men are very fond of one term – Being called a  “Man”. It has a kind of macho ism  to it .I think the day a  man learns to respect a prostitute just as much he respects any other lady  is the day he should call himself a true man.As about the ladies,I think they know best about the meaning of words respect and honour and how much it means to a woman.If one commands respect,one must pay respect as well.

The thing is  ” We care too much about what others are thinking about us, judging us and measuring us using their  not-so-complete-open midset.” Truth is noone puts in so much of an effort  to judge us.And even if some one does,it is not  of their business to do so. It is best not to care ,for even if a  million people say a foolish thing its still a foolish thing.

Fear is what drives Indian society today and probably a large part of the world  .Fear of death,fear of getting defamed ,fear of losing what they possess  and eventually fear of Living “unleashed”. Thankfully India is changing and at a rapid rate .People are waking up to the existence of their rights ,opening and embracing  people  with parallel thoughts with open arms.The “New India ” is no longer a blind follower of faith,of beliefs which are taken upon merely on someone’s word. We have moved past Sati  and child marriage ,i am optimistic that we can move past this as well.Today “We question,We Think,We Understand” and then we “Judge”,this is the Neo-India and i am sure that every nook and corner of the society which has so far been nothing more than a “Phantom”  will find its place in the mainstream Society,at least that is what i would like to believe.