Today’s Draupadi By Jayant Mishra, Dhanbad, India
Draupadi had the misfortune of being married to the five brothers – Pandavas, according to the Indian Epic – “Mahabharata”. If it was not enough, her husbands offered her as a bet in their gambling and eventually lost her. She was brought to the King’s court and then the winners tried to strip her. Lord Krishna was there to save her from this humiliation.
No such luck for Binodini, a young woman from the state of Orissa. Her Brother-in-law challenged the whole village to defeat him in the game of cards and offered his young sister-in-law as bet. He eventually lost and the girl was made to marry the winner, the very next day.
The girl was first happy on this ‘dowry less’ marriage, but later she was horrified to know that she was put on stake like a property or and animal. Who has given us the rights to do something as disgusting as this?
Is this what our country has become? Is this what we have to offer after 60 years of independence? Or is this what we give back to the women who gave birth to you, me and everyone else?
My head hangs in shame as a man.
Small babies are being molested. Young girls are being betted upon, raped, burnt for dowry. This week only, a female doctor was raped and left in a near dead condition in New Delhi. Some foreign tourists were also the victims of this menace. Is this what we want to show to the world? This is not the “Incredible India” we are trying to make.
Just economical development and better lifestyle doesn’t make us a better country or society. We have to develop our soul and thinking. The least we can do is to respect our women.
Where is the old saying of India – “Gods roam around in the country where women are honored”?
Let us unite and take an oath to respect women. If we can’t respect the very life – force of nature, we can’t call ourselves as human being.
I wonder where the over zealous panchayats disappear to on such occasions? The public now takes on so much activism in beating criminals to death and maligning people they think are morally incorrect that why dont they stop such indignities too?
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its horrible. you are right, women are treated like "property". don't we have any say in our own life? who was that man to decide the fate for the poor girl! its simple not permissible. i hope the authorities take proper action
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Hey Jayant,
That was quite a heartrending story! It's really sad that at many places, women are still considered a property or rather a sort of prize money to be won and lost. Still, we consider ourselves one of the most civilised societies!!! Such atrocities on women must be stopped at all costs.
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And what do our law-keepers do... I wonder...?
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Dear Sunita, chayya, neha, Irene - thank you for your feedback. its really sad to see women treated in such a manner. we must unite and do something about it. the law-keepers must be made accountable - agree with u Irene
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Even this week there have been a couple of incidents of this genre reported...Where are the law makers?
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