WOMEN'S DAY - YET AGAIN

So there are a million messages floating around today on how to respect the women in our lives, how each of us idolises the women we have seen as we grew older, marketing gimmicks and sales sprees in every segment - from flowers to furniture, from jewellery to kitchen appliances. This day irks me because some factions of the society go all out to “celebrate” women and another faction spearheaded by many ‘fe-male chauvinists’, not just feminists, claim that they should be respected everyday and they are asking for equality and not specialty treatment. I am also happy this day exists - it goes to show that there is atleast scope for discussion that there is a need for improvement in overall quality of life for women in general. I speak not as a women, but as a human being - not an animal that needs special rights and training. But I pose this question - should I be ‘asking’ for respect?
 
This day is a western thought - this statement dilutes the importance of the argument and brainwashes the masses to think that Indians by default love their women, so its okay to not conform to the western idea of celebrating women. We need to understand that the word love can be a very toxic notion in India - one that entitles the ‘lover’ to show their love for the ‘lovee’ in any way they see fit. And this love is exclusive - afterall you cant love everyone - so the rest by default, should warrant respect, affection, recognition, assistance, guidance and chivalry. Huge problem here is all of these qualities in both men and women - were considered normal and virtues of everyone in the Indian society, always. It ‘was’ the factory setting of the Indian system. The underlying notion today, forgive me for stereotyping, is that if a man does all this for a woman, they are ‘BEING A MAN’, and if they do it for men, they are BEING. and if a woman does this for a woman, they are ‘BEING FEMINIST’ and if they do it for men, they are ‘BEING SUPPORTIVE’. The factory setting today has multiple inputs and applications that are not only homegrown and thats how the world as a system becomes ONE society at large, and we cant confine ourselves to the boundaries of only India.  
 
How long are we going to talk about Rani laxmibai or Sarojini Naidu or Indira Gandhi only on Women’s day? They are great role models and they demand respect. that is the case with all the role models we identify with - be it freedom fighters or heads of states/country or business personnel - man or woman was not the criteria. But that’s how the society was - everyone commanded respect, support and recognition, regardless of stature. Mind you, I say commanded and not deserved as I believe to be deserving itself makes for a lack of balance where is one already has something that the other doesn’t. When you say command, it gives everyone a status uniformly. We, the segment of society that has the privileges of good education, family support and exposure need to expand our mindsets and spread the word of creating a space where every person is comfortable in their space- regardless of gender, age, status, sexual orientation, in a way to make it a more cohesive society, together instead of instigating and provoking discussions that further fragment the future that we all want to create.
 
We can always point fingers as to why the society is degrading- objectifying women in entertainment sector, lack of exposure in poorer sections of the society, corruption, population increase of certain factions, poor safety and security and the list of arguments goes on - but majority fo these reasons are outcomes of us turning a blind eye at some point, as it doesn’t affect us directly. Where we are today, as a society, is a culmination of decisions taken cumulatively, as a population through the past decades as a growing country. Foundations that were laid were strong, but compromises and choices that are made everyday have created the disarray we perceive today, and this image is tainted as the benchmarks we base these evaluations themselves are skewed- they are passed down as ideal stories but not as the way to live or as values to imbibe.
 
In my opinion, it will truly be Happy Women’s Day when there is a day without any misdeed against anyone. Ideal much?? An Indian has to dream for many such dreams may actually change the course we take as a People, as a Force, as a Society.