Education and Rural Women

India dreams of becoming a superpower by 2020, but quite ironical is the fact that the country whose population has crossed one billion mark, has literacy rates quite comparable with the underdeveloped countries (and in some cases even less than these countries). The literacy rates for male and female (according to 2001 census) stands at 75.85 percent and 54.16 percent respectively. Various programs initiated by the state like Total Literacy Campaign, the District Primary Education Program and National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education have done little to attain the goal. Further, the gap between the rural and urban areas and that between female and their male counterpart is quite substantial.

While the male literacy rate in urban areas is about 86 percent, rural female literacy rate is just 46 percent (2001 census). Several plausible reasons explain this difference. The first and foremost of course, is the way the parents perceive the female education. Since the very beginning the role of female is confined to domestic work and looking after children. The tradition of settling at husband’s place after marriage, does not offer enough incentive to parents for spending on girls’ education. A boy’s education is far more important as it enhances the chances of his being employed. Another reason is the prevalent trend of early marriage in rural areas. In most villages, girls’ education, rather than being seen as an incentive is seen as a liability. It is difficult to find a groom for an educated girl.

These are not the only reasons responsible for the low level of female education. Though one cannot deny that gender inequality is, by and large, responsible for the situation, but several other factors also work in this direction. Very often, the parents who are willing to educate their daughters are discouraged by the absence of school within the surrounding area and it is not considered safe to send girls to another village to study. However, this is not true for most of the villages now. But even in villages where there are schools, the standard of infrastructure is abysmally low, be it management of classes, student-teacher ratio, availability of text books, or even furniture, these schools lack in every sense. This discourages the parents to get their children enrolled in these schools. There are incidences of under qualified staff being employed in educational institutions. The meager salaries that are offered by the government do not provide enough incentive to attract the talent to these schools for employment. Grimmer is the condition of scheduled caste female education. The recent figures show that the scheduled caste female literacy rate is dismal 19 percent (2001 census). This shows that the age old discrimination based on caste is still prevalent. This is really disheartening and shows that in spite of numerous schemes being launched by the government, the downtrodden classes still face social stigma and there is a lot to be done for the upliftment of these classes.

However, talking of female literacy, one cannot ignore the achievement of southern states in terms of female education. The states’ performance in terms of social indicators is often proportional to economic growth. But in India’s case rich states like Punjab and Haryana have lower literacy rates as compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala has performed really well since 1990s in fields of health and education, mainly due to the matriarchal pattern of their society. Himachal Pradesh has also managed to do significantly better than other states in relatively shorter span of time. Major credit for this goes to the political action in the state. The success of government’s initiatives often depends on the cooperative action of the community. The illiterate people are often unable to put pressure on the state governments and school authorities, and so, they can easily get away with the blame. Huge amount provided in the budget for expenditure on education does not reach to the grass root level due to the endemic corruption. Thus lack of accountability is often responsible for ramshackle infrastructure of government schools.

Education, under nutrition, and gender discrimination are all interrelated. For example, infant’s health depends on the care taken by mother during pregnancy which in turn depends on her education and also the education in the community. Further, an educated mother is better equipped to help her children in studies. So, there is a need for change in the social attitude of rural people towards women. Also, the standard of government schools’ infrastructure needs to be raised. The salaries of staff should also be raised to make them more committed. Other states should learn from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu so that the goal of achieving universal education does not remain a distant dream.

Role of Youth In Indian Politics

Democracy is the buzz word for our political system. But is it really so? Is it democracy that a nation where a majority of population is below 40 elects a majority of people above 60 to power? Are we really satisfied with the way our country is being governed? Should it not bother us that at the age people generally take retirement and rest, our politicians actually become eligible to be at the helm of affairs? Why is it so that people below 50 years are considered as political ‘kids’? 

 The country desperately needs some young leaders who personify energy, enthusiasm, morality, and diligence. No doubt we have progressed a lot in the last 63 years but the development pace would have been completely different had some young torchbearers led this process of development.

At the time of independence, Gandhi called upon the youth to participate actively in the freedom movement. Young leaders likes Nehru came to his reckoning and led the movement. But this is not the case now. Nowadays we have only a handful of young leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Varun Gandhi etc, but they are in the political scenario because they belong to influential political families. It is next to impossible to find a young leader with no political family background in the furor of politics .

There can be two reasons for this deplorable scene of Indian politics. One may be that the youth today are not interested in actively participating in the political field. They are content with what they are doing and how the country is being governed. But this reason seems to hold no ground seeing the discontent shown by the youngsters towards cases like reservation, Jessica Lal murder case etc. The youth of modern India are aware of the problems facing our country and the world at large. Given a chance they would be ready to change the political condition of the country for better.

Second reason may be that young people are not given opportunities to prove themselves claiming that they are not equipped with experience to participate actively in the governance of the country. This reason seems to be more logical seeing the monopoly of old leaders in almost all the major political parties of the country. Old people should realize that proper development can take place only when they make way for younger people to take control of the activities.

There are few things which need to be clarified. One that youngsters do not mean people who are 20 years old with no experience at all. Youth in this context is meant to refer people in their 30’s or early 40’s with a good mix of energy and experience. Two, it is not intended to mean that old people should leave the political scene and rest. What is wanted is that they should be there but for guidance because they are treasures of invaluable experience.

There are a few things which I would like to suggest. There should be a retirement age for politicians as well which may be around 65 years. There should also be some educational qualification for politicians. How can we give those illiterates the key to our country whom we can not give the key to our house? People with serious criminal background should not be allowed to contest elections.

 As for the youth of our country, they can contribute in more ways than just contesting elections. Much can be done in areas like educating people, raising awareness about various social ills, and many other areas.

We can just wish that the next time we go to vote we find more names of youngsters who can make our country a better place to live in.

Women and Media

The last few decades have seen tremendous changes in the lifestyles of men and women across all over the globe and particularly so in our own country. Globalization, market economics and above all, fast strides in technology have affected virtually all facets of life be it religion or education , politics or employment, fashion or health care. With the advent of computers and telecommunications, media has also undergone a sea of change. Media in India, which until a few years back used to comprise of the morning newspaper, the radio broadcasts and the sole television network screen images of “doordarshan”, comprises today of a dazzling and at times mind boggling array of communication devices. The media, which was earlier merely a reporting device, is today a vibrant means of shaping, molding and influencing public opinion.

However, in spite of all these changes, the media has not managed to overcome the typical stereotypes that are associated with women in India. While there are certain departures from this, the fact remains that by and large, there is a huge potential for better and a more realistic projection of women. It does not require any detailed analysis to conclude that the media is in a state of confusion and are perhaps unsure of the way they want to see women. On the one hand they still have this eternal image of a woman who is confined to the boundaries, duties and responsibilities of her home and her family.

Even a contemporary TV advertisement, like that of “Moov” is based on the same philosophy. The lady in this advertisement is shown as the single person doing all the housework, and attending to the whims and fancies of all her family members, from her husband to kids, to mother and father-in-law, and simply everybody. She is allowed a break from her work only when she cries out in pain from a backache. And then the family decides to recognize her presence by passing a tube on ointment around, and the husband offering to apply the ointment for her. But those moments of respite are few, as she is back on her feet the moment the pain recedes, and the bombardment of orders and requests begin again. The docile, subservient nature of the woman is apparent, although not meant to be so perhaps!!

Another image of women in India that has grown in the recent years is the one that we have aped from the west and which gradually is gaining momentum. This is the portrayal of the woman as a showpiece or an icon of glamour. We hardly come across an advertisement these days where we don’t see a pretty model beaming at us, be it the advertisement of a new model car or that of a cold drink. We see the advertisement of the new “Maruti Zen” where the tiger stalks a young woman in a dark alley. The advertisement had to be withdrawn due to public pressure.

In other words, the portrayal of women in the Indian media oscillates between these two extremes: the “mother India” and the “glamour girl” image.

What the media does not see and project is the image of a woman as a serious partner in decision-making, a serious contender as a professional: doctor, engineer, teacher or a computer specialist, a serious politician or leader. This is so in spite of the fact that we have today a large number of working women, and there is hardly any field that does not have women representatives. We have women administrators, entrepreneurs, doctors, police women, computer specialists, politicians and most surprising the entire media business is full of women practically performing all types of activities.

It is indeed a very sad phenomenon. For example, companies like Wipro, Infosys, IBM, Microsoft etc employ almost equal number of men and women. But when it comes to a TV advertisement regarding computers, we always find that it is the projection of a man behind the monitor!! The woman has to use ‘fair & lovely’ and wear a pink dress to become a cricket commentator.

There is no end to such examples and though “India is shining” and we have progressed by leaps and bounds, the fact remains that the usage of women as perceived in our country oscillates between these two extreme stereo types.

Women Reservation Bill

Women Reservation Bill seems to be one of the cardinal achievements of our central government.  A sizable majority of Indians are immensely appreciative of the terms of this bill. Yet, how many of us have actually looked into what this Bill intends to do and how its numerous attributes will set out in achieving their goals. As an ordinary citizen, the Bill may seem inconsequential to me and many may say that the Bill in no way influences me; yet this issue has been very close to my heart and I have longed for the opportunity to voice what I think this much celebrated Bill will do.

First, the Bill introduces 33% reservation for women in the central and state legislatures. Well, we may call it a way of empowering women today; but how many women will actually benefit from this Bill? How many women even know of any such Bill? A very small number indeed. It’s lamentable the way we look at the highest law-making organs in our country. The central and state legislatures are those bodies which play a huge role in all our lives. They are responsible to form policies, make laws, and assign finances to various sectors etcetera. Yet, what we are doing here is letting gender precede merit. If a male candidate is more efficient and competent than his female counterpart then is it fair in any way that the female candidate is given preference only because she is a woman? In bodies such as the central and state legislatures the country is in dire need of people who are able and proficient; we cannot at any cost compromise on the premise of ability.

The Bill seems to be flawed in its method of implementation. The idea of rotation of constituencies will lead to manipulation of these seats by political parties, ultimately beguiling the people under the garb of capacitating women. Take Rahul Gandhi for instance, he has been representing Amethi (his constituency) for quite some time. The people have elected him as their representative election after election. Now, when it will be Amethi’s turn to send a woman to parliament, an absolutely new candidate will be representing the people of Amethi, whether they like it or not. They won’t be left with much of a choice it seems. Where then are our democratic principals? Why should any Indian citizen be deprived of exercising his/her franchise in a way he/she deems fit?

The most erroneous part of the Bill is that it does not have any provision of sub-quotas. How then are we going to prevent it from being misused? Mr. Manmohan Singh, when asked in Parliament regarding the problem of sub-quotas replied by saying that, the various political parties should field women candidates from backward classes. This sounds ridiculous when argued that if parties had political maturity enough to field candidates from backward classes in the name of women emancipation then why is there a need for such a Bill at all? Parties ought to field adequate women candidates only in the first place. What this loop-hole will do is rather predictable. Wives, sisters, daughters and nieces of powerful politicians and civil servants will be occupying these reserved seats, whereas behind them the male politicians will be calling the shots. Thereby, making a mockery of the entire system of electoral representation.

Last but not the least, the founding fathers of our constitution provided for reservation as a temporary prerequisite of governance. This has not only been procrastinated for 6 decades, but also this provision has invaded every sphere of our nation. Women don’t need hand-outs! It’s high time we realize what is really required to empower women. It is education, for men and women alike. Primary, secular, unbiased, ethical and uncorrupted education. Education is crucial in crafting our country and people. We have to stop looking at reservations as the panacea to all our problems. Sheer equality can only be achieved if all are able to compete as equals. Lofty as it may sound, yet this is the need of the hour. It is indeed lugubrious that our politicians don’t ever understand that.

The blackberry boys..

Blackberry was introduced in the market as a smart phone which was targeted at business men. It was sold on the USP that it can perform multi functions and easy web browsing. However as markets can be dynamic and unpredictable, it was soon seen that Blackberry appealed to the whims and fancies of even the youth. Marketers were quick to note this transition and put on their thinking caps to woo the young adults.
 
The new Vodafone Blackberry commercial very aptly depicts the change in the way Blackberry is consumed today. Businessmen are not the only ‘Blackberry Boys’, today amongst the youth, it is a style statement and ice breakers in many conversations. The youth have embraced it in a way that has never been done before.

The new commercial begins with five men in classy business suits, dancing and singing ‘We are the Blackberry Boys’. The men are soon joined with hundred other people, all dressed in collegian outfits. The message almost seems to be, “Back away businessmen, Blackberry is ours too’. The expressions of the men in suits change hilariously, as they are surrounded with young individuals, singing what was apparently their song. The jingle is catchy and peppy.

Blackberry is beyond just office work. Teenagers and young individuals are already using Blackberry to surf the net and to chat and connect with friends. Today parents can afford to purchase a 15 or 16 K phone for their kids, but the monthly expenditure goes out from their pockets.Blackberry has recognized their market in the youth a while ago, which explains the Blackberry being available in vibrant colours now. This ad campaign has charmed everyone to such an extent that it is all over social networking sites and hot topic in conversations.

Indian television is now coming of age

The current brouhaha over some reality TV shows marks how Indian television is coming of age. The decision of the government to shift Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Insaaf to late-night slots is sensible, yet it would have been better if this gesture had come from the producers of the shows themselves. It is never a good idea for the media to force the government to intervene in matters of creative expression. At the same time, TV producers must be tuned not only to the desires of society but also to propriety.

As for those who grumble about the low standards on reality TV, there is one easy response: do not watch it. As long as the producers and channels follow existing laws, they are well within their rights to broadcast their programmes. It is undoubtedly true that such shows pander to some of the worst excesses of human sentiment. But so what? People have as much a right to be lowbrow as they have to be snobbish or high-minded. Reality TV appeals to our atavistic desire to peep and pry into other people’s private lives and this fits with the current zeitgeist, where you have to live your life in full public view to full public scrutiny. It is true for A Raja as much as it is for Rakhi Sawant.

Dowry

Though Indians miss no opportunity to boast of their richness, the provincialism and chauvinistic mannerism manage to dictate their perceptions at critical junctures. The future of modern living would certainly get dominated by saga of depression and pains if we don’t come to annihilate futile man- made complexities.

However, the marriages in India turn out to be testing times for bride’s parents even as they leave no stone unturned to dissipate the whims and fancies of bridegroom’s family. To an extent, the bride’s parents never hesitate to resort to unfair means to serve the demands of boy’s family.

No doubt, as per of provisions of law to enter into dowry related deals is a crime, the compulsions of pragmatic approach turn them redundant. This whole tamasha (drama) takes place with least resistance from either sides as it’s a ‘prestige issue’ for both of them. One cannot expect miraculous changes in future unless the newer generation gets determined to checkmate such unholy practices.

For instance, Radhika  Agarwal’s dowry death is not a stray case. In June, 2010 two judges, a father-son duo, were arrested for demanding dowry from the daughter-in-law.

There are many more such cases that go unreported. Just visit your local police station and you’ll be shocked to see an average of at least 60 pending dowry cases every month.

Dowry menace is prevalent among the rich, well educated and high profile people in society too. A few crores of rupees to start life with, partnership in the family business and a fully funded honeymoon are a few requests which they feel they have a right to ask. They view marriage as a source of regular income and feel no remorse in demanding the moon from the bride and her family.

Sadly the archaic society view an unwed or divorced daughter is a burden or symbol of a doomed life and this prevents parents from supporting their child. Girls are told to adjust and compromise. Nobody realises that only if one is in a happy marriage are you blessed. Otherwise you are better off single. Ill-treatment at the first instance should be punished, not accepted. Marital status should not be given priority, happiness should. Girls should learn to stand up for themselves, work towards being financially independent.