Gender cruelty, discrimination: Why are there so many restrictions on women&#39;s daily lives?

Gender cruelty, discrimination: Why are there so many restrictions on women's daily lives?

By Harasankar Adhikari
Violence against women is always a serious and dangerous crime, and it causes social and psychological pain to every society, as well as a stigma to all civilised society. This discriminatory act is always a debated issue in every society. Women's physiological weakness (sex, body, and desire) is the fundamental reason behind it. In the men’s world, women are considered as erotic capital, consumable items, and a medium for all sorts of illegal acts. Infanticide, genocide, etc. is purposeful evidence of conscious torture. So, they are women, but they are not human beings in the male world.
Our old mythological scriptures (i.e., Sankhya philosophy) teach us to treat them as 'Prakriti'(nature), and their strength and beauty are respected to make generations alive. Without women, society would not exist. Their procreation and nurturing qualities are respected forever. And at the same time, seeds of violence are hidden within these qualities. Women's bodies and sex have become the most tangible platform of violence against them. We worship female deities cheerfully and pray for peace, wealth, and other happiness. But we neglect our living deities at home and outside. Isn't it a case of dual diplomacy/hypocrisy? Where are our religions, humanity, and "Adaitism'? Where is our equity and justice? Swami Vivekananda preaches "Adaitism" which means we are only a soul (according to C.Jung, soul is a substance that has independent existence). There is no gender, religion, race, or any other differences among souls. We are the only sons of the one-great father. When we treat others differently in respect of gender, religion, caste, class and other demands, we are making hail of our own. It is the only vice.
Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis says libido-sexual pleasure is the energy of life. He was criticised for this comment because the aim of life is not only the fulfilment of sexual pleasure. However, "Advaitism" teaches that we are born with a specific purpose in mind: to know ourselves. Our spirituality with the performance of all duties in family life can renunciate us. It is a system to respect each other and to live together peacefully. It is the only way to control our sexual and material needs and demands. It teaches equity and justice. No difference is being facilitated through this system. It is the way to make oneself a Sattva guni from Rajas and Tamas. This simplicity in life can control the level of mental life (unconscious, preconscious, and conscious) and the dynamics of the mind (Id, Ego, and Super ego).
Why are there so many restrictions on women's daily lives? Why are they being criticised for their dress, style, interaction with others, and so forth? Have they made their own choices? Is only the male political mind the responsible factor? Perhaps males have inferiority complexes because they are afraid of their creativity, nurturing power, and strength.
Will Hindutva politics ensure the liberty of women at home and outside? We are observing 75 years of independence. But our women are not free from male domination and male torture. Some laws, programs, and policies are not enough because they are for the fulfilment of political politics. The current President of India is an honourable woman from the most backward community. It is a matter of glory. But what would be the case for others?

Comments

Countrywide protest by gig workers puts spotlight on algorithmic exploitation

By A Representative A nationwide protest led largely by women gig and platform workers was held across several states on February 3, with the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claiming the mobilisation as a success and a strong assertion of workers’ rights against what it described as widespread exploitation by digital platform companies. Demonstrations took place in Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, covering major cities including New Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Mumbai, along with multiple districts across the country.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

Paper guarantees, real hardship: How budget 2026–27 abandons rural India

By Vikas Meshram In the history of Indian democracy, the Union government’s annual budget has always carried great significance. However, the 2026–27 budget raises several alarming concerns for rural India. In particular, the vague provisions of the VBG–Ram Ji scheme and major changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) have put the future of rural workers at risk. A deeper reading of the budget reveals that these changes are not merely administrative but are closely tied to political and economic priorities that will have far-reaching consequences for millions of rural households.

Penpa Tsering’s leadership and record under scrutiny amidst Tibetan exile elections

By Tseten Lhundup* Within the Tibetan exile community, Penpa Tsering is often described as having risen through grassroots engagement. Born in 1967, he comes from an ordinary Tibetan family, pursued higher education at Delhi University in India, and went on to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 2008 to 2016. In 2021, he was elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), becoming the second democratically elected political leader of the administration after Lobsang Sangay.

'Gandhi Talks': Cinema that dares to be quiet, where music, image and silence speak

By Vikas Meshram In today’s digital age, where reels and short videos dominate attention spans, watching a silent film for over two hours feels almost like an act of resistance. Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, “Gandhi Talks” is a bold cinematic experiment that turns silence into language and wordlessness into a powerful storytelling device. The film is not mere entertainment; it is an experience that pushes the viewer inward, compelling reflection on life, values, and society.

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.

Frugal funds, fading promises: Budget 2026 exposes shrinking space for minority welfare

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Ministry of Minority Affairs was established in 2006 during the tenure of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, following the findings of the Sachar Committee, which documented that Muslims were among the most educationally and economically disadvantaged communities in India. The ministry was conceived as a corrective institutional response to deep structural inequalities faced by religious minorities, particularly Muslims, through focused policy interventions.

Search This Blog