Daughters are 'property' !

 

"A painting is like a girl ­.  She should be where she belongs - not with the, painter", said the arty looking man who was probably showing off his weird creations to me.  I was more interested in his theory than his paintings.  'What do you mean about the girl?”  I asked, "Ah!  So you are 'a feminist.  See, what I meant was - her parents should not keep a girl at home.  She will shine better when she goes to her in-laws.  The same way, a, painting...”  I had no inten­tion of listening further and walked out.  When is this myth going to stop circulating?  If there is one refrain, which has been taken up over the years, it is, 'Beti paraya dhan hai'.  To begin 'with, it’s no doubt flattering to be referred to as 'treasure' but why pray should she be treated like a borrowed pair .of earrings which has to be restored to the rightful owner?

“She shines best, who marries first", my grandfather used to say, but that was so many years ago when except for finding a husband, a girl was given no option, while the son would be allowed to study and work.  Naturally, he was more lucrative to the family as an ear­ning member.  The daughter became a bhoj or liability, which they wanted to pass on to the nearest bidder.  The whole transference of 'Property' had to be glossed over with sentimentality, so the 'treasure' was handed over amidst tears and soppy farewells.

This ‘jewel’, which was sent to 'shine' where she belongs, invariably ended up by glowing so much, that often she would end in cinders.  Strange how history repeats itself in some cases!

I wish there was a mental broom, which would help peo­ple, clean their minds of certain concepts that have come down the centuries.  The first piece of garbage that will have to be swept off is the whole aura of strange ideas that surround a woman.  It's high time everyone realised that a woman is as much a normal human be­ing as a man, but endowed with certain physical and mental qualities that are what makes her a woman.

It's as simple as a coconut tree being different from a mango tree.  I don't think one can brand either being better than the other.  While the coconut fulfils a certain purpose of its existence, the mango tree does what it ought to.  If anyone argues that the coconut is bet­ter than a mango, he is stupid.  .  If the mango says it wants the same treatment that a coconut gets, and be considered equal ­ that's also silly.  As there is no question of superiority, there is none of equality.  You can't say that a coconut is better in ­ someone else's garden while the mango is fine in his own.  That is how it is with man and woman.  They are just two sides of the coin of creation.  The coin, non-existent without either side, has no value unless stamped well on both faces.  Whoever values the coin will have to value both faces.

It's only the mad who declare one side of it is more special than the other.  The sad part is that we have many mad people!