HYDERABAD: Every year, on March 8, International Women’s Day, men and corporate organisations conduct events to celebrate and applaud women’s success. City Express spoke to few to find out whether they really need it
Change needs to be intrinsic in every individual. With the changing women even the men need to change, only then will the country have a balance. Our country needs to celebrate everyday Women’s Day as a constant reminder of the cruelty we are facing until a time when Indian women are truly liberated.
Yamini Reddy,
renowned Kuchipudi dancer
Women across the country, are going through extremely tiring times. What is the use of celebrating Women’s Day, if we as a nation and civil society cannot guarantee protection of women? What is the use of this one day of sheer tokenism if there is no justice when a woman is wronged . What is the use of our police and judiciary, if justice is not severe and swift for such heinous crimes such as rape. In India attitudes and behavior coexist and clash. This mindset is further fuelled by absolutely regressive portrayal of women in most TV serials and films, which in turn reinforce the mindsets of people that is already trailing by a few centuries. Women with education and employment, in both rural and urban areas have moved ahead, but unfortunately most men are still nurtured in antique paradigms of how a woman is to be seen and treated.
The only way we can change this retrograde attitude is when punishment is severe and immediate for any such terrible act. The law and its implementation has to be so severe and swift that the deterrence factor will slowly change the mindset of such criminals. A strong and quick message has to go out that such heinous acts against women will not be tolerated by the nation. Only when we change this sick mentality can we call ourself as a progressive nation. Otherwise, Women’s Day celebrations is just tokenism, and we are only fooling ourselves as a society
Ananda Shankar Jayant,
renowned classical Indian dancer and senior bureaucrat
If people want to celebrate women for a day, we should definitely encourage it. Every women adores someone who makes a big deal about her existence. Too bad men don’t have a day dedicate to them. With the way our nation is progressing I am sure we are not far away from celebrating men’s day. The truth is we are celebrated every day as a daughter, mother, wife and homemaker.
Upasana kamineni,
the vice-chairman of Apollo Charity and chief editor of B Positive magazine