By Justice Markandey Katju
Most people hero worship famous political leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Lenin, etc or brilliant military commanders like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon
I too hero worship many of them. But my greater heroes are many who are anonymous. In particular, I salute the brave women of the Indian subcontinent, who are selflessly and anonymously feeding their families and looking after them and their homes on the small incomes of their husbands or their own. They usually do back breaking work the whole day of washing clothes, cooking, looking after the children, and keeping the house clean. Some, apart from looking after their homes and families also supplement the family income by doing some outside work.
It is estimated that about 57% Indian women are anaemic, which means they do not get enough to eat.
Yet they prefer to first feed their children and husbands, rather than eat themselves. Should we not admire them ? I regard them as our real heroes.
As submitted in this article, women are intellectually the equals of men. Yet they are often oppressed and discriminated against.
It is the people's revolution, which I see coming in 10-15 years from now, which will set up a social and political order in which our women will be truly emancipated.
I conclude by quoting verses from the great Tamil poet Subramania Bharati who wrote (around 1908-1910) powerful verses in favour of women’s emancipation. In fact he wrote this at a time when probably no one in India, or even in foreign countries, even thought of women's emancipation, and thus he was far ahead of his times :
“Gummiyadi Gummiyadi Nadumughudum
Kulungida thaikotti Gummiyadi
Nammai pidiththa pisasugal poyina
Nanmai kandomendru Gummiyadi
Ettaiyum pengal thoduvadhu teemaiyendru
Enniyirundhavan mainduvittar,
Veettunkulley pennai pootivaipomenra
Vindhai manidhar thalai kavinghhar”
(Dandiya-dance to celebrate women’s emancipation) :
“Dance oh friend dance, playing dandiya let it be with such
force that as you dance it shakes up and wakes up this entire Nation.
Let us dance to celebrate our emancipation from the ghosts
which were holding on to us for centuries. Let us celebrate our achievement.
Those who thought that if education was given to women it
would harm the society, are all dead today !
Those strange fellows who wanted women to be kept locked
inside their homes have now tasted their downfall !
So, oh friends ! Let us celebrate the emancipation of women
and dance playing dandiya”.
“Pudhumaip Penn” (The New Woman)
“Aanum Pennum Nigar Enakkollvathaal
Arivil O’ngi Ivvaiyagam Thazhaikkumaam”
(This world will achieve excellence in knowledge
and wisdom by holding men and women equal)
“Vilagi Veettilo’r Pondhil Valarvadhal
Veerap-Pengal Viraivil Ozshippaaram”
(Valiant women will soon eradicate the custom
of growing in seclusion in homes)
“Pengal Viduthalaik Kummi” (Women Liberation Song)
“Yettaiyum Pengal Thoduvathu Theemai
Endrenni Irundhavar Maaindhu Vittaar,
Veettukkulle Pennai Pootti Vaippom Endra
Vindhai Manithar Thalai Kavizhndhaar”
(Those who thought that it was a sin for women to
touch books are dead; the incredible men who
wanted to lock the women inside their homes now
hang their heads in shame)
“Kangal Irandinil ordrai kuththi
Kaatchi Kedutthidalamo
Pengal arivai valarthal, vaiyyam
Pedamai attridum kaaneer
(from a poem titled “Murasu”)
(Out of the two eyes, if you pierce and destroy
one, are you not spoiling your own vision? In fact,
if you educate the women, the backwardness
which grips this world will vanish automatically.”)
“Pattankkal Aazhvadum Sattankkal Seivathum
Paarinil Penkal Nadatha Vanthom
(Women have come up now to get degrees, to legislate, and rule in the world.)
Women of the Indian subcontinent, I salute you
(Justice Katju is a former Judge, of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
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