Acharya Tulsi
Education is a tradition of life. It brings about a refinement in one’s style of living and a change in one’s outlook. It is as much necessary for a woman as for a man. Educated women have made their own lives, brought culture to their families, and have also participated in social and national activities. On the other hand, the women who were deprived of education could not make any headway in the field of science and education; could not transform book knowledge into living experience, nor could they lead a proper life of their own. Education is not confined to merely becoming literate. Literacy is only a starting point. The mastery of letters is the beginning of a pilgrimage. Unless one lives whatever is taught through the medium of letters, the utility of education would remain questionable.
The woman living in villages and rural areas of the country continues to be under the curse of illiteracy even after four decades of independence. In fact, the grip of illiteracy, superstition and evil conventions is so strong that a rustic woman cannot even think of giving a new direction to her life. Even in the present atomic and space age, she stands in the midst of taboos which highlight her limitations as a woman. From time immemorial, if a woman brought up in the city culture and belonging to the intelligentsia enters a field of activity hitherto recognised as exclusively man’s her very womanhood becomes suspect. About a woman who does a man’s job or works by the side of men it is said, "She's no woman who treads the path of progress to retrace her steps? Otherwise, what is the harm if she makes use of her abilities in an unorthodox sphere of action?
Both man and woman are equal partners in the development of society. Under the circumstances, to be a woman is nothing to be ashamed of. However, in an environment which denies the individuality of a woman’s existence, to be born a woman is a great tragedy. The psychology and traditions of such an environment constantly hurt a woman's self-confidence. And a woman, whose mind is hurt, gets fragmented. For a woman with a split personality, to develop an integrated individuality is quite unimaginable.
A woman has many faces. One of these is that of a mother. Her children constitute a mother's whole world. ln this world, there can be no discrimination on account of sex. Whether it is a boy or a girl, a child is an inseparable part of its mother’s being. The warmth of her.love should equally extend to both—the boy and the girl. Even a physical or mental deficiency in a child is no bar to her boundless love. Sometimes, it has been observed, her attachment to a handicapped child is all the greater. Every mother wants to stand by her child who is in any way weak or neglected.
On the one hand, we have the inundating flood of love in a mother's heart, on the other hand the tradition of female foeticide and of killing girl-babies of birth. Only recently there was a furore in the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha over the tradition of killing the new-born girl-babies. Thoughtful people there were also exercised over the increase in the incidence of female foeticide. In a predominantly religion-oriented country like India, such happenings are, to say the least, undesirable. In this context, it is incumbent upon us to change the psychology of whole society, particularly that of women. Unless there is a change in women’s mentality, this blot on the face of human society will not be erased. The individual or the community that initiated this inhuman practice will never be forgiven by humanity.
The so—called civilized and cultured part of human society has readily accepted the culture of family planning. We have no quarrel with the concept of family planning. But we believe in self-restraint. The use of artificial means is a direct encouragement of uncontrolled sexuality. lf the people of India come to appreciate the value of self—restraint and moderation and resolve the problem of increasing population through self- control, a great many lateral issues will stand resolved of themselves.
In a planned family, two, to three children are considered to be desirable. lf the two children are a son and a daughter, the human environment stays balanced. But if out of three children in a family, two are boys and one girl, "the probability of a girl- famine sometime in the 21st century cannot be ruled out. When this probability gets stronger, it would not be surprising if the destruction of the female foetus, the killing of the new-born girl baby, and the dowry murders are condemned as despicable madness.
Anyone who believes in the doctrine of Karma, knows well enough where the cruel murder of a being endowed with the five senses will take him. But irrespective of religion or Karma, no man can deny the sanctity of human values. The problem of ensuring a secure and peaceful life for women in the country of Mahavira, Budha and Gandhi confronts us today so aggressively as to demand our immediate and concerted attention. The liberal postures adopted by those raising slogans of social reformation from the religious, social or political platforms, would be justified only when innocent female—embryos and new-born girl—babies are no longer divested of life.
