Durga Puja has brought fun and frolic around the country. People await this festival for many reasons; one of the reasons is the continuation of the celebrations that begin from this phase of the year until we all enter a new year. We welcome Goddess Durga with lot of love and devotion. Literally, one can see people dancing in the trucks and vehicles, while bringing the idol, and also while taking it for immersion. On one hand, while cherishing the power of victory of good over evil established by a Goddess, we drown ourselves in the glorious stories of her bravery. On the other hand, we forget how to offer respect to her human-incarnations. It is difficult to cut the threads of #MeToo incidences; illogical societal limitation; and hypocrisy that get tangled with each other to form a braid of injustice, injustice and injustice.
Dipped in the juice of prejudice and disparity, gender based discrimination and crimes are rejuvenated every second of the day and lashed on each and every girl or female who steps out of the house in the late evening; wears clothes that she loves; decides to chose her better half; in worse case gets raped, molested or kidnapped; and so on to result in slut shaming and throwing taunts and blames on her without having a second look at the culprit. It is like blaming the people of the house for the robbery occurred at their place even if the victims tried ensuring security, And, we are a part of this unjust society, so then what should we call ourselves? Hypocrites or humans? When the lashes cause blood ooze out of the body and hurt the victim, then we take a cloth dipped in diluted acid of unfair perceptions to dab on her wounds so to show sympathy while killing her slowly with the taunts and ‘imposed-shaming.’
Why do we do this? It’s hilarious that you still don’t get her crime. She is born as a girl. That’s the biggest error of her life. She should have fought with the God to not to make her the second creator of life after him. Else, she could have requested God to let her born in a place where females are treated well and equally if she were to really be born as a female, though that place doesn’t exist even in fairy tales. Since she couldn’t do any of this, then she is ought to be punished for it, right?
When she is shown empathy after she is tortured that is only meant to ensure that these poor second sexes get up and pull the lever of their life, dress up like Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga and join the fancy dress competition. At the same time the culprits would also make up for their demonic face and try to look angelic. If you have noticed the thin lines in these explanations that say: they must dress like the other goddesses but Kaali. She is meant to look pleasant, beautiful and graceful, not brave, ferocious and challenging as this may in some or the other way affect the male ego that exists in the patriarchal society in different shades. If you do take a new avatar of Kaali or Durga Maa, then your integrity and honour will be questioned, the way Tanushree Dutta's, Kangan Ranaut's, Rachel White's were questioned and like many other ladies who underwent the same.
The heights of hypocrisy and impaired perceptions, unfortunately, stand taller and stronger than the wisdom and the height scaled by the solidarity of some of us who have vested trust in the systems (of humanity; of faith; of divinity and of hope). No matter how long your measuring tape is, the word ‘conscience’ (of the rapists or any culprits, and people supporting them) will remain dwarfed. However, we believe in, and revere Goddess Durga, Saraswati, and Lakshmi. Hypocrisy, prejudices and social stigma still prevail, yet, quite proactively, we talk about education for all. Huh! What is the value of education that doesn’t refrain a person from being blindfolded from the truth and rights, and doesn’t let the educated mind differentiate between good and bad; correct and incorrect; and just and unjust? What is the value of education that ultimately lands many into the pool of #MeToo? We all need to be educated about the real meaning of life; real essence of equality and justice; and real essence of festivals, gods and goddesses.
The entire country is organizing celebrations in the form of jagrata, Navratri fasts, Dandiya DJ Nights, wearing amazing clothes; buying home decors; making the most of online shopping fiestas (like Big Billion Sale, Great Indian Sale, etc.) and what not, while yelling loudly “Zor se bolo, Jai Mata Di” (praising Goddess Durga). And here I am wondering what the heck is happening around, and how do all of it makes any real sense. At the end, that “puja thali” you would have bought especially for this festival will be dishonoured later, because one of the ten (at least) of those who dance while taking the Durga Ma’s idol will go home late and perhaps even drunk, and misbehave with their wife (not better, worse-half), further making her a part of silent #MeToo. Because the length of a girl’s dress; her movement in the darkness after 7 pm; and modernism will still (and always be targeted. Because, many would prefer to simply lock their daughters inside their house, instead of teaching their sons and others’ sons to be decent, human and respectful towards women. Because, one of the three men definitely thinks that women or girls to be weaker, so much that they can’t be independent (not even lift a bag of veggies, independently); hence, they need a stud-macho guy or simply a guy (as being a guy itself means being strong, macho or whatever you call it) to handle them as the women are always bad at steering the wheels. Apparently, as many sick hypocrites think, being a man means being human; being strong; and being ruly. And, didn’t many of the offenders of women who are now accused (with #MeToo) of harassment, molestation or rape, have always shown the divine-self (on camera) like Alok Nath? I wish I could have been able to say, “Zor se bolo, Jai Humanity.”
Anyway, while gulping the spirit of festivity and underlying principle of victory of good over evil, I strolled through many Durga Puja pandals before Ashtami as the roads go crazy with crazy crowds on other days to have a peaceful meet up with the Goddess. To visit the pandals and have a glimpse of the Goddess, insane crowd of so-called devotees is ready to crush anyone’s feet, push someone, compete for the quicker glimpse, hit someone, fight with someone to reserve a place for a clear view of the idol, and nearly kill some to see the beauty of the idol without even considering the fact that God or Goddess, resides in the heart that nurtures lotus like personality (beautifying a filthy and muddy place). At the end, they remark, “Wow, what a beautiful idol, decoration, pandal, etc.” and at the same time checking out their incentives, i.e. “prashad” or “bhog” as you may call it.
While navigating through the pandals of Guwahati, I found one with a unique concept in Shree Nagar area. At the entrance, you will be welcomed with the two divine eyes on both the sides of the entry with a long path with five hands on both the sides with a weapon in each. The path leads to: firstly to a small idol of Mahisasura being killed outside the main pandal; and secondly to the pandal with one eye on top of the entry of the main pandal. Collectively, it looks like the Goddess Durga with her ten hands, and three eyes (one eye being the third eye). The concept and the design looks alluring and pithy, but what matters here more is the depiction of Goddess Durga, and her powers. Goddess Durga is an epitome of valor and justice, and a portrayal of ideal feminine gender. While Mahisasura is like a collective blend of bomb of ill-thoughts and negativism thrown against women, like incidences of molestation, rape, sexual and mental harassment; slut-shaming; prejudicing her stance; locking up her freedom; and everything that is unethical, illogical and threatening to her existence. When a girl decides to stir the goddess in her and speak up with guts (#MeToo), she is considered either as impure, vulgar or an opportunist. Why? She is a female. She is meant to please everyone, but herself.
Remember, I mentioned about fancy dress competition? Well, this fancy dress competition also refers to the daily life in a society that believes in creating unfair and prejudiced systems for women, where at the max they’re allowed to look powerful are: during Ram Leela and Mahisasura Vadh scene in the festive stage plays, and during fancy dress sessions (done when the girls are really young), because when they start growing up they are fed with food and the art of concealing.
The art of concealing says that if you decide to go out of the conventional ways to speak up upfront and be a part of #MeToo campaign, then there are high chances that your rest of the life would be full of shame and shame. You’ll be disgusted. You’ll be doubted and looked at with dubiety. Plus, there’s absolutely no use praying God to get you born in a different country. Have you forgotten Harvey Weinstein’s case? Have you forgotten the video that showed many women crying and feeling bad for the victory of Donald Trump in the Presidential elections of USA? Have you also forgotten Nadia Murad, whose dream of owning a salon shattered into pieces as she was captured, enslaved, sold, raped and tortured by ISIS?
We worship Goddesses who reside in the heaven, yet we insult and act disrespectfully towards the Goddesses that breathe among us, and #MeToo is an example of it. Either, we try to kill her before they are born, and if by chance they are born then we try to make her life hell-like. Fortunately, not all are same; hence, the hope in humanity still prevails.
However, the question still floats, and since it is such an occasion, I would like to put forth that: when we worship female goddesses with utter devotion and sanctity, then why are we still fighting to achieve cent percent gender parity? Shouldn’t gender parity be existing in the first place? Why wouldn't goddesses be angry then? And, you all know what happens when any goddess, who stays calm like water usually, becomes angry.
I must admit, I am really desperate to say, “Zor se bolo, Jai Humanity.”
“Zor se bolo, Jai Equality”
“Zor se bolo, Jai Acceptance”
“Zor se bolo, Jai Women”
“Zor se bolo, Jai Gender Parity”
“Zor se bolo, Jai Mata Di”
This article is penned down by a female writer who wants a world with none of the women facing this grim situation to say, “#MeToo” or “#WeToo.”