Is there a fundamental clash between Indian culture and women’s rights?
R Sreelekha, IPS and writer The basic culture of India does not clash with women’s rights. Culture never changes. It can assimilate and absorb but the character never changes. Ancient Indian culture respected women as mother and as sustainer of life. For every Hindu God, there is an equivalent Goddess. So it never clashed with women’s rights. Today, people have twisted this. They give a different connotation to culture. And they deny rights to women. They don’t want women to have equal status with the men. Sitakant Mohapatra, Jnanpith winner Not a fundamental clash. But certain aspects of our traditions elevate women to the position of a goddess while, equally, there are references saying woman is the gateway to hell. The Shastric approach has duality, clearly visible even in today’s generation, which only superficially admits the equality of men and women. Though lip service is paid to women’s rights, male superiority has always been prominent. There is most definitely a faultline in
