"Laxman Rekha"

“Laxman Rekha.”

The debate on the subject is interesting for the interpretations. The MP minister Vijayavargiya made a statement meaning that women should keep within the Rekha. Sita crossed the Rekha and was kidnapped by Ravana. Earlier Mohan Bhagawat, the Sarsanghachalak of RSS stated that rapes occur in India but not in Bharat thereby meaning that the modern westernized lifestyles in urban areas are the cause of violence and rapes against women. In Bharat meaning the rural villages are free of crime against women since there is the tradition of respecting women remains. While disagreeing with the MP Minister the BJP did defend the Sarsanghachalak on Bharat vs India. According to later India following Western ways in the urban areas are not following the ancient maryada but the Bharat in villages is not affected by the phenomena and there women are respected and so feel safe. But the essence of those statements is the same. The question is as what maryada is and who prescribe it. Yes, Sita did cross the maryada and suffered the consequences including exile from kingdom. What was the maryada breached by Draupadi when she was dragged out of her place to the assembly of Dhritarashtra when she was having her period. She was mother of five youngsters. She was humiliated, disrobed and taunted to desert Pandavas. No one came to help but the unseen hand of the god. The BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad who was eloquent should answer the question to claim that the ancient tradition of Bharat is respect to women. There are other examples from our epics that says something else than just maryada. In case of Sita it was the younger brother of her husband who made the maryada to Sita. This shows the male dominated society in Bharat and today in India. Bhagawat further explained that the marriage is a social contract and wife should be at home and husband earns and protect his wife. This advice is in keeping with age old teaching of Manu that is more than 2000 years back. Bhagawat reiterating it today should have thought of of the results of following such a dictate today. There very many women without fathers, sons and or husbands to take care of them. Who will look after their welfare and how to protect them? What the BJP leader Sushama Swaraj should do; move out of politics and get into her kitchen? Then what should all those Sadhvies who are part of the sanghaparivar to do? The teachings of Manu and all other Smrities are ingrained into the mindset of all Indians from time immemorial. There is no need to teach them these rules separately. They are passed from generation to generation for thousands of years. This is further confirmed by the utterances of one of the famous godman Asram Bapu when he said that victims of rape are equally responsible for the crime. Victim should have begged for release saying that all of them are her brothers. One more from an unexpected quarter. The JD(U) chief and also convener of the right wing NDA hailed Khaps as upholding safety of women by insisting in same caste marriages and against inter-caste ones. As long as this mindset remains mostly accepted by females also, there will be no limit to harassment, mistreatment and violence against women in our nation.  

K.N.Krishnan, Navi Mumbai.