Story 1: King Yayati was a lustful king, famed to bed a new woman per day. When he was cursed by Shukracharya, his son's youth was given to Yayati, to restore his virility, so that Yayati can continue his sexcapades.
Story 2: King Shantanu fell in love with a fisherwoman, and wished to marry her. Prince Devavrat took a vow of celibacy so that Shantanu can marry the girl. The point to be noted here that at this time Devavrat was already a grown up, marriageable prince. I am assuming Shantanu was this middle aged guy. Why couldnt Devavrat ask his father to contain his urges?
Story 3: The fisherwoman in concern has a story of her own. A sage lusts after her, and she asks for a boon of restored virginity, that their encounter remain a secret. The point to be noted here is that the woman has been operating a ferry since many years, surely she is going to be a strong woman and a good swimmer. On the contrary there is a good chance that the sage has been penancing for years and is a wizened old man. The woman has a oar in her hands which could have been used to plant a solid whack on the lusty old man's head and protect herself. Many authors praise her presence of mind to ask for a boon..but only deepika chides her "absence of presence of mind" to defend herself in the 1st place.
Story 4: Seeta could lift "Shivadhanushya" and play "ghoda ghoda" with it as a child. So I am guessing she is a strong woman. Still when she is abducted she has to call Jatayu/ Ram for help. It is said that Seeta knew that her destiny was to be the cause for Ram to kill Ravana. How about a story where Seeta defends herself, till Ram returns and he finishes up the task.
Draupadi is a tad bit smarter. She engages Jayadratha in a word duel. It does not avert her abduction, but postpones it enough till her male "saviours" are close enough to free her.
Story 5: As soon as defeat was eminent, Rajput queens jumped into a funeral pyre (Jauhar) to save their honour from the marauders. None of the queens who hail from a warrior caste are trained in swordsmanship or archery to defend themselves? Is death their only option left to save themselves?
Story 6: For the last several hundreds of years, sons and daughters of India are raised with these stories told at bedtime. The underlying subconscious message that percolates is that a man can do anything in the world to satisfy his lust. A sage can defile a woman, a father can ask his own son to transfer his youth to him, a father can seek an alliance when he is old enough to be a granddad..
Subconcious message 2: A woman always needs a man to defend herself. At the most she can ask for a boon or two, but there is no whacking someone on head with an oar, or no wrestling with her abductor.
Sure, there are warrior women like Kaikeyi, Jijamata, Rani Tarabai, Mastani, Rani Chennamma, Chandbibi or Rani of Jhansi, a minor number compared to the other weaklings in history. Rani of Jhansi should be specially lauded to have a batallion of women. Hindu Kings in India were always in the state of war with Mughal invaders. What should be noted that the Mughals invariably had a huge army Vs a much smaller Rajput / Maratha army. In a war stricken history, wasting half the population by not training them to defend themselves is a sheer stupidity.
Making a law or 2 is not going to change male aggression to women. It is extremely deeply rooted, and we need to tackle it at the grassroots.
Story 2: King Shantanu fell in love with a fisherwoman, and wished to marry her. Prince Devavrat took a vow of celibacy so that Shantanu can marry the girl. The point to be noted here that at this time Devavrat was already a grown up, marriageable prince. I am assuming Shantanu was this middle aged guy. Why couldnt Devavrat ask his father to contain his urges?
Story 3: The fisherwoman in concern has a story of her own. A sage lusts after her, and she asks for a boon of restored virginity, that their encounter remain a secret. The point to be noted here is that the woman has been operating a ferry since many years, surely she is going to be a strong woman and a good swimmer. On the contrary there is a good chance that the sage has been penancing for years and is a wizened old man. The woman has a oar in her hands which could have been used to plant a solid whack on the lusty old man's head and protect herself. Many authors praise her presence of mind to ask for a boon..but only deepika chides her "absence of presence of mind" to defend herself in the 1st place.
Story 4: Seeta could lift "Shivadhanushya" and play "ghoda ghoda" with it as a child. So I am guessing she is a strong woman. Still when she is abducted she has to call Jatayu/ Ram for help. It is said that Seeta knew that her destiny was to be the cause for Ram to kill Ravana. How about a story where Seeta defends herself, till Ram returns and he finishes up the task.
Draupadi is a tad bit smarter. She engages Jayadratha in a word duel. It does not avert her abduction, but postpones it enough till her male "saviours" are close enough to free her.
Story 5: As soon as defeat was eminent, Rajput queens jumped into a funeral pyre (Jauhar) to save their honour from the marauders. None of the queens who hail from a warrior caste are trained in swordsmanship or archery to defend themselves? Is death their only option left to save themselves?
Story 6: For the last several hundreds of years, sons and daughters of India are raised with these stories told at bedtime. The underlying subconscious message that percolates is that a man can do anything in the world to satisfy his lust. A sage can defile a woman, a father can ask his own son to transfer his youth to him, a father can seek an alliance when he is old enough to be a granddad..
Subconcious message 2: A woman always needs a man to defend herself. At the most she can ask for a boon or two, but there is no whacking someone on head with an oar, or no wrestling with her abductor.
Sure, there are warrior women like Kaikeyi, Jijamata, Rani Tarabai, Mastani, Rani Chennamma, Chandbibi or Rani of Jhansi, a minor number compared to the other weaklings in history. Rani of Jhansi should be specially lauded to have a batallion of women. Hindu Kings in India were always in the state of war with Mughal invaders. What should be noted that the Mughals invariably had a huge army Vs a much smaller Rajput / Maratha army. In a war stricken history, wasting half the population by not training them to defend themselves is a sheer stupidity.
Making a law or 2 is not going to change male aggression to women. It is extremely deeply rooted, and we need to tackle it at the grassroots.
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