You Have Failed Your Goddesses

by with No Comment Featured

A close friend of mine emailed me an article this morning with a simple statement in the subject line, “This is crazy.” It was about the third rape incident in a week involving another teenage girl who was sexually assaulted and burned alive.

She was molested in her own home by a man who then doused her in petrol and set her on fire when she threatened to tell her family about the incident. What makes this terrible story even worse and fills me with rage and disgust is that one of the perpetrators who was arrested is her cousin.

Each woman is a Goddess in her own right. Songs are dedicated to them, stories and poems of bravery, courage, and love are written about them, and wars have been fought over them.

Women are the very foundation of our civilization; yet, for some unknown reason, we do not or perhaps will not acknowledge their worth or humanity.

No country in this world shows its lack of respect and disvalue for women more than India. There are 28 Goddesses in Hinduism, 28 powerful female entities that incorporate every known emotion and ability – from love and guidance to vengeance and wrath.

Millions of people in India as well as around the world worship them and go to unbelievable lengths to show their devotion and reverence, but for some inexplicable reason that admiration and respect does not transfer to the women that live within the Indian population.

Where and When did India fail its women? Well for starters, there is a strong possibility the female fetus will be aborted because of the stigma that women are a burden to the family, and that they cannot earn or inherit their family’s property and wealth like a male heir can. Moreover, baby girls are killed after birth, leading to a ridiculously skewed sex ratio. Those who survive this horrible rite of passage then face discrimination, prejudice, violence, and in extreme cases face neglect all their lives, regardless of being single or married.

TrustLaw, a news platform run by Thomson Reuters, has ranked India as the worst G20 nation for women to live. Their ranking is astounding, considering the fact that the leader of the ruling party, the speaker of the lower house of parliament, at least three chief ministers, and many sports, entertainment, and business icons in India are women.

In 2016, there were roughly 40,000 reported cases of rape in India. The majority of victims range between 16-30, and disturbingly enough 94% of the victims knew their offenders. Neighbors account for a third of the offenses, while parents and other relatives range of that scale as well. Today, India’s Capital Territory, Delhi, alone accounts for nearly 17% of the total number of rape cases in the country.

What makes this problem even more infuriating is that it is not just the act of rape, but kidnappings, abductions, killings, mutilations, acid attacks, and fire attacks as well. This type of violence can be related to disputes over dowry payments, human trafficking, rejection, and pure jealousy.

Research conducted by economists Siwan Anderson and Debraj Ray estimates that in any given year, nearly two million women go missing. Additionally, the economists learned that roughly 12% of the women disappear at birth, 25% die in childhood, 18% at reproductive ages, and 45% go missing at older ages.

Analysts claim that because the country is deeply entrenched in patriarchy and widespread misogyny, the attitude towards women is a reflection of that. Personally, I find that to be a cop-out and a pathetic excuse to allow these horrible acts of cruelty and violence to continue.

When a person commits a crime and the punishment is a slap on the wrist, how can we expect anything to change? How can we expect the men of India to do better? How can we expect them to appreciate women when the government itself is so incompetent and ridiculously slow to provide proper protection for women and harsher punishments for those who believe it is in their right to violate, rape, murder, burn, and molest at will?

This may sound like a rant, and you’re right, it is. I am one voice in a sea of millions of other voices lost on the ears of those who can do something but choose to do nothing. When will things in India change? When the nation as a whole realize that its most valuable treasure is not its history, or its temples, forts, tech hubs, or palaces; but its women.

How India decides to treat its women will determine India’s image to the rest of the world, and if they are worth the blessings and gifts their ancient Gods and GODDESSES bestow upon them.

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“A Mother’s Dream For Change: Taking the First Step Into The Unknown”

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My mom hated guests, guests that came with their sons who were looking for a “good” bride to bring home so she could cook, clean, and have dozens of children. My mom could see her entire life flash before her eyes if she was to remain in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for much longer. She had shared her concerns with her father, a man who took a practical approach to life and who could clearly see his daughter’s displeasure. Knowing the severe pushback, he was about to receive from my grandmother on the course of action he was going to take, my grandfather bought a one-way ticket for my mom to London and presented it to her early one morning. “Take this and go make something of your life,” My grandfather said. My mother was shocked, she knew how big of a deal this was… for a Sikh man to give his daughter a literal key to be free and to live life on her own terms. “She hugged my grandfather thanking him for this once in a lifetime opportunity, packed her bags and took the first step to creating a life for herself. That first step brought her to London, where she studied nursing and became a LPN (licensed practical nurse).

While exploring the wonders of England my mom met my father who was also working at the same hospital. The both worked overtime and fell in love, got married, to moved to Canada where my sister was born. After 8 years they moved to America, where I was born. This journey around the world made my parents experience a lot of different systems and cultures that were the identity of each respective nation. My mother will never forget the reception she received when she first walked into New York. “It was a dream come true to finally pass the numerous tests and interviews and immigration itself to know that this is where my son will be born. This is where he will grow up and find the path he needs to take to make his own life, on his own terms.” And she never let me forget it, the hardships that she and my father had to go through to get my sister and I here.

Her one piece of great advice for me was that you are born here, but too many of you will still be considered a foreigner. You need to push harder and educate yourself as high as you can to be the best you can be, because no one is ever going to give you anything. Being Indian and following the Sikh faith has taught me that all too well within the last decade. I remember the struggles of my parents and with each day I find new ways to better myself and work with organizations that promote awareness and the importance of the diversity in America. Being part of these organizations gives people like myself the opportunity to show the nation that there is nothing to fear about immigrants. That the land of the free was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of immigrants, and that only together can WE make this nation great again.