The great divide
V. MOHINI GIRI
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A woman who has never seen a mirror
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I was in Kodaikanal recently for a conference on the rights of Dalit and Tribal women in Tamil Nadu. I had attended the conference expecting the usual human rights violations, and other issues similar to those of other marginalised groups. Just one incident that I am about to narrate, was an eye opening experience for me.
I noticed a young woman with a baby in her arms. Her head was covered with her sari pallu and only her eyes were visible. She was beautiful, with a dusky complexion and large almond shaped eyes. I looked at her asked her if she knew how lovely she was. She smiled and replied “Is that so? I do not know what I look like, for I have never seen a mirror in my life”. A woman in India, in the 21st century, has not had the chance to see her own reflection in the mirror.
Theories of psychology tell us that a child does not develop a sense of his own being, without seeing his own reflection in his mother’s eyes, smile and love. If this woman, and others like her, cannot see her own reflection, it is more of a reason for us to jointly serve as her mirror, reflecting back to her, her dreams, aspirations, and rights.
Glaring disparity
The gap between tribal and rural India, and the towns and cities is truly remarkable. There is such a great disparity between our perspectives on where India stands today, and theirs. We look at an India that is emerging on the world stage as a force to reckon with. They, cut off from modernity and progress, cannot see as far as the world stage. That vision is something they have not been given a chance to see.Tribal India is so alienated from our India that it is time for each individual to rise up and take notice of this gap so as to prevent poor women from these regions from falling into this crevice.
Denial of rights
Tribal women and Dalit women around the town of Kodaikanal suffer from denial of several human rights. Foremost is the right to equality which is denied to them on account of being from an “untouchable” or “lower” caste. They are stripped of their self respect and dignity.
The right to livelihood is denied to them by virtue of the decline in agriculture as a result of greater modernisation. This is coupled with a “feminisation of poverty” as women are excluded from any agricultural advances as well. No land is allotted to Dalit and Tribal women, despite promises made by parties contesting elections. Seventy percent of these women are living below the poverty line, and have no means of survival or sustenance.
There are no benefits such as roads, drinking water that is safe and hygienic, schools at close distances for their children, hospitals, maternity benefits etc.
These and several other basic violations ought to make us wonder whether we even think of these poor women in far flung areas, who have never known what it is like to see an electric light bulb, or travel in a bus, or look at their faces in a mirror.
We speak of every individual recognising his or her inner beauty of spirit. How is this possible, when in the darkness of the forest, she cannot even see her own face?
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