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Why are we disrobing Draupadi even today?

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by ShailRaghuvansh, Mar 8, 2010.

  1. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

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    Disrobing Draupadi comes easy to us Indians. She was pledged remember, in a simple game of gambling. She was not a material object, not a valuable, not wealth and riches yet, she was gambled away only because there was nothing else left to gamble. What logic! Once you indulge in gambling, you stake your whole life to a couple of infamous dices. The dices could personify anything today - emotional and physical abuse, adultery, lust, jealousy or just plain selfishness.

    Draupadi had to share her life with five men legally meaning polyandry. Although not approved of then, men could have many wives! So, Draupadi’s case was rather controversial at that time. Many detested her, calling her a whore while there were many who even envied her! Today, the situation is no different. Any time a woman succeeds in life both, personally and professionally she is accused of having slept her way up.

    When Draupadi was being molested, all the dignitaries were seated in the court. While her husbands sat mum as she was being disrobed, the blind king Dhritrashtra decided to stay blind to what was happening. We have many people like him nowadays who prefer to just blank out any kind of injustice from their minds especially when it happens to women. And, I am not talking about women who are not related to these kinds of insensitive men. Even when women from their own family are being insulted, these men would rather stay out of all the ‘tamasha.’ Women are molested and humiliated yet they sit glum, indifferent to the savagery of it all. There are people like the valiant celibate Bheeshma who pledge their loyalty to the side of the law watching helplessly even as the corrupt, cruel law keepers set the country on fire. A promise stands until it serves the right purpose. Once the very aim of the service is defeated, a promise is broken. Shouldn’t it then become the time to pause, ponder and take action? Sadly, when people are less answerable to themselves and their conscience, how then can they be answerable to the people who suffer around them?

    Today, women are being raped and molested at the drop of a pin. In the villages, in towns and in cities, children, little girls and women are being disrobed for lust, for jealousy, for enmity, for god knows what other unjustifiable reason. Mothers watch their children being raped by their fathers. Excuse me for sounding violent but shouldn’t the mother be doing a Bobbitt instead if not murder? The kind of trauma that children undergo when they are physically violated is just indescribable. Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas allowed her sons to get away with molestation and cheating. All because she was a mother. Wasn’t she a woman first? But no, she too like her blind husband wanted to close her eyes to any injustice that her children did. God gave her an intellect and eyes to discern and judge right from wrong but she chose to put her in the illusionary tower of spoilt maternal emotion. No wonder we have spoilt brats even today, who do not even hesitate to splurge, lay their villainous hands on another woman and then run their cars over sleeping people on the pavement.

    When women can cause such harm, whom do you blame next? Children, (boys or girls) are never born evil. It is their upbringing, the values that turn them into angels or Satans and women form an important part of this all.

    Draupadi of Mahabharata represents all that is happening to women today. The Mahabharata would be incomplete without her presence. She was beautiful, valiant and graceful. She was the woman of her times having her very own identity. In spite of being married to one, she shared her life with many. She was a true feminist of her times. Was that why she had to undergo it all? Or was she just a pawn in the wheel of events? At least then, a woman’s humiliation could eventually provoke a man to take revenge and bring back some sanity in life. Today, insanity is the order of the day. Even while women are being successful, doing the kind of things their ancestors would not have dreamt to do, they are paying a price for being independent. They are in many ways like Draupadi trying to lead a life of their own but are being pushed back and down with chains of restrictions and prejudices being bound around their feet.

    People forget that that all human beings are born free. It is society and its stereotype selfish rules that hold them in bondage. Draupadi waged a war to regain her lost respect. She lost a lot in the process but she gained realization about the futility of some heart wrenching relationships, about the vulnerability of weakening emotions and about the illusion of life itself. As each part of her sari slipped off her body, she watched the valiant and the righteous fail and fall. It was her heart-felt devotion to God that finally saved her from being stripped, paraded and raped in public. At least, Krishna came to her rescue then (God incarnate or not.). What about the disadvantaged disrobed desh ki mahila today?

    Let’s think about it today, when we celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day and also every other day. Only then, will the importance of a Woman’s Day be truly realized.

    ShailComputer Typing
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2010
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  2. BeeAmma

    BeeAmma Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Shail,

    Good analogy. Comparing what draupadi faced with whats happening with women today.

    I feel that as time goes by and more women get educated, become financially independent and society opens up the status of women will improve.

    Domestic violence and sexual abuse of women is a worldwide phenomenon and women have to empower themselves with durga, laksmi and saraswati (courage, wealth and knowledge) to fight them.
     
  3. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

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    Hi BeeAmma,

    Thanks very much for your appreciation.

    Yes, we need to expand our horizons, get rid of our stereotype prejudices and learn to live and let live. Till that happens, I think such instances will continue.

    But, I hope for the best. I am a born optimist!:)

    Shail:wave
     
  4. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Shail,
    What you had written is an absolute truth.
    This reminded me of a short talk I heard on the TV a few days back.
    Eventhough women attain great heights in all aspects of life, they are seen as only an object of happiness to them, but not related to the position they are holding in high offices.

    sriniketan
     
  5. Deaf woman

    Deaf woman Senior IL'ite

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    Shail,
    No other words except a big :wowto your post and opinions expressed.
     
  6. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Sriniketan,

    Thank you very much for the appreciation.

    Yes, sadly, most women acquire worldly success in life at a very high cost whereas for men it may not be the same case. But then, priorities also matter.

    See you:wave
    Shail
     
  7. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

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    Dear Viji,

    Thanks for that one liner about my article. Nothing beats the feeling of joy when someone likes what you write especially you!

    See you!:)
    Shai
    l
     
  8. Amma15

    Amma15 Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Shail,

    Brilliant! I couldn't agree with you more. We were told as students during our public health posting, " Educate a man and you have only taught him, educate the woman and you have educated the whole community/village" So true! So during all our village visits we were instructed to interact & educate the woman of the family!
    I truly believe womens education is the way forward. And yes, Mothers, we are responsible for creating these monsters.

    Love,
    Usha
     
  9. ShailRaghuvansh

    ShailRaghuvansh Silver IL'ite

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    Dear Usha,

    Thanks so much for your appreciation. I am glad you agree that women need to bring about a change. And we can't expect the world to change it for us. We need to change ourselves.

    Nice to know about your public health posting. What were you doing then? Would love to hear more.

    See you.:wave

    Shail
     
  10. Padmini

    Padmini IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shali,
    A very thoughtful and poignant post. The writeup gave me such an impact that I was struggling very much to give a proper feed back to this wonderful write up . Collecting so much courage I began to write this hope to match yours.
    The Draupadi Phenomenon’ represents the voice of today’s women through the historic character of Draupadi. Draupadi, the most strongest and will powered women in history ironically was never allowed to live her own life according to her will or in her own terms. She was brought up as a heroic princesses having profound understanding of war fare, art and culture, inter-personal skills and human relations, politics and economics, state well fare, house hold chores and lot more .Probably she was a much more complete and competent and compassionate individual than those who tried to decide her fate.Krukshetra was fought and won by the Pandavas yet it could not wipe out the shame and humiliation that Draupadi suffered from. In spite of such burning example, history is constantly repeating itself and there has been yet no respite for all women, from” The Draupadi Phenomenon”. Women are yet not allowed to live her own life in her own terms.
    Even now women are struggling to get their place:
    The status of women in modern India is a sort of a paradox. If on one hand she is at the peak of ladder of success, on the other hand she is mutely suffering the violence afflicted on her by her own family members. As compared with past women in modern times have achieved a lot but in reality they have to still travel a long way. Their path is full of roadblocks. The women have left the secured domain of their home and are now in the battlefield of life, fully armored with their talent. They had proven themselves. But in India they are yet to get their dues. The sex ratio of India shows that the Indian society is still prejudiced against female. There are 933 females per thousand males in India according to the census of 2001, which is much below the world average of 990 females. There are many problems which women in India have to go through daily. These problems have become the part and parcel of life of Indian women and some of them have accepted them as their fate.There are many laws such as The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, The Hindu Succession Act of 1956, The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856, The Hindu Women Right to Property Act of 1937, The Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961, to protect women and punishment is severe but the conviction rate of crime against women is very low in India.But the attitude of people should change. The pity is some cases women themselves are the root cause for all troubles. There is one saying in tamil thirudarai paarththu thirundhavittal thiruttai niruththa mudiyadhu! Sorry for my long one.
    with love
    pad
     

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