Throughout the history of India, it has been known to be a patriarchal society; a term that has always been misconstrued, much like the men who assume the role in their respective families. Rohan Shah
One needs to understand the origins of the concept in the Indian context to appreciate the fact that it is this concept alone which has prevented the society from plummeting into utter chaos. It is a travesty and irony that the vogue feminists deride it with impunity since this sanctimonious show of solidarity is in sync with political correctness, albeit the sheer hypocrisy at display of the very people who do not think twice before cracking up at a sexist joke.
Since the beginning of time, amidst the constant struggle to survive effectively alluding to the survival of fittest meant the strongest person in terms of physical attributes had to take the lead, risking his life to protect his family. As the society evolved the nature of dangers lurking around, if you may? Changed from predators to perverts, from carnivorous to capitalism, from burglars to black marketer, a famil relied on the patriach to be the saviour who had no choice but to take up the role lest the family would land in a lurch. It is a shame that the system which the society itself created has now become an albatross around neck of men in general.
Society, due to its mercurial and fickle ways, has harmed its own interests. Of course, no one can deny patriarchy has had repercussions, and womankind has been marginalized by a section who were ingenious to surmise that they were way more prudent and capable in comparison to men and used the positions they held as the decision makers to restrain the existence of a woman, even more so in a country like ours where the insecurity of a man knew no bounds. But a system as unilateral as patriarchy is sure to have a flip side but it was imperative for those times, not so much now.
In the metropolis, women is walking shoulder to shoulder with men, creating a niche for themselves in the conventionally male dominated areas, this has been an outcome of the fathers who empowerment their daughters not shackling them. Father, not a word , not a role, not a relationship instead an emotion, a force whose mere presence emboldens you, brim you with confidence, a satisfaction that he would not let you come in the harm’s way. You know he is the backbone which would not let your family crumble, weathering the tempestuous storms , never divulging their struggle to keep the momentum going , financially and otherwise.
Never sharing the struggles of his inner world; how he had to sacrifice a day for a normal banking work, he could have given to his wife or son, who would have had to swallow the bitter pill of the brusque treatment of the impertinent bank employee. Not leaving the family’s side even when he is overwhelmed by the circumstances, knowing his family needs his protection. Demonetisation. Corona outbreak. Lockdown. Joblessness, he is our frontline warrior, taking everything up his chin. But, his role as a patriach doesn’t seem to bother anyone there. Today wheels of change are on , full throttle. A complete role- reversal has happened. From corporate to criminal justice system seem to favor women. Three out of five cases of domestic violence are against men. But no one seems to care as this discrimination in the backdrop of atrocities against women is justified. It is payback time isn’t it?
A few years back I was pillian-riding with a friend of mine and we were stuck in a traffic snarl. Two girls behind us started abusing us for not letting them go ahead, wilfully ignoring the road was jammed tyre to tyre, but it is fine, since the progenies of the patriarch deserve it. I mean, we must make amends for what a section of mankind has done to women, who this privileged bunch of phoney feminists have no relationship with. It is unfortunate that critiques of patriachy have turned a blind eye to the wrongs being inflicted by a society which weighs on the side of who or what suits them.
Deja vu isn’t it. The idea should be to handover the reigns of any system be it family, bureaucracy, government or a multinational to the deserving person irrespective of the gender, patriarchy is a thing of the past. We have come a long way, in any case our existence was impossible without the females and no one can contest that. They not only create a man but also shape them. The functioning of the men as a race is dependent on them and will continue to hinge on them. But undermining the good side of patriachy just because the word has become an equivalent of an abuse is wiping out the years of meticulous work, efforts and sacrifices of our own father. Instead of being ingrates let’s celebrate the role of positive patriarchy, role of our male ancestors, who are pivotal to our existence. Just imagine what would remain of us without them being our side.
A balanced and evolved society that celebrates all its members, irrespective of their genders and the baggage of the history and aims to be progressive will thrive , else there would be catastrophic consequences that await us,
Written by ROHAN MUKESH SHAH.
– Rohan Shah
About RohanShah – an IELTS and Advanced Spoken English teacher, a trenchant observer, a writer with the audacity of a seasoned one, is based on the Vadodara city of Gujarat.
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