on misdirected feminism in india

jan 17th

the anti-dowry law has been abused left, right and center. it is a creation of NGOs and feminazis.

instead of the purported beneficiaries of these draconian laws -- poor, rural, oppressed women -- in fact those who use these provisions are rich urban women who are looking to torment men.

similarly, there is another new law, this one passed in 2005, which says that only daughters-in-law have any rights. if she abuses the sister-in-law or mother-in-law, they have no right to sue. on the face of it, if you believe the propaganda about bride-burning being endemic in india, then you'd believe this is necessary. in fact, especially in kerala, what we see is not bride-burnings but men being severely harassed by pushy wives. in rajasthan, similarly, women have gotten into the habit of accusing men of rape -- to harass them.

white feminazis make a lot of noise about bride-burning in india. as though life was hunky-dory for white women in their home countries. in reality, the percentage of women murdered by husbands and boyfriends in the us is greater than the % of bride-burning. not that i believe even one woman should be killed, but let those who cast the first stone not be sinners themselves (incidentally, off topic, the story of the adulterous woman not stoned is a very late embellishment to the bible).

the excessive use of anti-dowry legislation as a weapon for blackmail is counterproductive. this is like the old aesop's fable of the boy who cried wolf. soon judges and policemen are not going to pay any attention to even genuine cases where women are suffering.

the surpanakhas have succeeded yet again in creating strife and grief. and why surpanakhas? i am reminded of mallika sarabhai's dance-drama 'surpanakha's daughters'. mallika sarabhai is a very distant relative of mine by marriage, and i think she is very misguided.

incidentally the surpanakhas are never in the picture when real horrors happen. just today in the pioneer i read this. no feminazi is motivated to breast-beat about this. where is shabana azmi? where is teesta setalvad? where is brinda karat? their silence can be construed as approval.

Varsha Khan's parents kill her, lover in 'honour killings'
Girish Sharma / Bhopal

In a horrific 'honour killing', the parents and relatives of a teenaged Muslim girl burnt her alive late Sunday night in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, for daring to fall in love with a Hindu man.

The gruesome death of 16-year-old Varsha Khan came on the heels of similar punishment meted out by the killers to her lover, 26-year-old Raghuvir Sharma, in Jaura town, Morena, on Thursday night. Raghuvir died of third-degree burns early Friday morning.

Strangely, although Varsha's father, Hassan Khan and two of his relatives were arrested and sent to jail following widespread protests after Raghuvir's killing, the police failed to prevent the killers from snuffing out his young lover's life.

Before killing Raghuvir, Hassan Khan had despatched Varsha to her maternal uncle in Bhind along with her mother and relatives. There, on Sunday midnight, Varsha was doused with petrol and set on fire by her grand maternal uncle, Nazeer and maternal uncles Kallu and Rauf, according to the police. What is particularly horrendous is that Varsha's mother Guddu Bai joined the killers in their abominable act.

The crime came to light when the charred body of Varsha was being taken to the house of Hassan Khan's brother in Morena district on Monday morning. On receiving information, a police team intercepted and took the body in possession. The body has been sent to Gwalior medical college for post-mortem.

Inspector General of Police (Gwalior range) Sanjay Rana told The Pioneer that the police have registered a case of murder and started investigation. "The family members of Raghuvir, however, have claimed that it was not a love affair, but a monetary dispute which led to the killing of Raghuvir by the Khan clan," he added. But, he said, people of the locality know the reality and vouch that Raghuvir and Varsha were in love.

Mr Rana said on the basis of the statements by Raghuvir's family, murder cases have been registered against the family members of Varsha. He said the police would probe the various angles.

One version has it that Raguvir had reached Varsha's home on Friday after dousing himself with petrol. Angered by her parents' refusal to accept his relationship with their daughter, he got into a frenzy and lit himself. Similarly, Varsha pained by her lover's death, committed suicide, Mr Rana added.

Noted psychologist Sabina Ansari said violence among parents is but they have to face the social stigma forever. "Under the pressure of relatives, in view of justifying their existence they are forced to take such decisions," she added.

Talking about this appalling incident, probably the first of its kind in Madhya Pradesh, she said violent reactions to inter-caste and inter-faith love affairs remain unreported in Madhya Pradesh.



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elango
Date: Jan 14, 2006 10:00 PM
Subject: Request your comments and blogging please.
To: Rajeev.srinivasan@gmail.com

 Dear Rajeev,
                 You may be aware of the rampant misuse of anti dowry law 498A.
There is some effort by concerned families in India and US to come together and do something about it.
A couple of websites have come up for this purpose.

www.498a.org
www.saveindianfamily.org

  Communists like Brinda Karat and Indra Jaising and their feminist bandwagon
threaten any judge and politician who even makes a statement against this draconian law.
   Could you write your thoughts on this subject at Shadow Warrior please?
-Elango

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