Thought of copying my response to a blog - "Delhi HC Orders Permanent Commission For Women In the Armed Forces".
I wanted to emphasize that 'opening up of career options and avenues towards financial independence for women is not regressive but reservation for women on the pretext of development is myopic, stupidity and pure politics (in its negative connotation)
My comment: ... "Sorry, I have been out of the web world for some days now… could not respond to you earlier. I understand where you are coming from. However this is unlike reservation where there is an unfair discern in selection and nomination.
If what you say about women from the biological and cultural perspective is true, then natural selection will take place and only the women who are fit and dedicated enough will rise to the top. We have to understand that there are women who do not fall into the stereotype that we know and they can very well serve the nation and the armed forces like any men would.
On a lighter note, like there are men (B. Darling and the likes) who are definitely unfit for any permanent commission...
Recently I had the chance to meet Krishna Patil who is the youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest and she is summit ting 7 mountains in 7 continents which will be a world record. When I interacted with her, it was evident that she was positively different from the stereotypical women. She for instance can surely deserve a permanent commission in the Army, if she wishes to opt for it.
Also, the HC order says that “women can certainly be considered for PC in wings like engineering, ordnance, intelligence, signals, logistics, air traffic control and the like, which will not take them directly to the battlefront…”
Also, we have to understand that it’s tough to get a second career at 35-40 years…
Many countries have already instituted this practice. Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh deploy women on sea-faring warships. The US has even allowed them on submarines. Even Pakistan has seven women fighter pilots.
So let natural selection take over. I personally am fine till there is no reservation and unfair politics handing the natural selection process to the powerful and mighty.
We have had reservations against women joining the defence services, (instead of letting them decide for themselves if they could join or not). Just like we had reservations against them working as bar girls or night shifts.
ReplyDeleteWhy not let women decide for themselves if they can or can't do a certain job?
Women who join these services (and many other jobs)face these reservations at every step.
If you read my post about the All-woman panchayat in Neemkheda village, the villagers didn't want them to contest.
If the villagers had their way they would not even let them be born, let alone get an education - all these are reserved for men in most parts of India.
Can you and I decide that Krishna Patil is more suited to join the army then a 'stereotypical woman' is? Do you realise a lot of Indians feel women are not suited for politics or power the way they are not suited for combat. Women are given no choice in these. We decide for them and we discourage them or we reserve the seats for men (e.g. in defence services).
Reservations are not a solution but might let the rest of the population get used to seeing women in positions of power - doing as bad or as good a job as anyone else.
IHM, I wont have supported reservation against women joing armed forces and I wont support reservation for women joining politics.
ReplyDeleteI dont understand why and from where you get this idea that women are not allowed to decide for themselves... and because of that women are a deprived lot.
I am a man and I was not allowed to do many things. Some of them I didnt and some I did inspite of protest. So its your own will and motivation.
I have read your panchayat story. Of course the males didnt want the women to come to power. Thats natural but thats not against a gender. If the women were in power for long, they would have resisted men coming to power and vice versa. And you see, now they will resist also proving my point.
And you are ignoring the many women politicians who are eating away the country and becoming fat. And you are ignoring the numerous male politicians who have done better than that haryanvi panchayat. You are ignoring the man who abolished Sati etc etc.
Fact is its not always against a gender. Please come out of your constant nag that you have build around yourself about women being the deprived lot.
Men have not reserved things away from the reach of woman. Traditionally it was more of a division of labour.
Understand that an established system takes time to change. And if something is established for hundreds of years, it is not by fluke.
I am born in a constituency where I have seen only one woman MLA - a constituency where 99.9% of women fall into 'what you call' provided for category. what do you say to that?
Have you read my comment on your blog about paraya dhan. I have seen how matrilinial societies work.
I support independence of thought for women. In Deutsche, I have a team of only women and I call them my fire brigand. I have promoted someone in my team who was on maternity leave for half of last year.
But I refuse to go crazy about it.
I meant that the only MLA was a woman... She got elected in three elections consecutively...
ReplyDelete