This is a line taken from the famous bhajan, “Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je” (वैष्णव जन तो तेने कहिये जे). The expression exemplifies a sublime universal value which Hindus hold with reverence, placing women and their female deities on the highest pedestal, although chauvinists are prone to acts of misogyny and objectification. What is sometimes perplexing is to observe that some women turn a blind eye or support the sexist behavior of weak and deeply flawed men. Probably they are beaten down at home or acquiesce to the twisted norms of a society plagued by such conduct. It is a submission akin to the abuse of wives by callous, violent husbands.
Rationalizing such reprehensible conduct is now taking place at the highest level of our political system, through a process of desensitization. I am wondering if Hindu men and women realize the extent to which a society’s psyche is being scarred by them compromising the respect for women for other political lures.
I am reminded of values inculcated in me by my parents and teachers:
· the power of empathy, compassion, and love particularly for the poor and the aged.
· respect and reverence for women, seeing them as sisters (if they are not my wife), and aunts, reflections of my own mother.
· truthfulness, honesty, and sincerity in the face of lies, distortions and obfuscations.
· kindness and charity as opposed to selfishness, cruelty, and the propensity to fleece others.
· humility, simplicity, and self-effacement in defiance of arrogance, pomposity, and conceit.
· moral uprightness as being richer than the accumulation of material wealth, especially through ill-gotten means.
· gentleness and restraint even when provoked by insults, abuse, and name-calling.
· the power of knowledge, and the importance of verifying facts,
· the importance of giving back to society to which I am indebted.
These values have informed my political choices and direction and I am wary of those who attempt to foist their beliefs and perceptions on me.
By Pt Ramdular Singh
