What is the best way to subjugate any nation? Hot conflicts are expensive, cold wars are simply time taking. A new weapon has taken its place. It is called the gender divide. Throw in financial incentives to one gender of the society, call them the victims and one half of the nation fights another in a never ending landscape of desperation and hatred. The DV Act in India, VAWA in the US and the proposed I-VAWA for us third world citizens is intended to achieve just that.
This is exactly what is happening to our society. Where did IPC 498A come from? How many of us have seen or known a bride burning incident? I know many of you would quote third party witnesses, but how many of you have really witnessed this first hand or know a family which has seen such an incident? The proponents of IPC 498A cite staggering numbers of bride burning. So how come it is not so common after all. Why are they lying? What do they gain out of it? It is purely a business based on fear. And it is a highly profitable business.
The irony of this hate campaign is that it will be profitable as long as they keep projecting women as victims. True empowerment shall never see the light of day. Truly empowered women would naturally reject the idea of victimhood. Women who seek true empowerment do not seek maintenance from husbands.
The myth of statistical increase of crimes against women. The media is being used like a rubber stamp for ‘official’ statements of falsehood. UN & UNIFEM origin statements are not gospel truth. What we are seeing is just the increase in the number of cases filed. Fundamentally, these cases have to be proved in a court of law to be qualified as a crime. Therefore, it is not a true index of crimes against women. But the fact remains that the campaign of hate and fear and forced victimization of women is being committed by the very people who have proclaimed themselves the champions of women empowerment.
The ugly truth is that the shade of feminism we see is neither feminine nor fair.