Your concern for the safety of women in India (Chronicle dated 7.3.2008) should set all of us athinking. Time and again we boast of equality of sexes. We have made provision to this effect in the statute book. Not only this. Our ancient sages believed where women are worshipped (respected) the gods reside there. We can boast of a woman Prime Minister. And now we feel proud in having a woman President too but the condition of a vast majority of women in the country remains far from satisfactory even after 60 years of attaining independence from foreign rule.

So far so good. But can we say in our country women are worshipped? Are they given the same importance as their male counterpart? Do they get same remuneration for the same type of work as the men? Here also the answer is in the negative.

From the day a baby girl is born the atmosphere in the family becomes somewhat morose. At least the same amount of happiness is not expressed as on the birth of a male child. This is the general tendency, especially in the lower rungs of society in our country.

Then in the marriage the parents side of the girl or bride acquire a subordinate position, so to say. The girl who becomes a bride in her in-laws house is showered love and affection if she comes from a rich family and brings with her a good amount of dowry. If not, she is ill treated to the extent that at times she commits suicide or even she is burnt alive in her own house where she rightly expected honour, security and safety.

At work place, in schools/colleges and in running trains she is sexually abused and even raped by the employees, colleagues and now even the teachers or the professors who are considered to be custodians of nation's morality and character. Unfortunately our State of Madhya Pradesh tops in crimes against women as per the annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau. It is distressing to note that in our country in every one hour two women are raped, two are kidnapped, four are molested and another seven meet violence at the hands of their husbands.

Notwithstanding the above, we celebrate Women's day with great pomp and show where the celebrities deliver high sounding flowery speeches eulogizing the role of women. However, coming to the ground realities we find that there remains much to be done in the matter of women's emancipation, their empowerment and securing them an honoured place in society. Instead of paying lip sympathy to the cause of women, concrete action is called for both at the Government level and also at social plane. Unless the people sincerely come forward in a big way to put a stop to crime against women not much can be expected.

The other day I read in the Chronicle that a woman scooterist and her daughter in Bhopal displayed heroic fortitude by nabbing a ruffian who attempted to snatch the chain of the lady. She shouted for help but no body in the crowded market place came forward for help and the culprit made good the escape together with the chain. While action of the woman deserves all praise the men present nearby displayed callous indifference and utter cowardice.

It appears time has come when women should rise from their long slumber with a determined bid to help themselves. That alone will be able to salvage their honour and self respect. And we the males should shun our false ego of superiority since we are in no way superior to our female counterpart as is clear from their occupying topmost position which was earlier considered to be the prerogative of the males. Besides wherever the females are placed they have been doing exceedingly well falsifying the age-old belief that women were inferior to men.