Woman – An ‘ism ’ ….?

WOMAN – AN ‘ISM ’ ….?

By

P.VENKATARAMANA
( International Corporate Lawyer : India ).




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‘ I shall ever remember this day as the proudest of my life !’ - wrote the 19-year old Queen Victoria in her journal on the day of her coronation , Jun28,1838. (it was during her reign that Britain reached the peak of power and came to rule a quarter of the world)…


The times we live in can rightly be called as the proudest period of mankind in the modern era of civilization & commerce : for, in the infancy of the New Millennium ,the world of Nations seemingly has become One – reflecting a clear evolution in thought-processes and working-culture…Gone are the days of the cold war or closed economies ,trade-barriers and hostile trade-practices ;no longer is waging a war a two-sided affair – the entire world rises in unison against the hydra-headed face of cross-border terrorism ,industrial-espionage and international gangsters ( be it by the drug-cartels or arms-smugglers or suppliers of spurious pharmaceutical products & pesticides or be it of white-collared crime)…


What has brought about this sea-change ? Is it that mankind has furthered a step in the mode of evolution ?What is the ‘ism’ or the absence of it which has enabled such an apparently miraculous transformation ?Or ,more importantly ,do we need to evolve a new ‘ism’ to ensure that such a happy and welcome change stays forever as the mainstay of all future activities?


A dispassionate analysis leads us to the startling (to many men)and not-so-surprising(to several women)revelation that ‘woman-power’ is the ‘ism’ which has helped rally and unite as one force to battle brutalities and brute-forces in the world…this is visible and can be felt on the business ,the economic as well as the political fronts ,world over, today .None can deny this fact.(Aristotle Onasis once said,.. ’if women did not exist ,all the money in the world would have no meaning …’).


But what is ‘woman-ism’ that has ushered in this silent yet loud revolutionary change in the psyche of the powers-that-be and in all realms of the society? The truth may be amazing or shocking to many but the stage of enlightenment and the day of reckoning has arrived .Therefore ,let us analyze how this truth of our times has evolved…!!


An ‘ism’ ,born as a reaction ,is an anti-thesis to some thesis ,and so it comes to acquire the defects of the original.



Our analysis of the various isms of the modern era must invariably be viewed against one’s own self as well as the backdrop of social interdependence in a world thriving on business.



‘Capitalism’ though a much flagellated ‘ism’ ,advocates efficiency .It says that some are less efficient than others and they should therefore get less ,while some are more efficient and should therefore get more: it seeks to promote efficiency in society by remunerating each for his labor according to his work and capacity .It has raised the standard of living of a tiny majority to a very high level .But at the same time it has also pulled down that of a vast majority into abysmal poverty .Capitalism has no remedy for this evil .Indeed ,it declares openly that for those who are unfit ,there is no alternative except that they remain so…In a capitalist world ,one man’s misfortune becomes another’s opportunity : none feels that there is anything wrong or anti-religious in exploiting the misfortune of another …!


However ,Capitalism cannot be ended either by love or conflict ,but only by right thought…conflict leads to ever more conflict which can only weaken all concerned just as love also cannot bring about a change of things : love brings forth enthusiasm but only right thought can initiate and effect a revolution…Conflict is also one of the factors in progress but it is essentially the propagation of right-thought which alone is qualified to bring about a revolution : capitalism is of several kinds .Capitalism means earning capital ,which requires a centralized administration and it cannot be done in a decentralized way .And ,those who call themselves ‘Communists’ are also capitalists to the core because they seek centralization in production under the impression that equality in distribution would follow centralized production .Thus , theirs is not a thesis but an anti-thesis against capitalism .However ,none can dispute the fact that this ‘ism’ propounded a very important idea to the world at large ,viz ;’that all poor of the world are one ; that they can stand up together and become free’.



Since then vast changes have come about in the world due to the impact of science & technology .All the premises of the old ‘isms’ have gone wrong and then came ‘Socialism’ – with an eye on the whole human society. ‘Socialism’ issues the ‘diktat’ - .. ‘give work to each according to his ability; take full work from him and provide him with full security..!’. This ‘ ism’ means hundred percent private-sector plus hundred percent public-sector(100+100=100 )but this is not intelligible to planners .What does it then mean? It means that private sector itself should be transformed into public sector : all businessmen would work in the interests of the public and thus both the sectors would grow and flourish…Truly speaking ,Socialism comes into existence when every individual is given to observing restraints .Where everyone considers himself as being separate from society ,socialism cannot come into existence .No man is an island under this scenario…


Then came ‘Democratic Socialism’ which makes the claim that it safeguards the interests not only of the majority but of all. Real experience ,however, shows that it offers no remedy for several of the ills which Democracy leads to : so long as the interests of the minority are sought to be protected through the will of the majority, it is not possible to achieve full and wholesome Socialism .Strangely, Socialism came in many varieties ,one of them being that of Adolf Hitler…!


Communism was also inspired by compassion and so must not be abhorred;
Capitalism ,when tempered with noble and broad-mindedness could be a guardian –angel or at least a caretaker to the society but it was not a complete ideology in itself .Socialism too is not an independent ideology : while one is a reaction against Capitalism ,the other is so against Individualism – being products of reactions , both of them lack a fully comprehensive perspective .


Therefore ,a whole new ethic governing the way humans should treat each other in order to facilitate everyone’s evolution was of paramount importance. ‘Woman’ who always enjoyed a pride of place in the turn of events – as a mother ,as a sister ,as a daughter and as a mentor stepped out of her role as a catalyst acting from behind the curtains and began to seek an equal share in the governance of society…When particular care was not paid to women ,they determined to foment a rebellion and did not let themselves be bound by any laws in which they had no voice and no representation .The essence of the women’s ‘liberation’ movement(loosely termed ‘feminism’)was that the ladies did not think that the male-dominated world was very generous towards them because while proclaiming peace & goodwill to all Men and seeking an emancipation of all Nations those very men were insisting upon retaining an absolute power over wives. This trend in societyled to declaration of the ‘ism’ of a true Republic – men ,their rights and nothing more ; women ,their rights and nothing less…’.


Women were in chains and their servitude was all the more debasing because they did not realize it for long…when will it no longer be necessary to attach special weight to the word ‘woman’ and raise it specially? – this was the conundrum of all times …!!!



The might of the woman-power was shown when they finally became free to become themselves towards the later part of the last Millennium and thus came to be evolved the new ‘ism’, viz ; ‘Womanism’…


The singular difference between the evolution of this ism vis-à-vis the earlier ones is that the surest guide to the correctness of the path that women take is joy in the struggle : revolution is the festival of the oppressed ,indeed…!!



It has been proved beyond any iota of doubt that after women gained the rights of independence and broke the shackles of oppression ,repression and suppression to gain the rights of independence & equal opportunities ; to increase their sphere of responsibilities and to incline toward higher realms of studies ,human abilities have been on the increase daily .By educating women to use all their innate abilities and acumen ,men have not only been just but have also ensured the future of a new social order in which women apply their intelligence and warm feelings (unique only to them)to the problems of living . They have received encouragement for the true and proper cultivation of their special powers and in the process have entered profitably into the active business of life…Also ,the freer that women become ,the freer men will be: because ,when you enslave someone ,you are enslaved…!



Thus ,the new ‘ism’ proclaims ‘men and women are like the right and the left hands ;it does not make sense not to use both(for the furtherance of common goals – be it Business ,Politics ,Economics or Universal Peace).As Mahatma Gandhi once remarked ,..’If she(woman)is weak in striking ,she is strong in suffering…’.



Indeed ,our world now reposes great faith in the power of women .All right-thinking people are against any discrimination between the status of man and woman .The new ‘ism’is replete with new and pungent ideas :there is no place for a woman’s pride nor man’s prejudice against her…! The present age is mainly the age of woman-power : society as a whole is hoping that the spiritual power of women will be awakened .The future age is more particularly the age of women – the hand that rocked the cradle now rules the world, literally too…


Let us proceed to examine the validity of these observations :-


In the last quarter of a century ,the accumulation of weapons of mass-destruction was mounting .All Nations had joined the race to increase their stocks of armaments .That was the final effort ; as when the lamp is failing ,for the last few moments it flares up and then goes out .In the same manner ,all those martial preparations are coming to an end and the future era will be of ‘non-violence’ .The world of tomorrow will be ‘One World’. Global issues cannot be addressed without Unity and Peace can never be established without Unity .Therefore, the whole world will become One…



In the era of armaments and strife ,naturally ,man would be supreme .But in the age of non-violence ,Woman - power will reign supreme. Though from the viewpoint of the soul and spirituality, there lies no difference between a man and a woman ,at the power of non-violence ,it is less evident in man than in woman ; the non-violent force of love is found naturally in women .



The new ‘ism’ has shown that women have resolved to develop great power ,not insignificant power .It is right and appropriately a woman’s virtue to spread love and compassion throughout the whole world : women will expand the scope of love…



And when women develop faith and become replete with spirituality ,when they can bring about a change-involved philosophy of governance & co-existence ,then they will advance ,by leaps and bounds .In that new – philosophy and world-scenario ,there will be no difference between man and woman ; when they will evolve a new philosophy ,the religion of Humanity will be truly born…




Women’s social ,family and political rights and responsibilities are exactly the same as men’s .Both have equal economic rights and both have equal moral capacities .The difference between man and woman is external ,not basic .Although a different opinion exists ,a success of ‘Womanism’ should help allay any fears of the bigoted few or the egoistic seekers of pelf and claims to halls of fame in world history…!!!!
The world knows the difference which exists between man and woman. No one wishes to delete it .No one has the power to do so. But there remain those who attribute a wrong form and connotation to this external difference .In fact, a very sacred intention lies at the root of this difference – that of procreation ,to help carry on with the Cosmic Evolutionary process…The crux of the matter is that today we need to imbibe a radical change in our attitude towards the relationship of man and woman .As a matter of fact ,one’s mind should be purified by the sight of the sunrise or by the pure music of a thunderous waterfall .When the mind becomes defiled from the sight of beauty ,it should be noted as the signs of a perverted intellect being manifest…


The new ‘ism’ draws more numbers of women ( ‘ better-halves of their respective household-units’ ) to break their fetters and to come to the forefront of the universal mission of peace, amity and brotherhood…this ‘ism’ is a mission – the protection and control of society in a decent and humane manner… ‘ Womanism ’ shows that women should lead in their way,viz; the way of compassion.Woman-power is the wonderful instrument of accelerating real-progress of our civilization.However,the advocates of this new ‘ism’ ought to bear in mind that in order to be rightly called as a Woman,the following seven powers must be exhibited in her,viz ;

* Honour … (Keerthi)
* Fortune … (Sri)
* Speech … ( Vaaku)
* Recollection … (Smriti)
* Prudence … (Medha)
* Firmness … (Dhriti)
* Forgiveness … (Kshama).

These powers are identified by the sacred ‘Bhagavad Geetha’,the ‘Word of Light’ bestowed upon the Human Race by Lord Sri Krishna (who was the first to try to awaken women’s power on a large-scale)…


In conclusion ,one may observe that there is no contradiction between a revolutionary attitude and modesty .Modesty means understanding the correctness of a proper order and therefore, obeying it. Disobeying a wrong order is revolution – this can be done with modesty .And that indeed is real Liberty…!!!

…’Where women are honored ; there the Gods delight;
Where they are not honored ; there all acts become fruitless…’.
- from the Laws of Manu (c.100-200),
Ancient Text of India.





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