New Delhi, 22 August— Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today described India’s 70 crore women as the country’s biggest asset giving a clarion call for an end to violence and social restrictions that prevented them from living independently and crafting their independent journey in their lives.
Addressing the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event – the women-only edition of the student outreach programme- in Pune, Rahul Gandhi said he had come to listen to young people rather than lecture them or discuss politics.
“I have come to listen to the youth, not to lecture or discuss politics,” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said women should not be reduced to identities defined by their relationships with men.
Women must not be confined to identities of daughter, wife, or mother,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi then invoked the Manusmriti and, citing a passage from it, he described its prescription that women remain under the authority of their fathers, husbands, and sons as “shameful”. (The Manusmriti, also known as the Laws of Manu, is an ancient Sanskrit text on legal and social duties in Hinduism.)
“The Manusmriti says that, in childhood, a female belongs to her father. In youth, she belongs to her husband. When her lord is dead, she belongs to her sons. A woman must never be independent. This is a direct quote from the Manusmriti. These words are a shame because these words should never ever have been spoken,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Rahul Gandhi also outlined what he described as three forms of violence faced by women: direct physical violence, financial violence, and violence stemming from lost opportunities.
“There are three types of violence. The first is direct violence,” he said, citing figures on female foeticide, harassment, and physical and sexual violence.
The Leader of Opposition claimed that around 4.5 lakh girls are killed every year, even before birth, in India, and that a large proportion of women face harassment in public spaces, educational institutions, and other settings.
He also cited figures suggesting that 29-30 per cent of women face physical violence and six in every 100 face sexual violence.
“Fifty per cent of women forgo education or employment due to safety concerns and the threat of violence. They drop out of school or quit their jobs,” he told the crowd.
Rahul Gandhi described the financial consequences of women’s concerns over safety as another form of violence, claiming that the average Indian woman spends an additional Rs 17,500 annually on safety measures.
Calling on the audience to “break the cage”, Rahul Gandhi urged young people to embrace their individuality.
“You are unique, you are special, you are an individual, and you have your own dream and vision,” he said.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
