Four men gang-rape and murder a young working woman; father rapes minor daughter; teenage girl raped by neighbour; acid thrown by husband on wife leads to her death; infant found raped and subsequently murdered. These and some other painful headlines and news items have become a daily affair in India and other backward societies of globe dominated mostly by evil notions of patriarchy.
Pertinently, all these are outcome of evil forms of patriarchy. When one goes for critical analysis it is disappointing to note that overall psyche of men has resulted in such commotion and cruel manifestations for womanhood. It is also disgusting and surprising to note that ‘a womb which keeps one protected for nine months and as mother the care which converts a male child into men and are sole reason behind him being healthy and alive than later on they lose the respect for same sacred womanhood’. Such is the abject condition of patriarchy that it poisons the very source that protects and nourishes it.
What have most men done for ensuring equality of human souls, especially in our part of the women, I am afraid nothing. We, as men have mostly been big failures and have been just able to invent a series of rude and abusive words in the name of women thus depicting the tortuous results of evil patriarchy.
As a bitter consequence of this evil patriarchy criminal mentalities, foolishness and uncivilized thinking from Indian and other men in our region have crossed all limits even the so called ‘educated lot’ calling themselves the morality brigade have often gone on to represent these very dumb and cruel patriarchal notions. Even without a hint of shame these very men would say day in and day out that men charged with the gang rape and murder of a women have not done the same with a respected lady. They will not stop here and issue immoral and inhuman dictates like saying,’If Sitaji [woman] crosses the Lakshman Rekha, then Sitaharan [abduction] is bound to take place as Ravans are out there’.
In nutshell, the patriarchy has failed humanity and has reduced itself to wreaking havoc on womanhood and also resorting to killing within. So let us all make proudly way for Matriarchies which are not just a reversal of patriarchy, with women ruling over men and discriminating him – as the usual misinterpretation would have it. Matriarchies are mother-centered societies, based on great maternal values: care-taking, nurturing, motherliness, which holds for everybody: for mothers and those who are not mothers, for women and men alike. Above all, matriarchy will restore by its power of sublime giving and endurance ensuring equality of human souls.
After the gruesome failure of patriarchy the only answer lies in matriarchies which are societies with complementary equality, where great care is taken to provide a balance between human souls. This applies to the balance between genders, among generations, and between humans and nature. Maternal values as ethical principles permeate all areas of a matriarchal society. It creates an attitude of care-taking, nurturing, and peacemaking. Through education we can teach the young corrupted minds the current path is not the virtuous one. Change the social norms through information.
The shining examples are with us in matriarchal societies we never hear for women gang-rape and murder a young man; mother rapes minor son. So let us welcome matriarchy with open arms for betterment of humanity.
By Rameez Makhdoomi, a guest writer from Srinagar, Kashmir, India. A journalist, feminist and human rights defender.
