By Justice Katju
8th March is celebrated every year as International Women’s Day. This year too it will be celebrated tomorrow, Saturday, 8th March, 2025
I fully support women’s demand for equality, and I have given my reasons in my articles, given below. Hence I am not repeating them here :
I hero worship the women of the underdeveloped countries, and in particular I salute the brave women of the Indian subcontinent who selflessly and anonymously dedicate themselves to feeding their families and managing their homes on the modest incomes of their husbands or their own earnings. These women perform back-breaking work all day long, including washing clothes, cooking, caring for children, and keeping their homes clean. Additionally, some supplement their family’s income with outside work. Do they not deserve our praise ?
The great Tamil poet Subramania Bharati ( 1882-1921 ) wrote (around 1908-1910) powerful verses in favour of women’s emancipation, at a time when probably no one in India, or even in the World, even thought of women’s emancipation, and thus he was far ahead of his times :
“Gummiyadi Gummiyadi Nadumughudum
Kulungida thaikotti Gummiyadi
Nammai pidiththa pisasugal poyina
Nanmai kandomendru Gummiyadi
Ettaiyum pengal thoduvadhu teemaiyendru
Enniyirundhavan mainduvittar,
Veettunkulley pennai pootivaipomenra
Vindhai manidhar thalai kavinghhar”
(Dandiya-dance to celebrate women’s emancipation) :
“Dance oh friend dance, playing dandiya let it be with such force that as you dance it shakes up and wakes up this entire Nation.
Let us dance to celebrate our emancipation from the ghosts
which were holding on to us for centuries. Let us celebrate our achievement.
Those who thought that if education was given to women it
would harm society, are all dead today !
Those strange fellows who wanted women to be kept locked
inside their homes have now tasted their downfall !
So, oh friends ! Let us celebrate the emancipation of women
and dance playing dandiya”.
“Pudhumaip Penn” (The New Woman
“Aanum Pennum Nigar Enakkollvathaal
Arivil O’ngi Ivvaiyagam Thazhaikkumaam”
(This world will achieve excellence in knowledge
and wisdom by holding men and women equal)
“Vilagi Veettilo’r Pondhil Valarvadhal
Veerap-Pengal Viraivil Ozshippaaram”
(Valiant women will soon eradicate the custom
of growing in seclusion in homes)
“Pengal Viduthalaik Kummi” (Women Liberation Song)
“Yettaiyum Pengal Thoduvathu Thermal
Endrenni Irundhavar Maaindhu Vittaar,
Veettukkulle Pennai Pootti Vaippom Endra
Vindhai Manithar Thalai Kavizhndhaar”
(Those who thought that it was a sin for women to
touch books are dead; the incredible men who
wanted to lock the women inside their homes now
hang their heads in shame)
“Kangal Irandinil ordrai kuththi
Kaatchi Kedutthidalamo
Pengal arivai valarthal, vaiyyam
Pedamai attridum kaaneer
(from a poem titled “Murasu”)
(Out of the two eyes, if you pierce and destroy
one, are you not spoiling your own vision? In fact,
if you educate the women, the backwardness
which grips this world will vanish automatically.”)
“Pattankkal Aazhvadum Sattankkal Seivathum
Paarinil Penkal Nadatha Vanthom “
Women have come up now to get degrees, to legislate, and rule in the world
However, that having been said, I wish to also say that I regard International Women’s Day as a gimmick. My reason for saying so is this : we live in exploitative societies, in which a few rich people exploit and oppress the vast majority who are poor. So the vast majority of women basically face the same problems as the vast majority of men, viz grinding poverty, massive unemployment, malnutrition, lack of proper healthcare and good education, skyrocketing prices of food, fuel, medicines, lack of proper housing, etc.
So the miserable condition of the vast majority of women, particularly in underdeveloped countries, cannot improve unless exploitation and oppression of man by man ends.
In other words, there cannot be a substantial improvement in the lives of women unless there is a radical transformation of society by a mighty united protracted people’s struggle, culminating in a historical people’s revolution, led by patriotic selfless modern minded leaders determined to set up a just political and social order, free from exploitation and oppression, in which the standard of living of the people rapidly rises, and people ( which includes women) get decent lives.
Until that happens, no amount of celebration of Women’s Day etc has any meaning or significance
