The transmission of Leslee Udwin’s documentary India’s daughter by the BBC has generated a huge debate on women’s status and rights in India and rightly so. Sex discrimination and sex abuse are not specific or unique to India they have been going on all over the world.
Instead of making a film on sex scandals on a huge scale in the UK the BBC has gone for a film on India’s daughter. Why? It is an indication that the BBC and possibly the British are still suffering from the old nostalgia of British Raj. The British media used to say ‘after Nehru – who?’ as though without British rule India would fall apart. It will need more time for such a mindset to change.
Asian Voice has rightly given a comprehensive coverage on this very debateable subject but unfortunately there is no hint of any way forward. Despite the controversial nature of the documentary it must be recognised that India has to find a strategy if it were to raise women’s status and rights in the country.
In India there are a good number of women politicians with power and influence and also thousands of Swamis. The tragedy is none of them have been doing anything about this issue.
India is now the biggest democracy in the world. The most important thing now is to have a strategy for better, caring, just and fair society. The way forward is to reform both academic and public education.
Dr Jatindra Saha
By email
