Dear Senthil:
I find it amazing that you see Macaulay's education as the reason for the low
status of women in Indian society. Do you mean that in the India before formal
public education systems were set up, women enjoyed access to education at all,
leaving aside the question of respect for women? And the fact that women have
education is something that causes women to become less "spiritual"? In other
words, am I to understand that you think women are better off without an
education or at least a formal one, so that they can be stay within the four
wall of home, be full-time mothers and homemakers and have no knowledge or
involvement with the larger world?
In even present-day India, grassroots social workers report that there is an
increase in the numbers of young girls and women being pushed - by fathers,
even mothers, husbands and brothers - into the flesh trade - note the word
flesh - because they have no education and thier families see no worth in
them except as means to make money from thier flesh.... in fact, the current
issue of Tehelka has this issue on the cover. Please introspect as to the
implications of what you are saying before sending those emails. You will be
doing yourself and us all a service.
Cynthia Stephen
Independent Researcher and writer
Bangalore, India
