JANATA DAL (UNITED)
7, Janatar Mantar Road,
New Delhi-110001
PRESS RELEASE
7th
January, 2013
Friends,I have called you here today to share my views
in the aftermath of gang-rape in the Capital and thereafter demonstration all
over the country. A new debate has started regarding change in rule of law for
such crimes in the country. Such acts
are highly condemnable and shall be dealt with strictly and speedily. In the last few days, I have observed that
the real and main issue is missing in the debates which are going on in the
media through T.V. channels, articles in newspapers etc. Women in our country inherently have been
dominated by men since centuries and in my view this has been due to caste
systems in our country. What happened to
Draupadi in Mahabharta who had five husbands? Gender disparity manifests itself
in various forms, the most obvious being the trend of continuously declining
female ratio in the population in the last few decades. Social stereotyping and
violence at the domestic and societal levels are some of the other
manifestations. Discrimination against girl children, adolescent girls and
women persists in parts of the country. We all come in the system which is in existence in our
country whether it is Executive, Judiciary or Legislatures and media also.
Lingayat in Karnataka is an example in our country in so far as caste system is
concerned. Lingayatism, also known as Veerashaivism, is a distinct Shaivite tradition in India, established in the 12th century by the philosopher and social reformer Basavanna.
It makes several departures from main stream Hinduism and propounds monotheism through worship centered on Lord Shiva in the form of linga or Ishtalinga.
It also rejects the authority of the Vedas and the caste system. The adherents of this faith are known as Lingayats.
Our great spiritual leaders including political
leaders like Shri Guru Nanak Dev, Daya Nand Swami, Shri Jai Prakash Narain and
Ram Manohar Lohia had debated on the issue of women slavery and their status
and rights in the Society. We the politicians have been fighting against caste
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system. Because of caste system and disparity, the
women in the Society are slave since several decades and for giving dignified
status to women in the Society, the Fifth Five Year Plan
(1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues
from welfare to development.
Further, I would also like to appear
before Justice Verma Commission which
has been constituted for change in the rule of law for such crimes in the
country. I would present my views in
which the stress would be the disparity for women in the Society is due to our
caste system in the country. We will
have to first understand as to who is more involved in such crimes, and whether
our system is faulty and whether change in law is acceptable to the society in
general. In my opinion, this issue is required to be debated in Parliament and
Legislative Assemblies where representatives from all sections of Society are
available to offer their views and traditions prevalent in different parts of
our country. In the last, I would urge
that the debate should be initiated and structured in such a way which
incorporates the views and ideas that were debated on caste system by our great
leaders since several decades due to which disparity has been widened. The main
crux of the problem is caste system which has been missing in our debates which
are going on in the country.
Sd/-
(Sharad Yadav)
Member
of Parliament
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