Staying miles away from my motherland, I hear some great things about how India has been growing by leaps and bounds and is the hot bet for a superpower. However, it was my visit after few years to the country which opened my eyes to certain harsh realities. The reason I am writing this is to express my empathy with the Indian women and convey my disappointment with the Indian government for the way they are treating the fairer sex.
In foreign countries like the US and third world nations like Thailand, for every 20-30 miles, there are rest rooms for men and women but that’s not the case in India. I have noticed that usually women don’t drink too much of water when they are outside for the only reason that they may have to urinate. This becomes an embarrassing situation. On the other hand, they feel shy getting into toilets in front of men.
Due to such limitations, this is causing cervical and kidney related problems among women in India. While men can take a leak beside trees, it cannot be the case with women. Even while I was traveling in bus, I could realize that they don’t have much of a facility and are unable to do that. Knowing the profession, I can say that this is a major problem. It is the prime responsibility of the government to take care of such basic things.
It’s a pity when they say India is the country which respects women the most. Well, that India doesn’t have the minimum infrastructure to accommodate few essential needs. Already, the lifestyle and demands of daily life have affected the health of men and women alike. And now, with such elementary flaws in infrastructure, thanks to an ignorant system, this sure is something of a growing concern. Wonder why the women’s organizations who make a hue and cry for every petty thing don’t take up a cause like this. Just a thought….
Dr. Ravindranath Reddy
