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Ignite Minds by Educating the Oppressed
Facing numerous social evils, the girl child has suffered discrimination in terms of education as well as a lifestyle. It is thus, imperative that these be eradicated so that our society can rightfully be called an egalitarian one.
On achieving independence in 1947, it was expected and believed that India will become a nation wherein there will be no place for any kind of seclusion, exclusion and suppression in the name of caste, religion, sex or language. With the same objective, the founding fathers of our nation gave us a Constitution which guarantees the values of equality, equity and justice assuring an egalitarian society. Keeping in mind the same goal of equality and social justice, the government of India passed the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 and made it a fundamental right which guarantees free and compulsory elementary education for all children between the age group of 6 and 14 years irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion etc.
But this promise has not been well-kept as women and female children still suffer from illiteracy brought on by orthodox ideals and the lack of opportunities. Though, initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mahila Samakhya Programme, National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level, Saakshar Bharat Mission for Female Literacy, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidayalyas etc. have been taken up by the Government, the Indian society still remains that of a patriarchal one.
And yet several social evils remain that hinder women empowerment regardless of the existence of many feminist groups, such as, undernourishment and malnutrition of the girl child, gender stereotyping, poverty, sexual abuse at early age, powerlessness, dysfunctional schools, perpetuation of gender-bias, child labor, domestic chores, child marriage etc. Thus, the only solution to the eradication of these factors is the enforced efforts of the Governement as well as NGOs.
Education isn't just about studying books rather it is the means to understand one’s rights and the means of the world. It helps us recognize who we are in a world, for that is the only way one survives. The right to choose and make one’s own life decisions is important and one that is deserved by all. Thus, these barriers that hold us back from achieving a modern egalitarian society should be burnt down, which can only be achieved by igniting the minds of the oppressed.
As it is this way and this way only, that our country can truly become democratic.
Image Courtesy: countercurrents.org