While turning from boys to men, what happens to the conscience of Indian males; their morale and compassion towards women and humanity in general? How do men in this country turn towards harshness in the nick of time? A lot of flak is given to mothers for raising a bad son. But what about the fathers?
Whether it’s actions such as physical assault or something as niggling as callous comments by trolls, the fact remains that the men in this country are simply shaken by the fact that a woman might have an opinion of her own; her own ambitions, thoughts, sexuality, lifestyle and goals.
The recent comments on actresses, who simply wore the clothing of their choice on different occasions, were monumental enough to shake the male scruples. How does one even reach this point? A concept like this might be alien to a lot of people but why has it become so commonplace for male privilege to raise its ugly head?
The answer probably lies in something as simple as raising a good son. The concept might be a tiny voice in the midst of screams, but it’s a start nonetheless. And a good bit of this movement can be championed by our fathers.
There is no guidebook and there will be none on how to do this the exact way but raising our sons and telling them something as simple as viewing the world from a girl or woman’s viewpoint is fundamental. From instilling the concept of equality and not shaming our sons to teaching them the basics of consent, a lot can be done to infuse compassion, empathy and respect.