Harnessing Women's Power –- A Revolution of the Millennium

The twelve years of transition to the new millennium are also going to witness yet another mega-revolution-the emancipation of women. (Millions of women are today joining the I.T. revolution) From time to time there have been casual approaches towards women’s liberation. Natural justice has always enjoined equality of sexes as the eternal principle. In the biological kingdom, male and female of the species are like the two pans of a balance having equal responsibility and status. Hence amongst the Homo Sapien, men and women should get equality of credit, respect, status and rights. Disregarding this logic, men have been taking pride in their superior physical strength and treating women as domesticated animals, exploiting them in every possible manner.

Past attempts made by social reformers to bring about equality of sexes in the society have only partially succeeded and that too in limited spheres. An environment for total transformation of society to permanently ensure equality of sexes could not be created. But today we are passing through a unique time in human history, in course of which, the regressive trends of several centuries are going to collapse like a house of cards. This is the first year of the new millennium. The women of India are going to have a thirty percent representation in the parliament. (School and College level education has been made free to girl student) In near future, the number and status of women in all fields will go on increasing and it will emerge as a global phenomena. In developed countries of the world too women have achieved a status more or less equal to that of men and their contribution in key sectors cannot be rated in any way below that of fellow men.

In India, emancipation of women will be unique phenomena. She will wake up with a great degree of self confidence and will move on the path of progress with a great determination. In days to come, man will no longer put obstacles in her way. On the contrary, he would large -heartedly extend cooperation in her liberation. This is the destiny of women of the new Millennium.

The mission has, therefore, taken a decision to contact the womenfolk in every village and town of India and apprise them of future possibilities. It is proposed to provide them strong motivation for becoming progressive. To begin with, for this purpose twenty-four thousand Dipa Yagyas will be organized exclusively for women. The object of these yagyas will be to collect and organize most of the dynamic women of the society. For taking charge of these arrangements, educated women are specially being invited for training. It is hoped that these leaders of tomorrow will successfully carry out this movement around their native places.

Dipa Yagyas have proved to be very convenient, inexpensive and inspiring means for communicating with the masses. These have also been found sufficiently motivating in inducing people for social welfare. Dipa Yagyas, in which so far the majority of participants were men, met with unexpected extraordinary success. In course of these Yagyas, a large number of persons made a commitment to work for moral upliftment of self and the society. Close on the heels of the yagyas in which the majority of participants were men it is now proposed to organize yagyas with mainly women participants. In these yagyas, the role of men will be restricted to helping in their successful organization.

In order to make the present movement extensive, maximum possible number of jeeps and motorcycles has been provided. However, instead of depending on assistance from the central headquarters of the mission at Shantikunj, men and women are being encouraged and trained to rely more on local resources. In course of yagyas, working groups of women are being constituted. Remodeling of a social order works on the principle of each committed person motivating five more. In this way, soon we shall find numerous well organized teams of dynamic enlightened women working for social transformation everywhere. Soon this women’s movement will take up a two-pronged strategy. On one hand, it will encourage literacy and self employment and on the other, undertake non-cooperation in pompous and expensive marriage ceremonies. On the pretext of following traditions, the women of society have surrendered themselves to the vice like grip of illogical dogmas, meaningless conventions and harmful customs. In this way they are unknowingly succumbing to unwarranted stress. On account of enormous expenditures involved in marriages parents are treating sons and daughters differentially. Now is the time to change this attitude in totality. Creating an environment for quality of treatment towards daughters and daughters in law is the central theme of this movement. It is high time this attitude is totally changed. Since the women of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, it is all the more necessary to make them literate, capable, expert and progressive. Whereas the primary objective of the 24 thousand Deep Yagyas by women is to organize them, it is also aimed at motivating them strongly in every possible way for increasing their own competence to become financially independent.

Let us hope that in the next five years, no women in this country will remain illiterate and nowhere one would find extravagance in marriages. In days to come we shall see men and women working together as equals.

Apart from bringing out male social-architects dedicating their lives to the upliftment of society, the mission also has a plan to enthuse the young mothers to work in the neighborhoods of their homes. Ladies, in general, are being encouraged to carry the revolutionary message of women’s emancipation door-to-door. In this way they will be truly playing the role of angels. Presently, a powerful wave for increasing literacy amongst women would form part of this movement. On becoming literate, they will be provided with revolutionary literature enlightening them about the needs of the emerging New World Order. Besides, literature for reinforcing natural talent for the welfare of society, men would also need material for enlightenment of women. The mission is planning to provide translations of relevant literature in many languages for this purpose.

-By Shri Ram Sharma Acharya