Playwright Vaidehi rues at Bahuroopi Seminar

Mysuru: “Women feel safe with the uneducated lot than the educated ones because we have created a half-mad, brainless society,” said noted story writer and playwright Vaidehi in her heart-touching address.

She was speaking after inaugurating the two-day Bahuroopi National Seminar on ‘Gender Equality’ organised as part of the ongoing 18th Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival at Bhoomigeeta in Rangayana premises, this morning.

The inauguration itself was novel as a door that was placed on the stage opened to light from darkness and an energetic grey-haired figure emerged holding placards with slogans in a basket. The person carrying it was  noted theatre artiste and activist Rameshwari Verma, who distributed the placards to the guests and read out the slogans ­— Liberty, Fraternity, Secular, Democracy and Equality.

Recalling the contributions of Rangayana Founder B.V. Karnath and her long association with him, Vaidehi said that the problems arose between man and woman because of ego and if it is there, no relationship can sustain. “Generations have come and gone right from the Puranas to the modern world, but the view on women has not changed at all as she continues to be subjected to all kinds of ill-treatment and atrocities,” she said.

However, she pointed out that in the past there were very good men with character who always stood by women and fought for their causes and these were the men whom women loved. There were Vachana poets like Basavanna on one side and Akkamahadevi on the other who spoke about women’s equality through their Vachanas.  But after the country gained independence, the atmosphere has changed and it is a cause for concern.

“There was a time when women had faith in their brothers and uncles but today that is no longer the case and the main reason for this suspicious atmosphere are the regressive TV serials which portray women in bad light as scheming, devious women. This has led to more atrocities on women. The only out is either the Government should do something about it or people should stop watching such serials altogether,” said Vaidehi. She called for people to shun TV serials and instead watch plays which depict reality in all its dimensions.

Noted Advocate and Thinker C.S. Dwarakanath, speaking on ‘Directive Speech: Gender Equality and Indian Constitution,’ said that India stands 101st in the world when it came to gender equality. In a land of Buddha, Basava and Baba Saheb, only if everyone reads the Preamble and follows the Constitution, is equality possible.  

Two people should be remembered when it comes to women’s equality and they are Savithri Bai Phule who fought for women’s education and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who fought for women’s right to vote and demanded toilets for women, he said.

“When it comes to passing the Upper Caste 10 percent reservation for poor, it takes just three days for the Parliament to pass the Bill but when it comes to 33 percent Women’s Reservation Bill, even after years it is still being stalled,” he regretted.

He also pointed out that the third gender people were being pilloried by calling them different names in a humiliating way but they were responsible for giving the name ‘Mangalamukhis.’

Noted Socialist and Thinker P. Mallesh, Writer and Social Activist A. Revathi and others also spoke.

Rangayana Director Bhageerathi Bai Kadam delivered the introductory address. Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy welcomed. Prof. C. Naganna compered the programme.