Social Media-

Ghonim the man behind the Egyptian website that led to Arab Revolution had then proclaimed- If you want
to liberate the society you just need the internet. Today he believes that “if you want to liberate the society
we first need to liberate the internet.” What is it that changed his views so drastically?
The growth of social media has lent voices to many unheard before- from outright conservationism to
Extreme radicalism; but not all of them have stemmed from innate passion for what they believe in. Many
of the views circulated have been implanted by users with vested interests with an underlying malaise.
These have led to many dangerous consequences as in the Arab Revolution didn’t bring about political
consensus but led to amplification of the polarized views each substantiated with the spread of
misinformation, rumors and hate speeches.
The angry mob in most cases tend to take aggressive stands as social media gives them invincible mark of
anonymity under which they feel secure and hence powerful. This perception leads to equating others as
powerless and the apparent absence of societal controls and pressures of conformity. This in most cases
results in the view that breaking the norms of convention to stamp ones authority is the only form of
expression of this brute power ostensibly under his possession.
This leads to the biggest issue with social media; it leaves with the user the option of completely silencing
and turning a deaf ear to alternate opinion. As Voltaire had rightfully said- The human brain is a complex
organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is
that he wants to believe.”
We communicate only with the people that are in agreement with us and share the rumors that confirm with
our biases and block the rest. In most cases the 140 characters of complexly worded statements are bound
to push people to conclusions and emotionally charge up and entire audience without a rational and
impartial presentation of facts. These sharp expressions lead to casting lasting impressions on innocent
readers or audience and the so cast opinions become almost impossible to change as their emotions and
empathy have gotten attached to the issue.
Social media caters to man’s need for being acknowledged and his views ascertained by his fellow mates.
However this has need has grown to dangerous proportions where every action of his is influenced by
whether his action would gain the attention of others. From outrageous selfies to views that contradict mains
stream opinion (even if he doesn’t passionately believe in it) are a manifestation of this need to be vogue
and at the helm of current issues. “We are rarely proud when we are alone.”
In many cases most of us are unaware of the actual social cause behind a campaign yet feel the need to
support the “good” in our little human capacity to satisfy our Moral egos. The rise of slacktivism where one
joins the cause to be a part of the trend/ herd mentality without actually feeling for the cause has been one
of the biggest facet of Social media campaigns today. They end up being propaganda and an image building
exercise of a social media page rather than a path to progress and enlightenment of a society. The story of
the A.L.S. Ice Bucket Challenge, in 2014, in which millions of people filmed themselves dumping buckets
of ice-cold water over their heads, in order to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease is one such case of glaring
slacktivism.
Social experiments
Obssession and lack of real conversations
Internet activism however doesn’t need to fallouts in every case. There have been several amazing stories
that have reinstated faith in humankind.
The rise of digital media allows social activists to address this challenge, providing new mechanisms to
influence public policy. There is also evidence that social media activists are influencing corporate agendas
through the moral pressurization to comply with social and environmental causes. Sophia Ashraf, a young
Indian rapper had put up a video regarding the Mercury pollution caused by Hindustan Unilever in the
Kodai Lake and the Pambar Shola Ecosystem, which garnered momentum to the 15year old campaign and
the global consumer products company announced a welfare compensation for its 591 former workers.
The disaster management have been enhanced by social media is also recognized in the Sendai framework.
The amateur weather reporters played a very important role in passing information about the Chennai
flooding zones, safe shelter zones, Aiding people in medical emergencies and in supplying food, water and
essential supplies to the people in need.
The

Exercise with responsibility

Democracy and Socialism
Press Censorship
Sustainable development goals-looking beyond people and progress
Sustainable development is the kind of development envisaged from a platform of equality when all nations
are impartial observers of justice and deliver it from behind the veil of ignorance not subject to political
bargaining or the calculus of social interests. It is granting justice to the

Innovation: a way of life

FDI: is it a dependable source for development
De-globalization
Secessionist tendencies
Women empowerment
The entrenchment of gender inequality and the existence of patriarchy are global phenomena that have
existed for over six millennia (Kraemer 1991). Aristotle’s exclusion of women from political activity and
Rousseau’s argument that women should be educated differently and excluded from citizenship provide us
ample space to keep us from the fallacy of observing women subjugation as India’s malaise alone. In fact,
as is borne out by the Vedic scriptures, (Subramanyam 2014)& (Sengupta 2015) ancient Indian society was
gender neutral and women enjoyed a very high standard of learning and culture. However, when the first,
second and third waves of feminism promoted significant progress in women emancipation in the global
arena, India was traversing in the reverse direction where women became the captives of tradition and
culture. The colonial Britons did their bit to further the cause of Indian women (Kumari 2010), but it was
the Constitution of India enacted in 1950 that provided the opportunity for women to fight for their dignity
and legal rights.
Women Empowerment initiatives in India

A paradigm shift occurred in independent India from the Fifth Five Year Plan with the setting up of the
National Commission for Women in 1992 as an apex body that coordinates Government’s women
empowerment programs that are introduced by various ministries (NCW, National Commision for Women
1992). Since then, a large number of schemes, including the reservation of seats for women in local bodies
(Ghai), health care programmes like the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) that provides free
maternity care at the public health institutions and educational schemes like the National Mission for
Female Literacy (Hindu 2009) that seeks to eliminate the literacy gap of 16.2% between men and women,
were introduced. The Bharatiya Mahila Bank, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Kudumbashree and the Kanyshree
Prakalpa Programme are few among the schemes that are launched every year (wcd). The legal fraternity,
energized by women rights groups and NGOs, was instrumental in the enactment of numerous progressive
legislations affecting women over the decades. (NCW, Laws Related to Women)

Unsolved problems

Notwithstanding the many legislations that aim at safeguarding women’s rights and the heavily funded
women empowerment schemes, the Indian society is far from normal and has been witnessing atrocities
like the Delhi rape, lynching and hanging of the Badaun girls on a tree in Haryana, the Mumbai rape,
thousands of unreported marital rapes and other egregious acts against women. The sex ratio hit a new low
in the 2011 decennial census (Census 2011) as there are only 919 girls compared to the 927 as per the 2001
census, Haryana being the worst performer with 834 girls for 1000 boys. Even in a developed state like
Punjab, more than 154 girls are ‘missing’ vis-a-vis 1000 boys. India faces vehement international flak when
it comes to the treatment of its women. A global survey compiled by the Thomson Reuters Foundation
declared India as the fourth most dangerous country in the world to be a woman. (The Guardian 2011)

It is arguable that the pathetic plight of Indian womanhood is predicated on patriarchy and misogyny which
are deeply rooted in the Indian psyche down the centuries (Leeza Mangaldas 2013). The social acceptance
of Khap Panchayats, honour killings, banning women from temples like Sabarimala, domestic violence etc.
has not only affected the mind-set of the male population, but has also made women passive accomplices
even though they may not actively support them (Chatterjee 1989).

Gender segregation being relatively higher in Indian society (Chakraborthy 2013), people tend to assign
jobs and platforms differently to men and women. Traditional families are intolerant of premarital sex
(Arnett) and even academics find it embarrassing to teach the mysteries of sexuality at school (Suman). At
the same time, globalisation has brought about a cultural mix and an irreversible shift in the Indian society
as well (McQuarrie 2013). What one sees as a globalised culture in the media and on the city streets has a
stark difference from the values imposed at home (Derne 2005) encouraging sexual frustration. Therefore,
a globalised culture along with unfulfilled sexuality can lead to an unwholesome addiction to pornography
and even to crimes.
Leaving no stone unturned

India has made significant efforts in passing legislations to protect women from sexual violence, bridge the
literacy gap and provide maternal health facilities. However, Women empowerment policies, despite their
acclaimed modalities of implementation, will prove ineffective if they cannot create an impact on the
outlook of the people. Social attitudes, traditions and culture are endogenous factors that will take a long
time to get transformed. But public policies can catalyse this process and it requires a philosophical rethink
in addressing the causes of gender disparity in India.

Recommendations

Initiate highly effective sex education campaigns in educational institutions using selected and trained
personnel.
The Justice Verma Committee report on gender violence reiterates the need for restructuring the edifice of
our educational system which must focus on gender mainstreaming (J. Verma 2013). Promoting
comprehensive and effective sex education in high schools and colleges would demystify the sexuality of
the opposite gender. It will also help them to be more realistic in their attitude to sex befuddled by delusions
and fantasies germinated by pornography.

2. Train facilitators to be unbiased and open-minded.

Excessive gender segregation at home prevalent in India often leads to its perpetuation in educational
institutions too. It could be righted by training our facilitators to be broad minded and morally upright while
engaging students in activities. The camaraderie thus developed between boys and girls can transform the
way they look upon the society.

3. Enlighten people on the legalisation of consensual sex. Ban brothels and middlemen.

Dealing with sexual frustrations entails a planned and pragmatic approach. Simply banning pornography
would do more harm. On the other hand, promoting brothels is also pointless as they just provide another
platform for exploitation and harassment of women by men. But prostitution has been, is and will be the
oldest profession. A novel idea postulated in an article in ‘The Economist’ suggested the creation of an
internet platform where buyers and sellers could meet without the influence of middlemen. Thus, banning
brothels but legalising consensual sex could help reduce sexual frustrations of the community. This
argument is buttressed by a development on Rhode Island in the United States. When the government
unintentionally decriminalised indoor prostitution between 2003 and 2009, the state showed a steep decline
in reported rape cases. (S. a. Cunningham 2014)
4.Take educated, empowered and powerful women on board to inspire and lead.

The role played by women even in a man-centric society is significant. Standing up to a husband or son
who opposes a girl’s freedom to choose what she wants, helping a woman who is publicly humiliated,
reporting an incident of domestic violence in the vicinity or forming pressure groups in villages to end
oppression are ways to challenge and change the social system. Cutting across party lines, women in power
should come together to form advocacy groups. As Madeleine Albright said, ‘there is a special place in hell
for women who do not help other women’.

5.Diversify employment opportunities for women.

Women must break away from the bait of traditional soft jobs like secretaries, teachers, nurses and
receptionists and participate more actively in men dominated professions like entrepreneurs, scientists,
chief executive officers, engineers in heavy equipment manufacturing, pioneers in innovation etc. This will
help in the elimination of occupational segregation. And one notices these changes around us in small
proportions. Support them and bring them to limelight so that they become an inspiration for others. Women
engaging in employment has its own merits. Firstly, they enjoy the benefits of financial independence which
make them less vulnerable to domestic violence. Secondly, being bread winners elevates their status and
wins respect in the family. Thirdly, working outside home provides them with experience of the outside
world which would make them aware of their rights and opportunities and thus proactive.

We can draw a parallel between India’s quest for emancipation of women and fight against slavery in the
US. Even though Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it
took more than a century for Americans to abjure this evil. However, No sooner had slavery been abolished
than the masters of the slaves embarked upon crushing the liberation of slaves. The wretched souls were
lynched and even hung on trees. The US has traversed a long distance from those dark days and today the
Afro-Americans bask in the warm sunshine of liberty, equality and fraternity in large measure. Their
success story can offer lessons to and inspire the torch bearers of women emancipation in India. But our
predicament can be likened to a society caught up in the middle of an ocean. There are but two choices:
either swim ashore or sink in the vortex.
Known vividly for his vast collection of poems, prose, plays, stories and novels, Tagore put women in the
forefront in his works to convey feminism very strongly.
Take Charulata of “Nashtanirh”, a wife who remains secluded within the walls of her house and finds solace
in her brother-in-law. Amal not just comforts her and brings out of boredom but also influences her to write
for newspapers. Charu’s confrontation with her husband about her inclination towards Amal shows how
Tagore put boldness in his characters.
In “Noukadubi”, Hemnalini refuses to marry her brother’s friend after Ramesh, her love interest, marries
another woman. Another protagonist Kamala in the same story, when discovering that the person she is
staying with is not her husband, immediately abandons his home and goes searching for the person she was
actually married to. The female characters are shown strong enough to stand for their rights.
Tagore brought into the forefront the sexual desires of a woman, which even today is considered taboo,
reflecting his liberal approach to the topic.
“Shesher Kobita”, probably his most lyrical novel, presents Labanya as a strong-willed, highly-educated,
free-spirited woman who hails from a middle class family. A woman with high ethos, Labanya falls in love
with Oxford-returned Amit. Though their love blossoms, Tagore, through Labanya, raises questions about
the very institution of marriage as the ultimate goal of a love affair.
Taking another dig at the patriarchal rules that probably still persist, “Strir Patra” voices the struggle of
self-identification that Mrinal faces in her life. The story revolves around a letter sent to a husband by his
wife for the first time in 15 years conveying how her intelligence became a hindrance to her livelihood and
led to misery, and how writing poetry gave her solace and made her feel free from the patriarchal bond.
Through Mrinal, Tagore reflected how a woman’s life was meant not to be restricted within the inner walls
of a home.
Not just on pages, but Tagore’s stories and novels have been brought alive a number of times on celluloid.
Satyajit Ray went on to make a number of movies based on Tagore’s writings. So did Rituparno Ghosh and
the legacy is still being carried on by other directors.
What will be remembered forever about Tagore is his contribution to literary society and his attempt to
create a world “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”.
Reservation:policy and politics
Positive affirmation-sandel
“The greatest consolation in life is to say what one thinks.” ― Voltaire