The triumph and trauma of state's daughters

An ironic analogy defines the lives of women in Haryana. In a state which boasts of having scores of international sports stars, besides young achievers, women’s personal choices—especially regarding relationships and marriage—remain taboo for them. Moreover, incidents of molestation and abuse are not uncommon as the unfortunate tales of exploitation of young girls, even in schools, come as a shocking reminder and shame for both society and the authorities.

The achievements of Minakshi Hooda from Rohtak district and Jaismine Lamboria speaks volumes of their determination, talent and nerves. They won the gold medals in their respective weight categories in the World Boxing Championship held in the UK earlier this week. Nupur Sheoran from Bhiwani won the silver medal while another Bhiwani girl, Pooja Rani, returned with the bronze medal.

Another feather in the cap of the achievers came on Friday when two sisters from a dusty village Dhanana in Bhiwani district — Priyanka Ghanghas and Bharti Ghanghas — have emerged as student leaders in the National Capital, where they contested the student union elections. While Priyanka was elected president of Miranda House Girls’ College (Delhi University), Bharti was elected vice-president of DRC College.

Reacting on their performance, Jaismine’s mother Joginder Kaur stated that their win reflected the changing social mindset. Society had begun to treat daughters on a par with sons. “The achievement of the girls is not just a personal milestone, but also a symbol of societal progress which shows that daughters, too, can bring pride and honour to their families and the nation,” she said.

Recently, the achievement of Harshita Kadian, a girl from Rohtak, who secured the third position in the Combined Defence Services Exam, showed how the girls are leaving a mark in every field.

But the incidents of abuse and molestation, coming especially from schools, are a grim reminder that much needs to be done to ensure the safety of girls. This coexistence of triumph and trauma underscores the paradox of Haryana’s daughters.

In a shameful incident last month, three girl students revealed to the Child Welfare Committee about the molestation by their schoolteacher at a government school in Rewari district. Another such incident occurred at a village in Kurukshetra district.

Much needs to be done to prevent such crimes, especially with regard to the justice system, so that the accused are punished. In the incident of sexual abuse by a principal of a government school in Jind district, the victims still await justice, though the principal is in jail. A woman activist expressed surprise why the case was dragging.

The state government’s figures placed by the CM in the Assembly in the last session revealed that 779 incidents of rape and 1,106 cases registered under POCSO Act were registered in the state till July 31. The figures reflected a 2.3% rise in crimes against children under the POCSO Act.

Vandana Kumari, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Kurukshetra University, said there are double standards in certain quarters of society towards women. “The issues of gender equality and women empowerment need multi-pronged efforts from the government and society by ensuring better and quality education, safety of girls and change in the patriarchal mindset. It's happening but it seems to be taking more time,” she said.