Improvements in economic condition and education are not considered transformative enough.

All contestations are about the woman’s body. The hippie culture of the West in the 60s and 70s became the coda of this stream of thought.

It is, therefore, natural for most women to be uneasy with Western feminist thinkers and their tropes, which have come to inhabit the social science space in India.

In any case, whatever pretensions it had as an academic discipline soon degenerated into a fad and reckless lifestyle choices.

Unfortunately, this has taken hold among certain sections of our society and university campuses, where feminist paraphernalia of Woodstock symbolisms are considered as rites of passage for being considered ‘progressive’.

It can be safely stated that the march of women’s empowerment in India has no traces of Western feminist thinking. It follows the Indian trajectory of integration, where women and men work together to remove social ills that are incapacitating to women.

In Russia, they have coined a new concept — they say, they do not need harmful feminism but a good family life. I also heard their preferred word ‘familyism’, while on a tour to Russia during their presidential elections in March 2018, as an ‘international observer’.

The Sangh, on the other hand, does not believe in the dictates of straitjackets and isms. It is a comprehensive mission of society to empower women, to remove restrictions of purdah, which came about as a result of a long history of invasions, and to raise educational levels and economic ability.

The Sangh has supported enabling laws and policies. However, the moot point is change in social mindsets where each family takes the decision to bring about a qualitative change in the status of women.

Therefore, the Sangh is reaching out to families with the message of women’s empowerment, education, democratic participation and fighting evil practices like dowry.

If a woman wants to go out for studies or work, she ought to be encouraged. If a woman decides to enter public life, she should be supported.

We are seeing this change quietly sweep across the country in a uniquely Indian manner.

Sunil Ambekar

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