01 March,2011 08:25 AM IST | | Manjunath L Hanji
The much talked about township of Bhatkal, which is infamous for its links to terrorism, is now hated by young girls for its Taliban-like rule for women. The situation for the women in the town is much like being between the devil and the deep sea. Their voices are being suppressed under the burkha. It is compulsory for the Muslim women who want to venture out, to wear purdah or nikhaab and be accompanied by a male member of their family at all times.
This system is akin to Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. No wonder many women, by hook or crook, wish to get out of their town ufffd be itu00a0 to shop or get educated or visit relatives or friends.
"However, no one dares to raise their voice as the diktat was imposed on us collectively," said my friend Ameena (name changed) who managed to come to Bangalore on the pretext of work.
I was meeting Ameena after a long time. Teary eyed, she asked me, 'Why are these people not letting us be? Why are they killing us? And killing us bit by bit every day. I have been trying to come out of this shadow for the last five years but it has not been easy for me. I have struggled a lot for my education and got a double degree. I want to stop this nonsense.'
She is from Bhatkal; her town is small but burning every day. The tiny problems are going to get bigger in time and take shape of communal problems. The people who are not concerned with the matter will interfere and make a political or social issue out of it. It will then become a hot topic of debate in the media but will this bring respite to Batkal residents?
Ameena has many friends in her community but she is intimidated by the rules imposed on her and feels suffocated. Although not under the Taliban regime, sheu00a0 is scared to go to the market alone.
It is not the only problem for women; thousands of people are waiting for a change. Piracy, communal disharmony, killings, and imbalance of economy are common problems here. Take villages on the coast, they are burning with major problems. There is an urgent need of proper administration and security for the innocent residents of these areas.
It is the fundamental duty of our government to intervene in these matter so that the women feel empowered and secure.
