Me against the Black Shroud

Have you ever seen the black shroud called the Purdah?

If you haven't, then let me enlighten you.

A purdah is a black shroud worn by Muslim women whenever they venture out of the house. Though, I admire the traditions of the religion and the respect they hold for women, yet it appalls me to think of this particular practice. It was introduced in order to avoid getting the attention of men.

I was traveling in the city bus one day. At a particular stop, I noticed a young woman step into the bus. She was completely decked in a black cloak. Her only feature visible were her beautiful eyes.

This is the twenty first century. A time where wars are being fought by the people against atrocious governments and who are staking their lives for the freedom of speech. Myanmar, is what I speak of. In such a time, my thoughts return to the young woman who is sitting in the bus with me. Here she is, young, vibrant and hardly twenty-two, living in a democratic country where people like myself enjoy the rights to freedom of speech and expression. The reason I write is to exercise this freedom.

So, why does she flout the Constitution on our face and retreat to being a rag doll of meaningless tradition. Why does she sport a single color and cover herself while her brothers walk around freely. Whatever happened to the equality of sexes..

But then again, she isn't the one to blame. After all, there are so many other women who do the same.

To make a point, I would like to add that these women are one of the most beautiful in the world.. they are as fair and innocent as a lily blossom. Yet, they hide themselves under a black shroud, afraid of entering the world.

Beauty is something that shouldn't be kept hidden. The great paintings by masterpieces like Leonardo Da Vinci are not being hidden in dark rooms no matter how priceless they are.. Take for instance, 'David' by Michelangelo. Though the naked boy, who stands boldly in one of the Artistic halls of Italy could be a symbol of obscenity to some but it is a symbol of the amazing innocence and creativity to others which is being openly exposed.

The only boundaries that limit us are the ones that we impose on ourselves.

God made this world so colorful. Think about the blue skies, the green meadow, blue waters and the white snow. Think about the reddish sunsets and sunrises. Think about the red roses, violet lotuses and the white lilies. This nature is colorful. Even if you are an atheist, you can't help but marvel at the beauty of mother nature.

So, why? Why should the girl restrict herself to covering herself with one particular color? If she is afraid of what others would make of her beauty, then that is pathetic. The mud is in the eyes of the seer and not the girl. We need to change our attitudes. Men have a tendency to let their thoughts wander and let their manly attributes take a hold of themselves. If only instances such as harassment of women could be stopped, the black shroud could be finally removed. The respect we need to have for the females of this society should come from within.

Only then, shall we be able to prove to ourselves that we aren't the apes we used to be millions of years ago. That we've actually evolved... well, atleast in some small way.

If you are sitting in your seat, staring at the computer screen wondering what should you do?

Then, that's good. I'll leave the decision to you. My job here is done.. atleast for the time-being.