THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In current Indian politics, critiques of ancient texts often spark heated debate. During an address at the Chhatron Ki Goonj student event in Pune, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised controversy by directly quoting from the Manusmriti (Chapter 5, Verse 148).
The passage states that a woman must remain dependent on her father in childhood, her husband in youth, and her sons in widowhood. While defenders of traditional frameworks often respond by citing alternative scriptures that praise women, this dispute highlights a major gap in society: the contrast between honoring women in theory and their lived reality under patriarchy.
Defenders of ancient legal codes frequently rely on selective quoting, pointing to verses that describe women as goddesses (Devis) or the foundation of the home. Yet, this idealized rhetoric stands in sharp contrast to history. Practices such as child marriage, enforced widowhood, Sati, and the denial of property rights were long practiced and socially accepted. Treating women as figures of worship in theory has rarely guaranteed them basic human rights, personal independence, or financial freedom.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar pointed out this exact contradiction when he stated:
”I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”
Ambedkar knew that social progress cannot be measured by claims in sacred texts; it must be judged by how women actually live. As the main architect of the Indian Constitution and India’s first Law Minister, he worked to replace ancient hierarchical codes with legal guarantees.
His draft of the Hindu Code Bill aimed to secure equal rights in marriage, divorce, and property inheritance, proving that real equality requires legal reform rather than symbolic praise.
Ambedkar’s point remains directly relevant today. Despite claims of traditional respect for women, India still faces severe structural problems, including widespread female foeticide, unequal sex ratios, and high levels of gender-based violence. The persistent preference for sons, driven by traditional inheritance customs and the illegal practice of dowry, shows that abstract worship does not protect women from everyday discrimination.
Similarly, reserving seats for women in parliament is a clear admission of this reality. If traditional social systems naturally offered women equal opportunity, legal mandates would not be necessary. Reservation exists specifically to open doors that have been closed by long-standing social norms.
A nation cannot move forward while using ancient texts to shield against necessary criticism. True respect for women is not shown by placing them on a pedestal in speech, but by guaranteeing their safety, economic independence, and equal representation in power.
Reference
1.https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-rahul-gandhi-event-chhatron-ki-goonj-manusmriti-narendra-modi-101787453974891.html?hl=en
2.https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rahul-gandhi-attacks-narendra-modi-over-jantar-mantar-girls-protest-abusive-language-remark-cultural-shock-chhatron-ki-goonj-2977788-2026-08-23?hl=en
3.https://www.uniindia.com/rahul-gandhi-s-smash-the-patriarchy–manusmriti-remarks-spark-congress-bjp-slugfest/india/news/3952988.html?hl=en-
4.https://youtu.be/Ht4NSIBhoeo?si=nUW1H9mBe4taw52I
