“Respect women and do not worship us, because respect is a sign of equality and worship is not,” said Mallika Ghanti, Vice-Chancellor, Hampi University.
She was addressing the first district-level women’s literary convention organised by Kannada Sahitya Parishat, in association with Karnataka State Women’s University, at Rangamandir here on Wednesday.
Prof. Ghanti said while on one hand, women in India were being equated to goddesses, on the other they were ill-treated, beaten, raped and deprived of human dignity in the name of protecting culture.
“I am urging the male-dominated society not to equate women with goddesses, instead treat women like human beings,” she said.
On the attire
Taking exception to the argument that women were being targeted by some men because of their attire, Prof. Ghanti said that if clothes alone were the reason for the incidence of rape cases in the country, then why were infants being raped.
The Vice-Chancellor contended that the problem was not with the clothes being worn by women, but the mindset of men. Prof. Ghanti called upon the men to change their mindset towards women and also urged women to try and get rid of old and orthodox traditions and practices that were no longer relevant. On the parishat’s decision to dedicate the literary meet to women and farmers, Prof. Ghanti said that literature must raise the voice against any inequality and provide a platform to all sections of society.Writer Shanta Imrapur presided over the programme.
Karnataka State Women’s University Vice-Chancellor Meena Chandavarkar, MLC Arun Shahapur, Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, and parishat’s district unit president Mallikarjun Yendigeri were among those present.
Earlier, a colourful procession was taken out through the main streets here.
