GENDER DISCRIMINATION IS THE LAW OF NATURE

I remember an incident on the Island which was shrouded in an aura of mystery. Two dead bodies surfaced on the banks of the Vembanad Lake. I gathered that when the body was submerged under water, the air in the lungs is replaced by water. The bacteria in the digestive system and the chest cavity would start to produce a lot of gases like, Methane and Carbon dioxide enough to bring it to the surface of water to float as a balloon. It takes at least twenty four hours to float.

Both the corpses seemed to be well dressed and looked quite decent. A whisper here, an insinuation there spread like wild fire.  The excited local people gathered around the shore. One of the spectators concluded that it could have been a case of suicide. They might have jumped into the Vembanad Lake from a running train at the Venduruthy Bridge in Cochin. A politician appeared at the scene, made his presence felt, and vanished into thin air. A sensible person, very soft spoken, asked if anybody informed the police. As I was curious I went to have a closer look at the corpses. I saw the cadaver of a man lying face down in the water. I sighted a profile of his closely cropped hair and a side view of his moustache. The other body rested face up. It was the corpse of a woman. I gazed at her up turned face and long braided hair floating on the water. She wore a sari and blouse. I wondered at the way the corpses rested. My curiosity and reasoning could not wait.

I hastened home and asked my mother, who was reading an absorbingly interesting magazine, the question that haunted me.  Why was the man’s corpse face down and the woman’s face upwards? She lifted her head from the pages of a glossy magazine that was flapping in the breeze. Cocking a quizzical eyebrow she asked to narrate the incident. She knew I would not compromise on any answer. As usual, after carefully ascertaining the facts, she found the answer promptly, to all of my queer questions. She said, “It was the Law of Nature that made such discrimination.” She went on to explain in answer to all my queer questions. “The human sexes differed in a lot of ways. The features of each of the sexes differed; the woman is frail and inferior to the man in muscle power and therefore, man is the tougher human who assumed the role of the protector of the family. The woman’s body is designed for special purposes like pregnancy, child birth, feeding the new born, looking after them and imparting a wealth of knowledge to meet the challenges in future. Therefore, there are differences in the appearance of their corpses in water too.” Nevertheless, the difference in gender shall not affect gender equality.

A woman should hold herself up with dignity and pride on being bestowed the gift of motherhood.  This is a boon of Mother Nature. I have noticed that in palmistry, it is the right hand which is read for men and the left hand for women. This is the principle adopted by Palmists and the Chirologist. In Thumb Impression Astrology, ‘Nadi Jyothisha,’ the same guideline is adopted. The hormonal changes (from estrogen to progesterone) in a woman’s system trigger mood changes in them. On these occasions they may experience difficulties to take up challenges. Moreover the women might not get the safety and security of their homes in certain other environments. Undoubtedly, due to the great virtue of patience that most women possess, they are best suited for certain careers like teaching, medicine, nursing, airhostesses or receptionists. I often wonder why there aren’t major quotas for such category of occupations or professions reserved for women.

However, I have come across courageous, resourceful and determined women, who have overcome all these barriers, attained their dreams and held responsible positions in life by their own merit. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

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