Overturning Roe vs Wade: Taking away a constitutional right affecting one of the most fundamental human rights – the right to bodily autonomy as a walking, talking, living human being.
That’s one of the most infuriating Supreme Court judgements in a country that is supposed to be leading the world in more ways than one; yet do you see how the country is expressing its absolutely justified rage? In all these days, do you even for once hear “This happens only in America”?
But then even with all the heartbreaking gun violence in schools killing hundreds of children, do you, even for once, recollect any slogan claiming, “This happens only in America” even though that statement might be true in some ways?
Do you see where I am getting at with this?
This nationalistic sentiment even when the country might be taken back by a hundred and fifty years. This sense of solidarity amongst the citizens where they do not just stand strong AGAINST injustice, but they stand just as firm FOR their nation.
Yes, we have the right to dissent. Of course, but do we, can we claim our right to fight unjust policies if we forget our very fundamental values of nationalism in the process? Do we deserve a right to dissent when we forget that it’s not Us vs India, but Us AND India vs one unfair law, one impractical policy, one unjust judgement; Us AND Our Country vs the Situation?
Duties PRECEDE Rights. Except, of course, the fundamental right to life and personal liberty without which no duty can be performed obviously! But I hope you get the point.
N.B.: For the uninitiated, while Roe vs Wade was a 1973 judgement upholding abortion as a constitutional right in the US until last week, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 does uphold the right to abortion as a human right to be claimed by anyone who should need it. The 2021 amendment to the MTP Act confers this right to both married and unmarried women, and also provides for not just a fine but imprisonment up to 1 year too in case of breach of the woman’s confidentiality.
Considering everything, while I stand in solidarity with every woman/person fighting for the fundamental right to their bodily autonomy with regard to child-bearing being a personal choice and not a woman’s duty or obligation even under severe circumstances, I also am proud of my country for upholding such a fundamental right since 1971 for the women/people of the nation.
For all the times, we so easily get down to comment on the regressive laws in India, we might as well find pride in the progressive measures available to us too while we still have good reason to do so.
We are the country we want. We create the world we want, starting with our own nation, with our own family, with our own selves.
P.S.: Those in any corner of the world favouring the ban of abortion as a fundamental right of women/people, I no longer have the time or mind space to engage in arguments since I’m busy nurturing a life where I get to be the constructive change I wish upon this world. If your only sense of self-worth is tearing down another gender group and your only solace is in shouting brainless comments, please continue to enjoy your life – just keep yourself out of a woman’s life may be for everyone’s safety! If your sole sense of humour is ridiculing and mocking every bit of a woman’s existence, maybe you ought to live without a woman in your life. And no, I do not even mean that with any damned sexual connotation. I mean, you, the high and mighty oh-so-perfect angel on earth, who finds everything about women worth taunting and disrespecting might as well have the spine to start living your life without any woman in any capacity in your life, without any woman doing anything at all for you – start living a life where nothing you stand to gain can be attributed to any woman at all.
Oh, wait! Why do you exist in the first place? Ah! Right!
On second thoughts, you could be from the era of the Ramayana-Mahabharata and borne out of some random empty vessel that still just sounds much!
SassyWits 