question_answer 17)

Read the following extract from a conduct book for ‘married women', published in 1912. 'God has made the female species delicate and fragile both physically and emotionally, pitiably incapable of self-defence. They are destined thus by God to remain in male protection - of father, husband and son - all their lives. Women should, therefore, not despair, but feel obliged that they can dedicate themselves to the service of men'. Do you think the values expressed in this para reflected the values underlying our Constitution? Or does this go against the constitutional values?

Answer:

(i) No, the values expressed in the above paragraph do not reflect the values underlying our Constitution. (ii) It goes against the constitutional values because in this paragraph women are shown as unequal as weak and fragile who should serve men, whereas the Constitution provides for equality both of men and women. The Preamble of our Constitution starts with the words.   (iii) "We, the People of India" Which means both men and women. It suggests that citizens cannot be discriminated on the grounds of caste, religion and gender. So the values given in this paragraph does not reflect the values given in our Constitution.