While reading Rahul Sankrityayan, I came across these lines today:
"When women first removed their veils, was there not an uproar? Were they not accused and slandered? But our modern trailblazers have proven that those who dare, succeed, and before the successful, all heads bow."
This quote is from Rahul Sankrityayan’s book "Bhago Nahi, Duniya Ko Badlo" (Do Not Run Away, Change the World), written in the 1940s. In this book, he expressed his views on social change, women's freedom, and courage. As I read this book in the 2020s of the 21st century, I am astonished that the practice of veiling and purdah was a pressing issue back then, and it still persists today—a full century later.
Speaking of Rahul Sankrityayan, he was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan. His contributions to literature and society are vast and significant, but I assume you may already know some of that.
Now, let’s talk about society and its deeply ingrained regressive traditions.
How is it possible that a problem imposed on women in the form of veiling remains unchanged over a century? How is it that women fought against this in the 1940s, and in 2025, the same battle continues?
In the 1940s, a computer was the size of an entire room; today, we have smartphones that fit in our pockets. Back then, we hadn’t even reached the moon, and today, we are preparing to establish settlements on Mars. The internet, which only emerged around the 1980s—nearly forty years after 1940—has now reached the most remote villages, evolving from 2G to 5G. In 1940, tuberculosis was often a death sentence, while today, even cancer has treatments. So much progress in a single century—so much transformation—yet, have our attitudes towards women progressed at all?
How is it that a struggle from the 1940s is still relevant in 2030? Are we deceiving ourselves and other women under the guise of tradition? If we refuse to evolve with time, then why did we progress in every other field? Why did we move from huts to apartments—wasn’t living in huts once our culture? Why did we evolve from apes to humans—wasn’t being an ape part of our natural history?
Culture, civilization, and religion—these have become the biggest instruments of oppression, and I am speechless at how they have been used for centuries to justify discrimination. Despite women gaining access to education, employment, and equal rights, they still face veiling, purdah, and gender discrimination in social spheres. And the saddest part? Some people, due to internalized patriarchy, don’t even recognize how wrong this is. We all have played a role in turning outdated traditions into unshakable norms.
If we can reach the moon and Mars but fail to expand our thinking, we must ask ourselves—which direction are we truly moving in? It is astonishing that despite such rapid technological progress, the chains of regressive mindsets continue to suffocate so many. Will we pass on the same shackles to our next generations that were handed down to us? We need to think, and we must think—not every hardship can be whitewashed in the name of tradition, century after century. The responsibility for change lies with us.
