Feminists often tell us about the countless, arduous burdens women carry. The burden of being safe, the burden of being 'back on time', the burden of being modest, the burden of being graceful , and the latest addition of all,the burden of not inviting rape( It's only a matter of time, and before they even know, the two little kids would have to take this blame). But no one would tell us about the burden a man carries. Basking in the new found ancient(oxymoronic pun intended) glory of my nation -the land of knowledge ,the cradle of civilisation, the golden bird , I am clipped, brought down and shattered by the "Ignominy of being an Indian man". I do not intend to chastise only the 'Indian' man. The facts from across the globe are rather reassuring. I am not alone, men cutting across continents think the way Indian men do. It is, after all, just about the Ignominy of being a 'Man' and does not necessarily have anything to do with being an Indian. But the fact remains that I carry the burden of the glorious, ancient culture- a culture where women are worshiped for knowledge, for wealth and for power. And as Spider-Man's uncle would tell(well almost) ,that with great past comes great responsibilities.
So it does not matter what your ideology is, it does not matter what your opinions are, it does not even matter what your sexual orientation is, if you are an Indian man it is your burden to carry. If there are men who have taken upon themselves the mantle to evolve a dress code for all women, then it is your burden to carry. The opinions of men who exhort women to produce in abundance, are your burden to carry. If there are men who with blatant impunity have the audacity to declare "boys will be boys", then it is your burden to carry and those who have the courage of conviction in pronouncing their own superiority over women, are most certainly your burden to carry. Above all, if there are men who can rape and can justify it with evidence rooted in our grand culture, then it is your, and solely your burden to carry. So what if feminism is meant to advocate 'equal' opportunities. There are no feminists to defend you. You have brought this upon yourself by being born a man and that too in India. You cannot escape those prying eyes ever mindful of your every movement, you cannot avoid those suspicious looks making you conscious of your own presence, and you cannot as much even remotely think what have I done to deserve this. Because you do, it is your burden to carry-the ignominy of being an Indian man
