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Thread: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

  1. #1
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    New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste all,

    I came across this story today about a new campaign being commissioned in the wake of the rape cases that made worldwide headlines in Delhi last year, and more recently in Mumbai last month. Apparently this anti-domestic abuse campaign is using images of various depictions of Goddesses.

    Please find reference to the campaign here: http://www.thehindu.com/features/the...cle5129205.ece

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/regajha/indi...mpaign-condemn

    What is your opinion of using images of Devi to convey this message to the people of India? I know for myself being a sincere devotee of Mother Goddess that I felt quite shocked and upset on seeing these depictions. On the one hand, I can completely understand what the campaigners are driving at here. It is an issue worthy of being brought right to the social and cultural fore of people everywhere, perhaps moreso in India. But is the shock value the only way to educate people who engage in violence against wives and womenfolk? It is a crude method, if this is what they were going for, if not ironic - Devi is seen as the universal energy, Shakti, the embodiment of God's power. How can She be harmed? But something tells me this was not what was in the mind of the campaigners who are using Her as an example of the victim of abuse.

    Has anyone on this board here living in India seen any posters of this campaign yet? It is a sad fact that domestic violence against women happens everywhere. I have seen campaigns against it in my own country, but never with a slant on religion or on people's beliefs. Is it because the campaigners are aware that Indians pay so much respect to Devi that they have decided this might be the only way to shake things up a bit and drive the message home?

    Although personally I believe anyone who is a true devotee to the likes of Maa Durga and Lakshmi would never raise a hand against anyone, man or woman. Those that do engage in physical violence regularly against a woman or are involved in the sex trafficking trade are surely godless creatures who will think no more of disrespecting God in the form of a woman as they would were they human?

    Interested in hearing what others have to say about this.

    Om namah Shivaya
    "Watch your thoughts, they become words.
    Watch your words, they become actions.
    Watch your actions, they become habits.
    Watch your habits, they become your character.
    Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

    ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
    Om Gam Ganapataye namah

    लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ।
    Lokaah SamastaaH Sukhino Bhavantu

  2. #2
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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    I happened to see the pictures associated with this campaign. They had quite a shock value! To the right person, they would convey the right message... However, those who abuse women never belong to the category of the 'right person' (meaning someone who could be easily corrected by words or some neutral campaigning). So inspite of the shock value, I doubt if there would be any positive outcome out of this campaign. (Does it expose to the world as if India is full of women abusers??).
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    i dont agree with this. now people will insult goddess's pics also. more devi pics on roads. this is the wrong way. devi's pics should not be used other than worship.

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste,

    Offensive as it may be to some religious people, using any and all means available to mankind must be used to check the violence against women. That is summed up by the following viewpoint:

    However, as Dubey points out, “When there’s a fire, it must be put out by whatever means is at hand. We cannot insist that the fire rage until the new fire brigade that’s overdue in the area has been set up.”

    Quote Originally Posted by Viraja View Post
    (Does it expose to the world as if India is full of women abusers??).
    We must be careful with choosing our words. While I agree that there is lot of abuse of women by men in India, I would save the label 'women abusers' for the following type of people,

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/p...sing-wear-veil

    On the positive side, Hindus send their daughters to schools and colleges, have many women in positions of leadership and power both in politics and in the corporate world, celebrate their talents and beauty with Miss India contests and have produced the first Miss America of Asian (Telugu) descent this year.

    Pranam.
    Last edited by Believer; 19 September 2013 at 03:00 PM.

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste, sunyata07.

    Seeing those images, reading those horrific stories and this thread about it, I wanted to reply, but diplomacy and tact isn't my strongest suit, so I can only try my best.

    Domestic violence and rape is utterly deplorable, it should be discouraged at all costs and offenders should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

    However, I totally disagree with using such an image of Divine Mother as a form of 'shockvertising'. While I appreciate the intent, it is done in the most poorest of taste and civil standards in my honest opinion.

    First, I totally agree with all of this:

    But is the shock value the only way to educate people who engage in violence against wives and womenfolk? It is a crude method, if this is what they were going for, if not ironic - Devi is seen as the universal energy, Shakti, the embodiment of God's power. How can She be harmed?
    Also, I seriously doubt that rapists and woman-bashers would be in any way 'religious'. They wouldn't even care!

    It's like putting skull and crossbones on cigarette packets...research shows it doesn't stop people from smoking if they really want to.

    Even though I am a non-violent person, the punishment should fit the crime and also act as a deterrent. Life imprisonment with hard labor? Chemical castration/penectomy? That would work much better.

    We know that all women are 'Devi'...or even 'sister/mother' depending on age, but you can't reason like this with abusive and violent criminals.

    That campaign - it's just not the right way to go about it in my opinion. The authorities need to stop being so soft and take a harder line on the issue.

    Aum Namah Shivaya

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Very Shocking indeed! The ad campaign can have some positive effect on some people and only temporary in general. People would get used to seeing these photos around and it will soon lose its effects. Meanwhile we have to live with the pain of watching these photos for the rest of our lives and with anti-Hindus mocking at these photos.

    It is not at all true that those who worship them will not indulge in domestic violence or crimes. Not all Hindus are dedicated souls and some revere them out of fear/material needs etc. They would have been worse without these and need a constant appeal to their conscience.

    All these solutions seem to be just patches with the media actively promoting lust and insensitivites everywhere in the name of "freedom of expression".

    Baba Ramdev says that by the time a child grows up he has already seen about 1 lakh rape scenes on an average.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT7bOI8cpuE @4:00

    Its a very valid question that with effect of media, how will educating people or these kind of solutions work? Rape scenes are a regular part of the media and quite a few people who are normal and have a family enjoy them. They do constantly need to be jabbed at by saying that they too have a sister and a mother @ home or telling them that the godesses they worship are also ladies etc.

    The real solution to such problems lie in checking the movie contents and promoting the ideals, devotion and Atma gyAn from our itihAsa purANAs.

  7. #7

    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste sunyata07,

    I too was not pleased at this choice, although the issue does
    merit society's full attention. I also agree with much of what has been said
    in the replies. Using such "shock-value" methods, while possibly raising
    awareness through stimulating discussion, creates problems... I
    am sure many look at these and think, "Why not Christian Mary or Muslim
    Fatimah, too- are they implying only Hindu men abuse women, or maybe
    terrified of the response that would provoke?"

    I am not about to summon a mob to run wild-eyed through town smashing
    and burning things as a result of seeing Devi depicted in this way, though it
    does not please me.

    Also, what is a solution, beyond raising awareness? Simply saying, "This
    is bad" will not save any more women from being abused, and nobody
    should expect this to be solved by next year, or by one action alone.

    Domestic violence, rape, and female infanticide are all sins and crimes of
    a despicable nature, none of which will be solved by either "shockvertising"
    or by simply tut-tutting and continuing to ignore them. As long as those
    who have the power are are more interested in votes than actually
    addressing these issues in a serious manner, than matters will continue
    as they have been. Wishing for easy answers solves nothing.

    JAI MATA DI
    || जय माता की ||

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste,

    I bow to the collective wisdom of the forum members and change my position to no use of Devi's image in this regard. But help me with the following,

    If just one woman can escape only one round of being slapped around because of 'shockomercials', what should I tell her as to why I can't help her after having voted to block the use of image of Devi for this purpose?

    Pranam.
    Last edited by Believer; 20 September 2013 at 05:25 PM.

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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Quote Originally Posted by Believer View Post
    Namaste,

    I bow to the collective wisdom of the forum members and change my position to no use of Devi's image in this regard. But help me with the following,

    Pranam.
    Oops! I am voting 'for' the campaign.. in case that should be misunderstood! I'm just thinking if anyone would be simply corrected by looking at the pics, then he won't be abusing the females in the first place afterall!
    jai hanuman gyan gun sagar jai kapis tihu lok ujagar

  10. #10
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    Re: New Campaign Against Domestic Violence towards Women Using images of Devi

    Namaste,
    I'm just thinking........
    When I assume something, I invariably make an ASS out of U and ME.

    Pranam.

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