Jorawer Singh, Chandigarh, August 24, 2009: A unique exhibition with a nobel cause in mind is on till today evening. A presentation by Zazen Art Center, under the tutelage of Dr. Tirthankar Bhattacharya, provoked one et all to cognate on this burning social issue of female infanticide and female deselection. “There are three factors for this evil, economic, sociocultural and religious” enumerates the invite to the exhibition. It mentions “How girls are considered a burden in terms of “Dahez” and a temporary member of family who has to move out, while boys are the one’s who will help in earning for the family and bring in “dowry”. The “Vansha” the patriarchal system of families is also incomplete without a male child and finally lots of rituals like “pindi Daan” offer privilege to the male member of the family.” Though lots of enactments favoring the fairer sex are already there but still more need to be done about curbing marriage expenses by bride’s parents and imposing conditions on divorced men and widowers from marrying unmarried girls from poor families.
Two sisters Vikas kamboj & Ritika Kamboj, both students of Punjab University, have put on their paintings for display for the cause. “My painting depicts longing and want through the eyes of two unprivileged girls…” says Vikas, who already has one solo exhibition early this year to her credit. Though experimenting with all mediums, this water color specialist shares with TheIndiaPost how her passion since the age of 7 has been firing her from inside to go on and on.
Ritika, another exhibitor on the girl child theme, is fascinated by the social aspects of India and wishes to put forward the same through her works, to make them realistic and have them mainly revolve around “people”. Talking about her oil painting, she explains “My painting brings out the pain of down trodden society, specially the SHE – the girl child, where girls are completely neglected.”
“The exhibition really triggers, an introspection among us, as to where we and the society are headed towards” says an onlooker, Jasmeet with anguish.