Respecting women

Music maestro AR Rahman’s recent observation on the involvement of Middle Eastern women in the field of music reminds me of popular lines of Hindu scripture Manusmriti where sage Manu quotes: Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devata,

which means where women are honoured or worshipped, there the deities reside (‘Expo 2020 Dubai: AR Rahman on why working with the allwomen Firdaus Orchestra was so special, Gulf News, Sep. 23). This verse highlights the importance of how women should be treated with dignity and respect. It also highlights that our good deeds don’t matter if we aren’t good to the women in our lives. Women bring blessings to the home and prosperity to the nation. Our scriptures have offered respect and dignity to women. In other words, the nations that respect women are the ones who are reaching pinnacles. On the contrary, a society where women are supposed to tolerate the discriminations inflicted by men is the one that remains backward.

■ DR SHIBEN KRISHNEN RAINA Dubai, UAE