“Father, is gender something you can just decide, like picking a shirt?”
The boy’s question was innocent, but it carried the weight of a global debate. The father paused, then chose to answer not with abstractions, but with stories.
He spoke of Ardhanārīśvara, the union of Śiva and Pārvatī. This was not a curiosity, he explained, but a symbol of balance—showing that creation itself requires both masculine and feminine energies. The purpose was cosmic harmony, not confusion.
He then told the story of Śikhaṇḍī in the Mahābhārata. Born female, later transformed into a male warrior, Śikhaṇḍī’s change was not whimsical. It was necessary to bring down Bhīṣma, who had vowed never to fight a woman. The transformation served justice, resolving a moral deadlock.
Finally, he spoke of Viṣṇu as Mohinī, a form assumed not for identity’s sake, but as a strategy to outwit the asuras and protect the nectar of immortality.
The boy listened carefully. He realized that in these stories, transformations were never ornamental. They were purposeful. They upheld dharma, restored balance, and resolved dilemmas that rigid binaries could not.
The father concluded: “Our tradition has always acknowledged diversity, but with context, purpose, and balance. It never asked children to decide their gender before they even understood their own bodies. It showed that identity can be fluid, but always in service of something greater—justice, balance, or truth.”
Beyond the Conversation
This is where the dialogue ends. But as adults, we must reflect on forces shaping young minds today—forces that cannot be part of a child’s conversation, yet weigh heavily on society.
• Pharma companies: What was once a cautious, therapeutic approach to gender dysphoria has, in some contexts, shifted toward medicalized pathways—puberty blockers, hormones, surgeries. These interventions, once rare, are now marketed more aggressively, creating lifelong dependencies. Vulnerable children risk being nudged into irreversible choices before they have even understood their own biology.
• School curricula: In the name of inclusivity, gender identity is being introduced at very early ages. While the intent is noble, the framing can overwhelm children who are still learning the basics of their own bodies. Instead of nurturing curiosity and patience, curricula can unintentionally push premature decisions.
• Social media: Platforms amplify identity debates in ways that are often performative. Algorithms reward extremes, peer pressure magnifies confusion, and children are exposed to global narratives without the maturity to filter them. For many, likes and shares become substitutes for genuine self understanding.
• Freely available adult content: With a few clicks, children encounter distorted portrayals of intimacy and gender roles. These images shape expectations before they have had a chance to form healthy, age appropriate understandings of relationships and identity.
Together, these influences create a powerful ecosystem that can push children into premature decisions, long before they are developmentally ready.
Closing Reflection
India’s civilizational ethos offers a different path. The Itihās and Purāṇas remind us that identity shifts are not about rushing children into choices, but about purposeful inclusion—where diversity serves balance, justice, and truth.
The real task before us is not to erase diversity, but to dignify it with wisdom and responsibility. As leaders, educators, and parents, we must ensure that inclusion is rooted in dignity, not in markets, algorithms, or imported binaries. Only then can we protect young minds from premature pressures and guide them toward a future where identity is not a burden, but a source of strength.
No comments:
Post a Comment