21st Century Wayward Social Life

We have entered the 21st Century. In the meantime, human civilisation has travelled from the stone age to space age, but human nature has remained unchanged. Sociologists say man is a social animal. So we observe most of the qualities of animals in modern man also. As animals have no ethics regarding sexual relations, similarly, despite several legal, religio-social norms and ethics, man always prefers immoral, illegal and non-social means and ways to satiate his sexual hunger as to maintain social order, fair sex has been playing a significant role. It has been a tradition for thousands of years that women should observe social codes. Every great religion of the world warns men about sex. In Hindu religion Manu’s code of social laws, dating back to thousands of years before Christ talks about women’s seductive nature, forewarning males to be on guard while facing women and they remind them that women lead astray in this world not only the fool, but even the learned men, to make them slaves and act according to their dictates. One may say that this represents the views of a masculine society, but it is not so. To some extent, this concept is imposed upon society to discourage immoral sex urges in men.

                The institution of marriage is created for the benefit of society. Marriage is treated as a solution to all man-woman problems, including sexual needs. But in modern times in every society, the institution of marriage is becoming shaky. This system seems to be a victim of ‘Glasnost’, which implies openness or sexual liberation from taboos. This word came into vogue after split in the USSR. Likewise, our society is busy in breaking the traditional ethical codes and it is also a sort of ‘Glasnost’. Now-a-days men and women are more awake about their sexuality and their new-found freedom in relationship.

                Divorce is regarded as a fashion in the West, but the evil of divorce is spreading in Indian society also, where earlier, marriage was treated not only as a life-long relationship but something more than that (with good intentions) a spiritual partnership between man and woman. With technological strides and rapid economic progress our social ethics and norms of morality have undergone a sea change. Some people say that we Indians are becoming progressive and broad-minded. For such broadminded people, sex is a matter of pleasure. So now-a-days pleasure plays an important role in the institution of marriage.

                It has been found after research that man is a polygamous creature. In many tribes and social and religious groups, polygamy is permitted but not in Hindu religion. But the polygamous men and women have started the practice of extra-marital relations. In modern society, wife swapping, couples-swapping, group sex, adultery etc are common. Regarding extra-marital relations, the laws and religious teaching are very clear. No religion or law permits such unhealthy practices. But the modern man and liberated woman are keen to break legal and religious barriers, which prohibits them to attain sexual freedom. The fear of a killing disease like AIDS, has also not discouraged these sexually liberated men and women.

                Prostitution is an age-old evil, but in modern days not only females but males are also joining this evil profession. Like the West, in India male prostitution is developing in big cities, where modern women pay for sexual pleasure.

                We all complain about the violence and the vitiation of the moral climate that is permeating society these days. We lay the blame at the door of movies that are excessively violent and sex-charged. But has not the time come that we did something more than just talk? Now-a-days, the whole atmosphere is erotically charged. Films, print and electronic media are showing sex and nudity. As sex is a saleable item, so our filmmakers and media controllers are selling their products through sex. While the blame for all these ills cannot be placed on a single cause, it is abundantly clear that much of it is due to the increased use of sex, vulgarity and violence in our society.

                We can get rid of this problem, when we adapt healthy vision or prospective and for this we will have to give some concessions to our youth. Imparting them discriminating knowledge is also imperative to provide them proper guidance about healthy sexual relationships.

By Sunita Singh