Agencies |Pune:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described women as India’s “biggest asset”, calling for greater recognition of their individual identities, aspirations and independence beyond traditional family roles.
Addressing a women-focused Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Pune, Gandhi said India’s women represented “70 crore unique journeys, unique imaginations, unique dreams” and argued that their contribution to the country should not be defined primarily through their relationships with men.
Gandhi said he regarded women as one of India’s greatest strengths because, in his view, women are generally more sensitive, compassionate, gentle and forward-looking.
“And that is why I believe fundamentally that India’s women, young and old, are India’s biggest asset,” he said.
Gandhi said women are often categorised primarily as daughters, wives or mothers, while stressing that there was nothing inherently wrong with these relationships.
However, he argued that such roles should not become the entirety of a woman’s identity.
“Now, there is nothing wrong with being seen as a wife, daughter or mother. Nothing wrong with it. But this cannot be your only identity,” he said.
He pointed out that women can simultaneously build identities as professionals, sportspersons, entrepreneurs and individuals pursuing their own interests and ambitions.
Gandhi further argued that the traditional labels of daughter, wife and mother are themselves defined through a woman’s relationship with a man—her father, husband or son.
He said women should be able to maintain family relationships without allowing those relationships to determine their sense of self.
“The biggest strength of this country is the fact that our women should be independent, should stand for themselves, should believe in themselves. You belong to nobody. You do not belong to anybody except yourself,” Gandhi said.
He added that women could have meaningful relationships with their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons while retaining their own individuality and independence.
During his address, Gandhi also referred to the Manusmriti while discussing historical ideas concerning women’s independence.
He cited a passage which, according to him, places women under the authority of their fathers, husbands and sons at different stages of life.
“A woman must never be independent,” Gandhi said while quoting the text, before criticising the idea as incompatible with the principle of women’s independence.
Calling the notion a “shame”, he argued that women should instead be encouraged to stand independently, develop confidence and pursue their own aspirations.
Gandhi’s remarks centred on the broader question of how Indian society defines women and whether traditional family identities should determine their social and individual status.
He stressed that women’s lives encompass far more than their relationships within a family, pointing to their professional ambitions, personal interests, creativity and dreams.
His address in Pune placed women’s independence and individual identity at the centre of his argument, with the Congress leader urging women to see themselves not merely through familial relationships but as individuals with their own aspirations and choices.
