A woman has atleast one privilege that a man can never
have - that of being able to give birth; a power bestowed upon a woman by Nature.
By that token it is the woman who has the right to decide when she wishes to
become a mother and who might be the father of her child. Ancient Indian
history and mythology always gave the woman the right to choose her partner and
it was the man who had to win her over through demonstration of his wit, valour
and capabilities of being able to give the woman a comfortable and respectful
life.
Indian history is replete with stories of the Indian woman’s
beauty, courage, sacrifices and the power that they wielded during their times,
some even rewriting history. Who can forget the stories of Razia Sultana (the
only woman to have ruled Delhi), Chand Bibi (who fought against the Mughal
invasions lead by Akbar), the powerful Jijabai (mother of Shivaji Maharaj),
Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi (who fought the British with her son strapped to her
back), the self-respecting Rani Padmini (who committed ‘Sati’ rather than
surrender to the lecherous desires of Allauddin Khilji), Pannadai (who
sacrificed her son’s life to save that of the young prince of Mewar, Udai Singh),
the heroic Obavva (who single handed killed the enemy soldiers so her warrior
husband could lunch undisturbed) and
Mirabai (whose spirituality played a significant role in the Bhakti movement).
The list would be endless but this post is not intended to be a refresher
course in Indian History.
Undoubtedly, the Indian woman has inherited all of those
traits in her genetic make-up. She has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her male
compatriots in the Nation’s struggle for freedom and after years of her voice
being subdued and her desires being put aside, the last half a century has seen
her rise like the proverbial phoenix. The women of India have been a powerful
part of socialist and economic movements, the ‘Chipko’ movement in the Garwal
region of the Himalayas and the Cooperative Milk Federations, being two such. Empowered
with education, and the exposure to a world fast shrinking due to the rapid
advancement in technology, she finds herself walking through the corridors of
power with the same grace that she sings her way into the hearts of people, with
the same confidence that she drives her passengers home, safely, and the same
compassion with which she works for the prosperity of her people. And in doing all of that, she continues to fulfill her duties and responsibilities towards the various roles that Indian society and culture expect of her, juxtaposed with following her own ambitions and dreams.
India is probably the only country in the world that could
claim the distinction of having women as the three most powerful persons in the
country, at the same point in time!
And despite all of this the atrocities against her go on
unabated. Has her progress made the man insecure? Or is it his misplaced sense
of power? While there is no stopping her now, I guess that the man just got
left behind, somewhere!
As I was writing this, I received the wonderful news of
Smt. Vidushi Veena Sahastrabuddhe being honoured with the Sangeet Natak Academy
Award. Seemed only appropriate!
1 comment:
quite obviously so
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