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Just as wearing Western clothes is a choice, so is sticking to Indian clothes. Sudha Murthy does not need to justify her choices and neither do any of us.
Sudha Murthy needs no introduction! She is surely a woman of substance who is a successful entrepreneur, an author, and a great philanthropist. She is a simple woman who has spent her entire life for the progress of humanity. She has aspired herself to work across the globe to fill the vacuum of disparity and inequality in society.
I moved to Bengaluru more than a decade back and got to know these names through Infosys – the IT giant of the city. Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murthy have left no stone unturned to establish such a big empire. Apart from their identity as entrepreneurs, their simplicity and admirable drive to work for humanity make them distinct.
Personally, I’ve read many books written by Sudha Murthy – both fiction and non-fiction. To be very honest, I was extremely fascinated by her real stories of philanthropical work across the globe. She has always given her best and has gone to many extremes to help others. Those positive stories gave me a real picture of Sudha Murthy which talks about her grit, determination, and simplicity towards her life. The glitzy lifestyle never attracted her. Surely, what matters most are our thoughts, kindness, ethics, and love for others. Even I’ve believed in these principles throughout my life. For me, it doesn’t matter what you wear, what matters to me is how you are as a person.
Well, Why I am writing so much on this simple lady who is also a feminist? This is all because of the recent incident which disturbed me to the core. Again, we have a woman who was questioned due to her choice! An educated and well-known figure was humiliated due to her simple salwar- kameez in the Heathrow airport.
As reported in the media recently,
“Go and stand in the economy class queue. This line is for business class travelers,” a well-heeled lady told Sudha Murthy at the International Heathrow airport in London.
The chairman of Infosys Foundation was at the airport wearing a salwar kameez, which perhaps made her a misfit in the queue in question.
Later, the lady who advised her attended the same meeting where Sudha Murthy was the chief guest for her philanthropy work. The same woman who was so worried about her attire came in a simple khadi saree to suit the theme of the meeting.
What an irony!
A few months back, I wrote an article about the outfit of a person/her choice and why she should never be judged for it. The crux of the matter or one can say, what matters the most is how you shine as an individual with your work and thoughts.
At large, this has become a common perception where women who are comfortable with Indian attire are taken as less educated and ‘cattle-class’. There have been many instances when women raised their voices when they wanted to wear clothes of their choice but why have we missed talking about those who are much more comfortable in a simple salwar- kameez or a saree? After all, this is also a choice!
It can be easily seen how these wrong mindsets have not even spared even someone as great as Sudha Murthy. What if she was wearing a simple salwar-kameez? Does that mean she is not a human being who can travel in business class?
Or does she really need to be decked up in a highly expensive silk saree just because she is traveling in business class?
I wonder when things will change and who can bring about this change in the mindset of people? Are we really going the right way? Development and modernization are liberating us in parallel to emphasise our humanity and not to degrade it with time.
Isn’t it better if we respect each individual irrespective of what they choose to wear? What should matter is how the person is as an individual. What if someone is very flashy in style but has no sense to respect others? Would she/he be considered a better person than the one who is simple yet helpful, and respects you?
I think that we need to let it be a personal choice what to wear rather than humiliating people on account of their choices.
Once again a much-spoken line, “A book can never be judged by its cover.”
Image via Youtube video
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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