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We recently bid farewell to one of the most respected Prime Ministers - Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The lighting of the pyre by his daughter was a bold step away from old traditions.
We recently bid farewell to one of the most respected Prime Ministers – Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The lighting of the pyre by his daughter was a bold step away from old traditions.
It’s the inevitable duty of every legendary personality to make an impact on society, with exemplary ways of leading their lives. Always being under the spotlight and the media’s constant scrutiny, the world would be watching and deriving motivation from them.
Former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was one such individual who led a commendable life with immense contributions made to the country. His family must be appreciated for taking the initiative to set an example on behalf of this highly regarded men, even in his final journey of life.
Walking away from the generally accepted Hindu traditions of cremation by male heirs only, it was Namita Bhattacharya, Vajpayee’s daughter by adoption, who lit his funeral pyre, rather than any other male family members. She was also accompanied by her daughter Niharika who received the folded tricolour flag that was draped over her grandfather.
Two women being in the forefront, strongly handling their emotions and continuing to do the necessary rituals, has indeed delivered a very powerful message of gender equality to the entire nation.
Even till date, at many places women are not allowed to enter a crematorium or be a part of the funeral rites of their loved ones. The reasons are still unknown but assumptions are many. Women were considered weak and incapable of dealing with the horrors of death. Also, they were termed as easy targets of ghosts and bad spirits. Yes, that’s indeed ridiculous! The ‘men with brave hearts’ would perform all the last rites for the departed souls while women stayed back at home and took care of their family, children and guests.
According to ancient Indian traditions, which are highly patriarchal, it is strongly believed that sons are the connection between this world and heaven. It’s only they who could relieve the dead souls from the constant cycle of birth and death and provide eternal salvation, or ‘moksha’.
Even if no male member existed in the immediate family, distant relatives were given a chance to do the cremation but not wives and daughters.
This age old practice is still being followed. But when given a choice, Vajpayee’s family has taken a bold step forward. The entire nation was watching them as Vajpayee had no family of his own but a daughter by adoption alone. The mark that they have made with their actions would definitely motivate more and more people to change their unexamined beliefs in this country.
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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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