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Are we independent women in this independent country of ours? Women in India still have a long way to go.
Our #FreedomIs campaign asked readers to share their idea of what freedom is, and what freedoms they wanted, through a selfie with a message. You can see the collection of #FreedomIs selfies here, and contribute yours too.
67 years ago, we, as a nation, claimed what was rightfully ours – Swaraj , Freedom, Independence – and we got it all. The day after this Independence Day, I can’t help but think if, we, as a nation have really got freedom?
Half of the nation sure did. For the other half, a struggle still continues on a day to day basis. Independent India is a reality since a long time now. But, did the women of this great nation ever got independence?
India has always been symbolised by the Bharat Mata, both during the independence struggle and afterwards. The nation freed itself from the chains of slavery but the women of India are still chained by stereotypes, gender bias, age old traditions and beliefs which need serious change. Isn’t it ironic that we are a free nation but Bharat Mata is still chained and her freedom struggle has only begun?
It is even harder to be a chained individual in a free country. No one knows how long will it take for the country to accept men and women as equal human beings irrespective of the differences that nature intended for us. No one knows how any battles need to be fought to change the illusion of freedom to real freedom.
Being a woman in India is a struggle on a day to day basis, and I am not exaggerating. I am not even touching upon situations like female infanticide, dowry, rapes or honour killings. Even if we keep all these aside for a moment (though these horrendous crimes against the fairer sex are an integral part of our culture and society now), the daily life of an average Indian female from an urban background is no less than a fight she fights to just be herself. Being born a woman in this great nation that worships a thousand goddesses but can’t respect its own women is not a joy ride.
The nation is independent, but if a lady dares to choose her career over men, dares to choose whom she wants to marry, dares to choose to support her parents after she is married, dares to choose not to cook, dares to choose to not have children, dares to choose not to marry – or frankly, dares to choose her own battles which she wants to fight – she is frowned upon as a bad influence on the Indian Society. I am one of these women, and I might be a bad influence to a certain Indian Society which only knows how to suppress women because, well, they are women.
I am a proud freedom fighter who might not live to see the India which treats its women as equals, but just being part of the movement (I am not even sure if we can call it that) is enough. Like the Father of the Nation said, I am being the change I want to see – by saying No to gender bias, in whatever form it comes up in life.
I hate to admit this fact, but truth doesn’t need to be published for it to be true. I spent the last one year in England and I tasted real freedom there – a freedom my own nation never gave me. It was then that the illusion of freedom under which women in India are living broke and gave way to a truth which I reluctantly accepted. India might be a free, but Indian women still aren’t and need to break the invisible chains around them.
This Independence Day, lets pledge to free our women.
Jai Hind!
p.s
Let us not bask in the false glory of how much we have changed and how women are getting equal opportunities today, because, there is still a long way to go. Instead, invest that time and energy into things that still aren’t quite right irrespective of the equal opportunities on paper.
pic credit: pasotraspaso (Used under a CC license)
A software engineer, a realist, and a cribber by the day. A chef, a writer, and a dreamer, by the night! read more...
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What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
Recent footage of her coming out of an airport had comments preaching karma and its cruel ways, that Samantha "deserved her illness" because she filed for divorce.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu fell from being the public’s sweetheart to a villain overnight because she filed for divorce. The actress was struck with myositis post divorce, much to the joy of certain groups (read sexist) in our society.
A troll responded to Samantha’s tweet, “Women Rising!!” by adding to it “just to fall”. She replied, “Getting back up makes it all the more sweeter, my friend.”
Here’s another insensitive tweet by BuzZ Basket showing fake concern for her autoimmune disease. “Feeling sad for Samantha, she lost all her charm and glow. When everyone thought she came out of divorce strongly and her professional life was seeing heights, myositis hit her badly, making her weak again.” Samantha responded, “I pray you never have to go through months of treatment and medication like I did. And here’s some love from me to add to your glow.”
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