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Why is our society still hung up on procreating a male progeny and do not celebrate the birth of a girl child? The author questions the society and feels it is high time we give our girls respect and love.
So yesterday I found some women happily greeting another woman in our neighbourhood. I got to know that her daughter-in-law had given birth to a boy child. So, I too congratulated her for the addition of a new family member. But hearing some weird congratulatory messages left me flabbergasted. All the women were congratulating her for becoming dadi of a baby boy as her first grandchild was a baby girl.
“Acha hua dusri bar ladka hua.” “Arey badhiya hua, dusri bhi ladki hoti to dahez ka kharcha badh jata”
Well, having a boy and a girl is a perfect combination and makes for a complete family but does it mean that those having only boys or only girls are an incomplete family?
Well, I was not in the mood to argue early in the morning so I returned home with multiple thoughts looming large in my mind.
Why do we still feel privileged to have a male child? Why only the birth of a boy is considered an occasion of feeling pride and joy?
Why don’t we feel grateful for being blessed with a child, a healthy child – a gift from God? Why our Indian society is inclined towards the desire of a male child.
In Indian society still, girls are considered as a burden on parents. They are often restricted to the confines of the house and deprived of better education and opportunities. They are looked upon as mere caretaker, nurturer and a child bearer.
The reasons behind this may be- Well, not maybe but certainly our practices, traditions and customs which have been passed on through generations. But no matter what the reason is, the reality is that women are no less than men.
Since past few decades, many women all over India have proved that they are not less than men. Women have excelled in each and every field be it politics, sports, entertainment, literature, technology. There is no field, which remains unconquered by women.
Many times daughters proved to be more affectionate and caring towards their parents as compared to sons. So many stories come up where daughters took responsibilities of their aged parents, who were abandoned by their beloved sons.
Studies have proved that women handle worse situations in a much better way, take appropriate decisions under stress and are emotionally more stable in sensitive situations- in both their professional and personal life.
No doubt, if given right chances they are able to nurture their skills and excel in different areas of life.
Its high time we start treating our sons and daughters equally. Birth of a girl child should also be celebrated with joy. It should be a matter of pride not shame. Girl child is a human too and deserves all the happiness, rights and respect from her family as well as society.
Let’s create awareness and pledge to make this world a better place for girls.
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Blogger and mother to 2. Writing helps me to explore, learn and share my thoughts and experiences. read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
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