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What is being free? What will set us free? What do we believe in if even an education cannot set us free?
These hands that scrub utensils Once wished to hold pencils They said “You’ll be free”
This womb which is now a mother Once dreamt of school and felt light as a feather It said “You’ll be free”
The mind which thinks of mouths to feed Once searched in books the life I’d lead It said “You’ll be free”
This back now bent with the beatings I bore Once was proud of the school satchel it wore It said “You’ll be free”
These legs that fled from the beast Once ran eagerly towards the school’s feast They said “You’ll be free”
Through the nook, I see those slender fingers With suavity on the mouse, it lingers I think “Oh, they are free”
I see in my madam hope and power I think she’s never seen the life of one lower I think “A woman, yet free”
I think it’s her life she’s the creator A happy story and she’s the narrator I think “She’s lucky to be free”
Until I saw her fall from grace When he struck every day on her face I now think “Is she free?”
Now I say woman it’s not fate You need courage sooner than late I now say “Courage sets us free”
Published here first.
Image source: a still from the film Thappad
A story teller, a listener and an eager learner. I believe that the world is a story book, each person has a story to unravel, enthusiastic to meet new people and get a sneak peek read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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