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Creator, destroyer, mother, goddess, woman. Some versions are celebrated, some are shunned. Why is that?
Who am I?I wonder…
They say I am Janani, I am the creator of them.But why then do they kill me – in the womb, at my birth?They are born of me; their birth is celebrated with glee.But, why are no robust celebrations held at my birth?Where will they come from, if there were to be no me?Do they ever wonder?
They say I am Ma, the mother goddess, the protector.But why then do they only pay obeisance to my idols in temples?Can they not see that their idol is a representation of me?They seek protection from my idol yet I am offered no protection?I am subjugated, oppressed, abused and dishonored.Do they ever question their actions?
They say I am the Devi, the granter of boons.But then, why do they shun me when I menstruate?Is the sign of procreation not the greatest boon of all?Why do they shame me, isolate me when I bleed for them?Why am I removed from society and family?What is this hypocrisy?
They say, I am the gruhalaxmi, the Goddess of fortune.They clothe me in red; apply vermillion and a red tika.They apply red dye to my hands and feet, save the impressions.They say that my steps into my new home will bring prosperity.And yet, my daughter, born of my womb is bemoaned?Are these the same people?
Is the colour of my blood different from the colour of my suhag?Is scarlet not red? Is scarlet not vermillion?Why is there such distinction in the colours?Or, is the distinction in the black hearts of the people?Are they unable to see that we all bleed the same?When will they see that we are all equal?
I wonder…
Image by Maike und Björn Bröskamp from Pixabay
Sonal is a multiple award winning blogger and writer and the founder of a women-centric manpower search firm - www.rianplacements.com. Her first book, a volume of poetry - Islands in the stream - is slated read more...
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My house-help asked excitedly, “I am going for wedding. Can you let me wear your red & black saree? To be honest I was stumped for a moment; I didn’t know what to say but I still said yes.
I lent a gorgeous saree to my house-help for a wedding in her family. Soon I stated getting questions if I would wear that saree again or if I was okay to be seen wearing the same saree my house-help was wearing?
We are all so conditioned to give our used clothes to our house-helps but are we okay to wear the clothes they were wearing?
A few days ago she came excitedly to me, “I am going for a family wedding. I want to wear your red & black saree, Ill wash and give it to you after the function. Please can you let me wear it?”
Beauty is a very clever, very evil capitalist tool. It traps those who have it into hanging on to it for dear life and those who don't into mutilating, torturing themselves to achieve the unachievable.
I recently wrote a piece about MP Shashi Tharoor’s tweet in which he had shared a pic with six women parliamentarians tagging them and saying “Who says the Lok Sabha isn’t an attractive place to work?”
There was a rash of comments on the post shared on Instagram, which ranged from “chill, it’s just a compliment” and “stop overthinking compliments”, to (worried) men lamenting about “these feminazi”.
Here’s my answer to all those comments.
I'm going to hurt many around me if I say that as a young mother, going to work could be only if I want 'social acceptance'. Isn’t it a fact that society will make me insecure if I don’t earn?
I’m going to hurt many around me if I say that as a young mother, going to work could be only if I want ‘social acceptance’. Isn’t it a fact that society will make me insecure if I don’t earn?
Being a mother of a 2-year-old, the last thing I would like is to get stuck in a 9 to 5 job. But I might still go for it because it makes me feel free. It makes me feel independent. If I don’t have an income of my own then I will have to be dependent on others. Even if I don’t feel, others will make me feel small.
But the question is, being a full-time hardworking mother, do I really deserve to feel small? Come on. Am I working less than you? I am surely not. I am working harder. I get up to work every morning just like you.
In trying to be fair to our daughters, are we being unfair to our sons? A son asks this question to his mom, who has shared it with us.
All of you will agree with me that there is nothing more rewarding or satisfying than the time spent with your child. I have always managed to have a one to one time with both my boys. Trust me, when I say that I have learnt some of life’s best lessons from these talks. Kids always amaze us, surprise us and make us realize that there is so much to learn from them. Their innocence makes them look at the world and its innumerable problems, complexities, issues, troubles etc., without any bias.
Last night, when I was having my one on one time with my younger son, he asked me, “Mummy, why do all mothers and fathers nowadays want only girls?”