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Deepika Kumari, 19 year old archer and our inspiring woman of the week, has not had an easy ride in the world of sport.
Archer Deepika Kumari
A 19 year old archer, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, Deepika Kumari’s rise in the world of sport has not come easy.
The daughter of an autorickshaw driver, Shivnarayan Mahato and a nurse, Geeta, hailing from Ranchi, Jharkhand, she started her practice with bows and arrows made of bamboo. Scouts from the Seraikela-Kharsawan Archery Academy (run by Meera Munda, wife of the Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda) spotted her raw talent during a visit to her school. Admitted to the academy in 2005, she won a medal in the individual compound event of the junior World Cup at Merida in Mexico in 2006.
She then joined the Tata Archery Academy and won the 11th Youth World Archery Championship in Ogden, USA in 2009 at the age of 15. From then on she never looked back.
She won double gold at Commonwealth Games in 2010, emerging as the biggest archery sensation. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, living an Indian archer’s Olympic dream and competed in the Women’s Individual and Women’s team events, finishing in eighth place in the latter.
Fittingly, recognition has come her way. She was conferred the Arjuna Award in 2012. On 22 September 2013, she won a Silver Medal in the 2013 FITA Archery World Cup. This was her 3rd Silver medal in as many appearances in the World Cup. She is now aiming for a gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Why we find her inspiring:
– She believes in staying calm, confident and composed even under pressure.
– For her consistent and gradual improvement, adapting her techniques as she learns from past experience.
– Bringing to the spotlight a sport which not many people know about.
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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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