Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
As a parent, one should understand that your child and child’s happiness are far more important than any possible ‘ideal career path’ you have chosen or is in your mind. Whether your child wants to be a singer, a teacher, a choreographer, an editor, a writer, a painter, an actor, a videographer, a photographer, a pilot, a potter, a psychologist, a musician, a chef, a designer, a songwriter, a sportsperson, a journalist, a poet, a filmmaker, a researcher, a flight attendant or something else, your responsibility as a parent is to support the dreams of your child.
Parents shouldn’t force their children to do JEE exam preparations or send them to Kota to study if that’s not what a child’s true calling is. Today, there are multiple career aptitude tests available (even online and free). Because a child’s parents couldn’t become engineers or doctors themselves, wanting their child to choose that profession is not right and honestly, cruel too.
It is wrong to consider children unwise and not smart or intelligent enough.
No matter your educational and professional success, you need to leave it up to your children to decide in what direction they wish to take their career. This is not to say that a parent shouldn’t give their opinions when asked for or answer children’s questions, but it is to say that parents shouldn’t impose or give unsolicited advice.
Parents should not be affected by the rat race and should teach their children that over-competitiveness is neither healthy nor necessary. Also, what and how many extracurricular activities or co-curricular activities your child wishes to engage in (say, in school or in college) should be allowed to be decided by your child based on factors like personal choices, preferences, interest and liking. Your preferences shouldn’t dictate the course of your child’s academic and professional life.
It’s also necessary for parents to help their child understand that one (or many) bad exam/s, one (or many) bad semester/s, one (or many) bad year/s don’t mean that the world has come to an end and that it doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. Also, one should only support one’s child if they wish to change or switch careers in the middle of a degree or a job or whenever, because it’s the child’s life, after all, and what the child wishes to do with it is of most importance. Besides, a child wanting to take a break or some time off to think or decide life goals shouldn’t be frowned upon.
As Albert Einstein famously said, “I have tried 99 times and have failed, but on the 100th time came success.”
Even if a child doesn’t choose a profession of parents’ liking or preference, it is still the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child feels secure (financially, emotionally, and otherwise). Bringing a child into the world isn’t the end of the journey; it is, in fact, the beginning. It is parents’ responsibility to help their children to realize their dreams.
One shouldn’t bombard their child with the burden of their own unfulfilled dreams or whatever it is that they want to achieve. In all honesty, if, as a parent, one has some aspirations of their own, then one should find a way of achieving those aspirations (whether it is degree/s or something professionally) ON THEIR OWN. Children are not an investment to give you returns (in terms of money and care in old age).
It’s crucial to spread the word regarding this by spreading awareness among colleagues, peers, domestic help, relatives or anybody you meet. Sometimes, children can actually surprise parents with their preparedness, plans and creative ideas for their future.
Today, the world has a lot more opportunities in a lot of fields and new opportunities are being created with each passing day. Today, children can grow up to be not just job-seekers but also, job creators. Once you provide your child with the support they need, then the sky is the limit.
Image source: Photo by Arun Prakash on Unsplash
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Only the other day while I was carrying a casserole full chapattis from the stove to the dinner table it slipped from my grip, spilling the contents on the floor. As I picked up the rotis and tried to wipe them clean with kitchen tissues my husband fumed, ‘Throw them away; I won’t have any! Do you think I am a house pet?”
Mind you, the floor was pretty clean since all of us walk barefoot indoors. So ultimately I had to eat them myself (it’s sinful to waste food, isn’t it?) after rolling out fresh ones for him and the daughter.
There are more such instances: he grumbles if there is excess salt in a dish or a few extra (whole) green chilies in his portion of curry. Why can’t he discard them on a side plate while eating, I often wonder?
Elsewhere, I remember reading a newspaper report of how a man bashed up his wife because he found the sambar was cold and on top of it not tasty enough! How despicable is that?
In my husband’s case the desire for privilege has been drilled into him (his dad included) by his female relatives lifelong. When my sasumaa and her sister ruled the roost, the two men always got the creamiest portion of anything. On festive days the women made scrumptious daalpuris; the old man was served six, his son about ten, while we women had to remain content with a piece each!
On yet another occasion during family dinner only daal and drumsticks in tangy mustard paste (plus rice of course) were on the menu. Suddenly somebody discovered that the curry was spoilt (due to the heat perhaps), and unfit for human consumption. Thereafter in a flurry of activities, the men ate the daal chawal; we women had none. Can’t eat rice with nothing. Besides, who would cook afresh close to bedtime? That night I went to bed ravenously hungry, as I had eaten nothing since lunch!
That’s considered quite alright as far as Indian mothers and wives are concerned! These occurrences are commonplace in most households, although situations vary. Let me give you more examples.
We Bengalis buy a lot of fish for daily consumption. And as most of you know the ‘fish head’ is a highly coveted commodity when woven into myriad savoury dishes. Naturally, they are earmarked for the males in the family, unless of course any one or more of these gentlemen choose to opt out.
Wait, there is more: in an average Indian (non-vegetarian) home with limited resources and many children, often siblings are known to scramble and spar over who will eat the leg piece or the breast piece from a bowl of yummy chicken curry. Mothers, nine times out of ten, are likely to bestow it upon the boy/s, cajoling the sister/s (if there are any) to give it up “for the brother”!
Trust me I harbour no rancour or bitterness towards menfolk per se, but the subtle discrimination is a tad hurtful. Anyway I may be barking up a wrong tree… I doubt if such women are listening…
Image source: YouTube/ short film Ghar ki Murgi
Not too long ago, the issue of period leave was being discussed by our politicians. While, in today’s world, everyone is sympathetic, the idea rarely seems feasible.
Women worry that institutions and organizations will be less likely to hire them, if period leave is mandated by the government.
I have been blessed with relatively benign periods. As a result, in my teenage years, I never understood what the fuss was about. It’s normal right, so what’s the big deal? No need to be wimpy and give into the societal stereotype that women are weak, I used to quip.
Well, I learned that periods are not easy for everyone. Period pain can be debilitating for many. Dysmenorrhea affects a significant percentage of girls and women in India. While in some cases the underlying cause can be identified and either treated or managed, in other cases there is no clear cause. Primary dysmenorrhea which has no known underlying cause, can significantly impact quality of life and result in absenteeism from school and work. Painkillers like paracetamol don’t work for everyone.
So what then?
Many argue that it’s just a part of life, and that women should grin and bear it.
Yes, life indeed! And where does that come from? Women bear a lion’s share of the cost of procreation. From creating a new home for a baby every month for decades, to housing each baby for three quarters of a year, whilst enduring morning sickness and various other forms of discomfort, culminating in several hours of intense labor pains, most women divert considerable time, energy and effort towards procreation.
This, even without considering the various period and pregnancy related complications like endometriosis, PCOS, PID, gestational diabetes, pre-clampsia, post-partum depression etc.
But instead of being compensated for their asymmetric contribution towards perpetuating the species, women are often punished for it. In addition to societal bias and prejudice, even from a practical point of view, having to provide maternity leave makes companies reluctant to hire women.
It is costly for startups and small and medium businesses to provide paid maternity leave. And now we are asking for period leave! Is that even feasible? Won’t companies become even less likely to hire women causing more women to lose out on career opportunities in the process?
But why should women lose out? Why do solutions towards such problems always have to come from women compromising. Women do plenty for procreation. But what does society as a whole do to compensate women?
It is not reasonable to expect businesses to bear the cost of maternity leave, period leave, etc, when they do not gain anything from it. That would inevitably lead to discrimination in hiring practices.
On the other hand, human society owes women for their extensive contribution to perpetuating the species. So, society as a whole should compensate women.
In case your wondering how this bizarre idea could be implemented, let me explain. We are already charged an education tax by the government to subsidize education because we believe it is important to provide equal opportunities and quality education for all children. True in practice, this is not yet implemented as well as one would hope, we are working towards it and someday we might actually get there.
So why not do the same for women? Since businesses can’t afford paid maternity or period leave the government an pay them to offer it.
Just like the education tax, the government can charge a small procreation tax. This amount can be used to pay out claims by small businesses or companies that file appropriate paperwork for expenses incurred for paid maternity or period leave.
This way it is society as a whole (women of child bearing age, say 18 to 45, could be exempted from paying this tax) that contributes to bearing the burden of procreation, just as it should be. Then women can procreate without worrying about losing career opportunities.
Additionally, work from home and other simple inexpensive flexibilities can be provided to retain women of child bearing age in the workforce.
Happier, less stressed women will contribute to a productive and diverse workforce.
Is there a potential for misuse? As with anything else, there always is. But regulating period and maternity leave, setting clear and reasonable limits, and offering flexibility in the implementation of these conveniences, can limit the scope of misuse.
For example women can be offered say ten annual days of period leave so they judiciously use it only when they really need it. Some women have one day of intense pain and can take a day off for every period. Others get it at a particular time of day. So perhaps offering the options of one day that can be taken as two half days would benefit some women. Some other women have only a couple of painful periods a year, with each lasting a few days, so they might want to clump up their period leave.
Never being pregnant is one of the risk factors for dysmenorrhea. Yet many women are delaying pregnancy to get further in their career. So perhaps, period leave could be offered to those who have taken less than two stints of maternity leave.
Regulations can be discussed and ideas can be proposed to limit misuse and address various problems, but we as a society must recognize the contribution women make to procreation, and be willing compensate them accordingly by accommodating their reproductive system related medical concerns in the workplace.
We can start small, perhaps, by allowing women to swap period leave with other holidays and weekends. If the job permits, the work from home option can be made available. In many cases, just an hour long afternoon nap can make a world of difference. Small efforts to alleviate period related discomfort would go a long way towards making women more confident, comfortable and productive in the workplace, in addition to sensitizing society to the difficulties women face during periods.
As societies develop and standard of living improves, the birthrate typically falls. One of the reasons, is that women find parenthood detrimental to advancing their career.
However, population is one of the nation’s greatest resources, and while with the looming climate crisis, a declining population has some advantages, if the decline continues over time, it can become a liability.
The replacement fertility rate to maintain a steady population is about 2.1 children per woman. India, on average, has already fallen below this since 2020, and the trend indicates that the fertility rate will continue to fall.
Many European countries over the last half century have thrived in spite of their fertility rate being below replacement rate. So is this really a problem?
The answer is yes. While some countries haven’t experienced problems in spite of declining fertility rates well below replacement rate, their population has been replenished through immigration, keeping them stable.
But what happens as the global fertility rate falls below replacement rate? Perhaps a shrinking population may help us weather the storm of climate change, in the long run it can prove to be quite harmful, leading to various economic and social problems.
One obvious solution to stem the rate of population decline is to improve working conditions for women so their reproductive health concerns do not diminish their chances for a successful career.
It is in the mutual interest of women and human society as a whole, that women be made comfortable in the workplace. So, instead of making excuses about why improving work place conditions for women may be difficult, let’s put our heads together and look for solutions.
Haisiyat (1984) which translates to “Status” is a classic social film directed by Dasari Narayana Rao and stars the legendary actors and evergreen on-screen duo Jeetendra and Jaya Prada. Both ironically share the same birthday month as Jaya Prada’s is on April 3rd and Jeetendra’s is on April 7th. No wonder why their stars have aligned magically together and they have successfully captivated the audience with a plethora of films starting with Lok Parlok (1979), Takkar (1980), Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Maqsad (1984), Pataal Bhairavi (1985), Sanjog (1985), Hoshiyar (1985), Haqeeqat (1985), Mera Saathi (1985), Swarag Se Sundar (1986), Aisa Pyar Kahan (1986), Aulad (1987), Majaal (1987), Souten Ki Beti (1989), Majboor (1990), Thanedaar (1990), and many more.
The legendary and well-renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray had once called Jaya Prada “the most beautiful face on the Indian screen” and there is absolutely no doubt about that since she shined with utmost grace and exuberance in all her author-backed roles and iconic dances. In addition, the debonair and stylish Jeetendra was always referred to as the “Jumping Jack of the Indian Film Industry” since he would add wonders to all the dances and songs he performed on.
Haisiyat also features seasoned veteran actors Pran, Kadar Khan, Shakti Kapoor, and Rohini Hattangadi. The film begins with the distinction of Ram (Jeetendra) being an ambitious young worker and Union leader in a factory and the wealthy daughter of the late owner of the factory is Sita (Jaya Prada). Both end up falling in love with each other without even realizing the contrast in their socioeconomic statuses. Back in the 1980s, India was never open to the concept of having a woman achieve a higher status than men and especially their husbands. Although times have progressed now, there are still many instances where a man will never tolerate his wife being more successful than him in her career. This has also been transmitted globally since insecurity and ego clashes tend to arise between a man and a woman.
The beatific harmonious song “Dheere Dheere Subah Huyi Jaag Uthi Zindagi” (Slowly Slowly Morning happened, Life has awakened) sung by Yesudas and picturized on Ram (Jeetendra) is the first song that plays and acts as the vehicle introducing Ram and Sita to each other. Sita happens to be in the same scenic ocean and instantly gets smitten by Ram’s verses he is singing. It is mesmerizing to observe how music works as the magic bullet uniting lost souls and giving them a shared destination.
This song is one of my personal favorites because it is very soothing and can calm an anxious mind. Here are the thought-provoking lyrics to this musical gem:
Dheere Dheere Subah Huyi Jaag Uthi Zindagi (Slowly Slowly Morning Happened, Life has Awakened)
Paanchi Chali Ambar Ambar Ko (Birds are flying in the sky)
Maaji Chali Sagar Sagar Ko (Sailor is sailing in the ocean)
Pyaar Ka Naam Jeevan Hai (Love is the name of life)
Manzil Hai Ki Pritam Ki Gali (Destination is the lover’s route)
Dhoobti Gua Suraj Phir Nikhla (The setting sun rised again)
Saare Jahan Ko Noor Mila (The entire world received light)
Dil Ke Dware Tumko Pukaare (The corridors of the heart are calling your name)
Ek Nayi Zindagi (A new life)
After Sita sings the song previously sung by Ram, Ram hears and is astonished by how beautifully she sings and memorized his lyrics. Their second meeting goes as follows:
Ram: “Aap toh bahut accha gaati hai.” (You sing really well).
Sita: “Geet toh aapka hai. Mein toh sirf gunguna rahi thi.” (The song is yours. I was just humming).
Ram: “Geet kisi ka bhi ho. Usse kiya hota hai. Geet ko sundar gala mil jaaye toh uski kismat chamak utthi hai.” (The song can be anyone’s. It does not matter. If the song receives a beautiful voice, then its destiny starts to shine).
Sita: “Ji nahi, bal ki geet accha ho toh behsure awaaz bhi acchi lagti hai.” (Absolutely not, but if the music is good then a soundless voice starts to sound good).
Ram: “Bhagwan ne ek saath kahi koobiyun ka maalik banaya hai aapko. Sundar banaya, sundar awaaz di, bholne ka itna accha andaaz diya, aur saath mein itni acchi yadassth bhi di. Ek baar mera geet suna aur yaad kar liya.” (God has bestowed upon you with so many qualities! He made you beautiful, gave you a beautiful voice, gave you a great speaking style, and a very good memory. You listened to my song once and remembered it!).
Sita: “Yaad nahi hua. Bal ki dil mein chaap kar rehe gaya hai. Mein lakh bhula neki koshish karo magar bhula nahi paati.” (I didn’t remember it. But it remained etched into my heart. I tried to forget it a thousand times but couldn’t).
Ram: “Kisse? Mujhe yeh mere geet ko.” (Who? Me or my song?)
Amidst their romantic rendezvous, there comes a time when they collide with their exchange of words while talking about their labor and management policies. Their first debate happens on the phone when both are unaware of their differing statuses. For example, their exchange of words goes as follows:
Ram: “Iss appointment ke liye joh appointment lena hoga uss appointment ke liye kab phone karo yeh to batadijye.” (Please tell me when to call you to schedule an appointment for this appointment?).
Sita: “Shut up! Tumhe baat karne ki taamiz hai yah nahi.” (Shut up! Do you have the manners to talk or no?)
Ram: “Ji nahi, hum mazdoor ke paas taamiz kaha se aa sakti hai. Humari taamiz toh humari pasine ke saath behe kar machine mein gir jaati hai. Taamiz toh sirf aap jaiso ke paas hoti hai. Kyun ki air-conditioned car, air-conditioned ghar, aur air-conditioned office mein baith ti hai na aap. Pasina behe nahi pata aur taamiz khatam hone nahi pati.” (Absolutely not, how can we workers have manners? Our manners get washed by our sweat and fall into the machines. You are the ones who have manners. Because you sit in an air-conditioned car, air-conditioned house, and air-conditioned office! You cannot sweat and your manners cannot end).
Sita: “Tumhe kuch hosh hai, kya bakwaas kar rehe ho tum? (Are you in your senses, what rubbish are you speaking?)
Ram: “Ji haa madam. Mein bilkhul hosh mein hoon aur acchi tara samaj raha hoon ke mein kya keh raha hoon. Aur wahi aap ko samjhana chaatha hoon. Ke mazdoor aur maalik ka Rishta aisa hota hai jaisa aatma ka sharir se. Agar aatma aur sharir ke beech appointment ki deewar kari kar diye gayi, toh zindagi ko disappointment ka mooh dekhna par jayega.” (Yes madam. I’m absolutely in my senses and am well-aware of what I’m saying. And this is what I want to explain to you. The relationship between a worker and its owner is like a body to its soul. If there is something called an “appointment” between the body and soul, then life will have to see the face of “disappointment”).
When a worker gets injured, Sita arrives to visit the worker in the hospital and sees Ram. This is the turning point where both realize their social class difference and how Ram is an employee in Sita’s factory. Again, a hegemonic discord is evident but that does not stop them from getting into the sacred institution of marriage. In fact, this is what forms the major crux behind the plot and how the married couple balance their relationship keeping this in mind is the ultimate challenge and whether their perspectives coalesce in the end!
Ram is a man of principles and is determined to fight against any form of injustice. For instance, he attends a congratulatory event celebrating his wife’s achievement of being appointed the new president of the Chamber of Commerce and ends up refuting a song sung titled: “Duniya daulatwalo ki” which translates to “The world belongs to the wealthy.” As a talented singer himself, he joins and sings “Duniya mehnatwalo ki” which translates to “The world belongs to the hard-working people” shocking Sita and all the guests.
Feeling embarrassed due to her husband’s abrupt action, she ends up heading straight to her house weeping. Eventually, both cannot bear the thought of living apart from each other and end up calling each other to reconcile.
Apparently, Sita is unable to balance both her professional and personal career since she tends to get emotional and biased toward Ram. When Ram requests for an increased salary, she agrees only for him and not for the rest of the workers. To this Ram vehemently objects as he believes in receiving equal treatment as the Union leader. Just like him, the rest of the workers are the breadwinners of their family and have multiple responsibilities. He even mentions how there are senior workers who deserve a promotion and not him. Alas, Sita remains adamant on her decision to not reward the workers with the promotion.
Dejected and left with no other resort, Ram decides to go on a worker’s strike to fight for everyone’s right to receive a long-awaited bonus. He ends up going on a brutal hunger strike further hurting Sita and his mother. Simultaneously, Sita ends up going on a hunger strike too since her love and devotion towards Ram is enormous.
Sita is faced with a dilemma between her Suhaag (husband)’s life and her Abhimaan (pride). Jaya Prada was known to portray the quintessential Indian Woman in most of her films as well as showcase her vivacious personality. Truly an example of versatility and passion at its finest!
Here is a link to one of their peppy songs: “Uttar Mein Dekhoon Toh Surat Teri, Dakshin Mein Dekhoon Toh Surat Teri” sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.
Haisiyat is an eye-opening film because it teaches the audience to never harbor discriminating views regarding the relationship between the boss and workers. Workers are the glue that works diligently to keep the workplace together. This is something Jaya Prada’s character Sita kept on arguing and disagreeing upon. Ram (Jeetendra) demonstrated that the factory workers are not the enemies and will never think ill for their owner and workplace. While both Ram and Sita were engrossed in their debates on equality in the workplace, both have somehow forgotten to view each other as both husband and wife occasionally leading to several misunderstandings along the way. One instance was near the end of the film when Sita (Jaya Prada) exclaims to Ram (Jeetendra) that he could have tried to explain some things to her as a husband and not as Union Leader/Worker Ram.
All in all, this film is an incredible film to watch because you learn so many different things that will always be applicable as a working woman or a spouse. Even the soundtrack is amazing, and you can view these vibrant songs using this link!
Finally, the magnetic on-screen presence of both legendary actors is a result of their strong artistic caliber and organic chemistry. Both Jaya Prada and Jeetendra have remained close friends over the years and that explains why they have successfully entertained the diverse audience for many decades. Their impeccable dialogue delivery, their ability to spark life into any character they are given, and their rhythmic dance movements have all added to their long-lasting recognition.
Ok so i have grown up … no no …grown old actually 😀 with brand @forestessentials just because of two things – 1. I believed their marketing tactics blindly like blind love 2. On hanging my military boots , I had proudly declared to my blue boy that I will want to work again only to afford to buy this brand .
And then suddenly I became literate… How ? Because of influencers and my पास की नज़र का चश्मा 🤓 which God gifts us just at the right time along with the announcement of the dentist that I do not need the redundant wisdom tooth anymore coz my wisdom is now come out of my mouth and had spread around my bespectacled eyes !
So now I can read labels , minutely written ingredients including their % inscribed in unbold italics.
When my illiteracy exchanged itself with extraordinary wisdom , I realised even the high end so called organic brand like @forestessentials should mention all the ingredients at the back of their plastic containers of shampoos, conditioners,body lotions, face cleansers etc and that they should be sold in bottles .(yes it should be bottle and in india a bottle is काँच की बोतल , anything stored in plastic is called डिब्बा)
Plus the biggest scam about their expiry dates turned out exactly like my emotions . I am so good at hyperventilating- climbing up and then jumping off a moving roller coaster of hundreds of bad good worst emotions in just 24 days !
So expiry date ..can it be for 24 months unless you mix some preservative to keep It safe from changing its colour, smell ,shape ,composition which they don’t even print but ink type so it fades away just as my false wrinkles without warning .
And preservatives are like bad relationships… their bad results shout out loud only after years of suffering in silence .
So with all my self tortured learnings , I hereby declare myself an ambassador of safe brand cosmetics who offer protection to my hair , face , pocket and heart like any contraceptive!! 😁 ©️AnksकेPenसे
Social fintech network ‘Inspiring Bangladesh’ is organizing a running event with virtual mode to inspire youth in the call for health and education for all. The positive story of the people of Bangladesh has been discussed worldwide.
The ‘Higher Inspiring Bangladesh Independence Run-2024’ will start from Hatirjheel on 10th of May with the cooperation of Ministry of Youth and Sports. The announcement informed that two lifestyle brands namely Fitness and Running are associated with the event.
Fit Nation is a community based platform for promoting health and fitness campaigns, marathon runs, weekly exercise camps, and inspirational stories of Bangladeshis and their goals to stay fit.
Sahaj.com, Global Healthcare Centre, Recharge Electrolyte Beverages, Total Tools Bangladesh, Pakelo Lubricants, Me Noodles, Nutri Plus, Nestle Gold Cornflux, Shakti Plus, Revo, JCI Dhaka Signature, Asus, Sunquik Bangladesh and AASEPS North South University, South are participating in this event. Dhaka Cyclist is cooperating.
Imran Fahad, founder and CEO of Inspiring Bangladesh, said about the upcoming marathon, the social network is organizing physical activity and sports activities among the youth to build a strong nation.
In the upcoming marathon, we will call for increasing access to education and health services for all in line with the third and fourth goals of the Sustainable Development Goals, he said. We are inspiring youth in outings and sports by digitally connecting them through the fitness online community.
In the upcoming Bangladesh Independence Run, in addition to the seven-and-a-half-kilometer and one-kilometer live segments, virtual run options have been kept for remote participation in the marathon.
Anyone from anywhere can participate in the race from their respective places. Imran Fahad said that the participants will be able to participate with the platform by reporting from smart watch or mobile.
Feature image –Inspiring Bangladesh
When Esther David agreed to an email interview, I was delighted. Though we wouldn’t be meeting face to face – I had met and interviewed her many times in Ahmedabad. I remember her trademark large red bindi and broad smile, her warmth and hospitality whenever I dropped in.
Esther dons many hats – apart from being a writer, she is an artist, sculptor, critic, columnist, and illustrator of her own books. In this interview, the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2010, reminisces about her adventurous childhood, how an artist and art critic became a writer, Jewish culture and traditions, and her love for Ahmedabad.
The Sahitya Akademi Award winner has this advice for writers: “The essential quality of a good writer is to keep writing.”
Esther was born into a Bene Israel Jewish family in Ahmedabad on 17 March 1945. Her father, Reuben David, a wildlife conservationist, founded the Kamala Nehru Zoological Garden near Kankaria lake in the city. Her mother, Sarah, was a school teacher.
For her it was amazing that her father fearlessly entered enclosures of lions and tigers. He even conducted an experiment in co-existence – his pet lion Montu started living in the same enclosure with Tommy, a dog. And, he would often join them! It was the same with the tiger Raju, an alsatian, a macaque, and her father, she says. She wrote ‘My Father’s Zoo’ as a tribute to her Tarzan-like father known as the “gentle animal keeper of Ahmedabad”.
After completing her schooling in Ahmedabad, Esther joined M.S. University in Vadodara studying fine arts and art history. “I feel art and literature have the ability to break barriers and have the power to touch upon the human condition. Art school gave me an exposure to arts, literature, cinema, music, dance and theatre. Even while I was at art school, I enjoyed writing papers on art history and art appreciation. Creativity is a room with many doors…” says Esther.
After graduating from M.S. University, she came back to Ahmedabad and started teaching sculpture, art history and art appreciation. She taught at Sheth Chimanlal Nagindas Fine Arts College, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
Exhibitions of Esther’s sculptures and drawings were held from 1968 to 1979 at Jehangir Art Gallery and Taj Art Gallery in Mumbai, and in 1992 at Gallery Bonvin in Paris. Collections of her sculptures are in India and abroad. She has been chairperson of the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Akademi. Esther is passionate about ‘untutored art’ practised in the underprivieged areas of Ahmedabad.
Esther was in her 40s when she wrote her first novel. “Inside me, there was a sea of stories…My novels are my Jewish voice. I wanted to recreate my experience of being an Indian Jew through my novels. I was in search of a homeland, which I found within my novels. Through my novels, I wanted to understand my Jewish legacy,” explains Esther.
She says her parents were not religious, but later in life she felt the need to know about Judaism. She understands herself and her religion better through her novels, she elaborates.
Her very first novel ‘The Walled City’ received critical acclaim and was translated into French, Gujarati and Marathi. It remains her personal favourite till date.
One of her books, ‘By the Sabarmati’, is a collection of 22 stories based on the lives and aspirations of women. Does she think of yourself as a feminist writer? “I believe women must have a voice of their own and create their own space in all areas of life. My message would be to continue being creative and develop an individual identity of your own,” says Esther.
Esther’s writings are mostly about Jewish culture and the life of the small, dwindling, close-knit Bene Israel community. “Being part of the Bene Israel Jewish community of western India, I tried to write about the problems faced by this mini-microscopic Jewish community in a vast multi-cultural country like India, as they try to preserve their Jewish identity and heritage,” she says.
She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2010 from the Government of India for ‘The Book of Rachel’. The novel is about the elderly who have been left behind in India by families which immigrated to Israel. Rachel makes it her mission in life to fight for the preservation of an ancient synagogue. She deals with her feelings of isolation by trying out an ancient recipe every day. Rachel is her favourite character from her books, says Esther.
Her other books are ‘Book of Esther’, ‘Shalom India Housing Society’, ‘The Man with the Enormous Wings’ and ‘Bombay Brides’. “The hardest book to write was ‘Book of Esther’, where I researched the lives of five generations of a Jewish family living in India and created the relevant characters, landscapes, details, rites, rituals, customs and narratives,” says Esther. The book is loosely based on her own family.
‘Book of Esther’ has been taught in the course of ‘Gender and Literature Post-colonial South Asia and beyond’, at the department of English, George Washington University in US.
Among the national and international writers who have influenced her the most, Esther names Rabindranath Tagore, Alexandre Dumas, R.K. Narayan (for the world of Malgudi), Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie (‘Shame’), Toni Morrison, Nadine Gordimer, Margeurite Duras, Orhan Pamuk, Amos Oz, Amy Tan, Isabel Allende, Graham Greene, Laura Esquivel, Iravati Karve, Ismat Chugtai, Rohinton Mistry, and Arun Joshi (‘The Strange Case of Billy Biswas’). Some of her favourite authors have written about the loss of homeland, she says.
‘Bene Appetit – The Cuisine of Indian Jews’ was published in 2021 by Harper Collins India. Esther received the National Jewish Book Award USA for this book.
“Traditional Indian Jewish food is a dying art, and I decided to transcribe these recipes from the kitchen to the page. In a quest to record the culinary practices, I journeyed across India chronicling culture, attire, festivals, rituals and traditional feasts. The book has a number of recipes of delectable dishes,” says Esther.
In 2016, her book ‘Ahmedabad City with a Past’ came out. “What was earlier called the Walled City had bazaars with jingling bangles, the smell of new brooms, raw mangos, fresh vegetables, green mint, pink candy floss, carts with coloured bottles of ‘sherbet’, and pickles – all these lent a certain richness to life.”
Each and every part of the old city has a story or fable attached to it, she says. The pols, traditional housing clusters, are a special feature in the old city of Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad, a UNESCO World Heritage City, has a living heritage, even if it is a mega-city. It has the strong cultural heritage, which brings together the old and the new, like world famous architecture by Le Corbusier and Louise Kahn, and ‘havelis’. Yet, it still retains the essence of an overgrown village, says Esther.
Image credits Jaipur Literature Festival video from which this screengrab has been taken
UNTOUCHED MARIE BISCUITS
You get up with your drink and move to the balcony for fresh air besmirched with cigarette smoke. You gawk at the nightly sky and flashbacks appear as you wait for the clock to strike 12. Marking the end of the millennium, you have been served with delectable lunch at the big dining- table with your cousins, uncles and grandparents. You have witnessed your parents’ New Year after-party relaxing in the evening having a cup of tea or coffee with a few slides of toast or marie biscuits. You are the generation who has grown up watching innocuous Shaktiman or Shaka Laka Boom Boom to becoming one of the cult followers of Jordan in Rockstar! In high school and early college days, you have gone international and have been hooked to watching ‘Friends’, and ‘Breaking Bad’, to name a few. Noticing a tectonic shift in media consumption with movies and TV- series, you get a shielded second-hand experience of the outside world. This was the world you knew! You were in your cocoon as you saw your older siblings leaving for college one by one. Flash forward 10 years, you are a parent or on your way planning to become one. Your unexplored exposure comes with an expiration date. Usually, it starts on the day you get married and ends upon conceiving a child. Torn between the image of a cliched daddy’s girl and a wife, your journey begins which you would have preferred with your own set of friends settled in different cities. Your hankering for novelty slowly starts to dim that burnished bright in the darkness of ignorance. You cling to your past more than ever and struggle to match steps with the present. All of a sudden, you are holier than thou against the brazenness! While on the lowest rung of the ‘new’ social hierarchy, you are repulsed and mortified. On your way to stashing untouched, moist Marie biscuits in the garbage bag, you answer the doorbell to accept the order of starters. As you unpack and look for the plates, one of the wives waltzes in into the kitchen to ask for ice. “Have paper plates for the next time! You will tire yourself out.”
As months go by, you slowly start to climb the social ladder and come across ‘Gin & Tonic’ branded as ladies’ drink. Annoyed, you are worldly enough to look beyond the gendered nonsense associated with drinks. Often in the ‘chicken, peg and chauvinism’ gala hosted by men and their mutated wives, you have noticed a new entrant holding a ‘Barcadi Breezer’ yet to understand the ways of the world in the metropolitan cities. It is in these gatherings; that you realize how the alcohol percentage is decided by the husband who is busy negotiating a deal with his eager friends to not blemish his wife’s ‘innocence’. A man who was once a boy entered into the wild when he left his small hometown for studies, but a homely woman turns to men for their bit of wildness often unexplored and suppressed owing to the cloistered and shackled surrounding they had been living in. But even then, the level of wildness is moderated to not rock the happy balance that men are supposed to maintain.
PRELOADED PERCEPTION AND ENTRENCHED MISOGYNY
Since the olden times, alcohol has been one of the widely used drugs and has been part of social ceremonies. In Greek and Roman cultures, literature and art have depicted the use of wine by the Gods and worship of Bacchus (wine god) but have also forbidden its abuse. Manifestation of ill-effects were disapproved and drunkenness as a negative form of behaviour was widely rejected. In other religions and cultures like Islam, some sects of Christianity and in upper caste of Hinduism abstinence is the norm. While a lack of cultural consensus has created dissonance, the attitude towards drinking varies resulting in complex interactions. Hailing from the eastern state of India, alcohol consumption is subjected to moral and ethical condemnation. It is often viewed as risky, hedonistic and morally lax.
The havoc that media has created in luring children into junk food; the same image has been constructed around the consumption of drinks as a social lubricant while ignoring the damaging and dysfunctional consequences when indulged. Moreover, the truth about gender attributes associated with alcohol persists and has a decisive role to play in its marketing and sales. A cocktail is regarded as a feminine drink for women are attracted to colours while men are to stronger drinks like bourbon, scotch or beer. Flirty cocktail names or even the preferred choice of cocktail glass like curvy for women and cylindrical for men are preferred. Often a corporate woman’s uninhibited flamboyance is a winner among metrosexual men who don’t give a hoot about their roots. But it is painfully paradoxical to watch them recoil when entering into a holy matrimonial alliance with a girl of a virginal, clean background. As the restrictive definition of gender has started to evolve, the binary around booze refuses to die out. Sexism at the bar counter hasn’t stepped out of antiquity and has done little to improve the attitudes towards female bartenders.
In some cases, masculinity is so fragile that men refuse to drink out from a cocktail coupe touted to be shaped after a woman’s breast. Women tired of being mansplained about their choice of drink, getting femininity equated with weakness or abstaining from drinking altogether need the society to drink narrow and misaligned perception all up.
The novelty of days spent shoved up in huge jumpers, and knee-high boots has truly worn off. Instead, we are yearning for clear blue skies, and the spring-summer insights from the runways. Undoubtedly, it is time to refresh our wardrobes with the grooviest trends of the season; after all, a new season is on the way, fetching some fresh inspiration.
Spring and summer fashion is synonymous with vibrant colors, breezy fabrics, and a sense of effortless style. From blooming florals to sustainable fashion choices, each trend brings a unique flavor to the style landscape. Get ready to elevate your wardrobe with must-have trends that will dominate the fashion scene this spring and summer.
Spring wouldn’t be complete without the perennial presence of florals, and this year is no exception. Floral and botanical prints are gracing runways and fashion collections, offering a refreshing and vibrant aesthetic. Incorporate this trend into your wardrobe with floral dresses, tops, and even accessories.
Soft pastel shades are making a strong comeback, adding a touch of understated elegance to spring and summer fashion. Embrace hues like lavender, mint green, and powder blue in your clothing choices. Pastel-colored dresses, blouses, and accessories are perfect for creating chic and feminine looks that capture the essence of the season.
As environmental consciousness grows, sustainable fashion continues to be a prominent trend. Look for clothing made from eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton, bamboo, or recycled fabrics. Embrace slow fashion by investing in timeless pieces that stand the test of time.
Sheer fabrics are making a bold statement this season, adding a playful and flirtatious element to outfits. From sheer blouses to dresses with transparent overlays, this trend allows you to experiment with layers while maintaining a light and airy feel.
Inspired by utility wear, this trend is all about blending functionality with fashion. Think cargo pants, jumpsuits, and oversized shirts with a modern twist. Earthy tones and functional details are key elements of this trend, providing a balance between style and practicality.
Channel your inner bohemian spirit with the resurgence of boho-chic fashion. Flowy maxi dresses, fringe details, and earthy accessories define this free-spirited trend. Embrace a laid-back and effortlessly stylish look that captures the carefree essence of summer.
Polka dots are making a retro-inspired comeback, adding a playful and whimsical touch to fashion. Whether on dresses, blouses, or accessories, polka dots are a versatile pattern that can be dressed up or down. Opt for contrasting colors for a modern take on this timeless trend.
As you revamp your wardrobe for the spring and summer seasons, keep these trends in mind to stay ahead in the fashion game. Whether you’re drawn to bold prints, eco-friendly choices, or the resurgence of retro patterns, this season’s trends offer a diverse array of options to suit every fashion enthusiast’s taste.
Happy styling!
Please enter your email address