Much has been said about the actress who has crossed over to foreign shores while promoting a film. However, what outrages the sentiment, is the fact that she not only belittles the Indian woman and her thinking power, but her country of origin as well. We have another actress who has more or less put the individual in place by stating that India has evolved, and how. The question that arises here - what quantifies regression? Is it someone who has embraced the welcoming arms of a foreign land or is it someone who is happy traveling abroad, learns the culture of the land, but still rejoices in what she values the most - her homeland!
The lady who has spoken out about the lack of vision that Indian women have, seems confused. She speaks of a culture that she has chosen to leave behind. And with a diverse act that she has projected on herself with living six months abroad and six here, well… what can the rest of us say except – what does she know? Has she lived amidst the poor ladies who, in spite of lack of facilities, still weather the storm in providing a meal for the family? Has she spoken to innumerable female students who have proven time and again their dominance in the ranks after the exam? Has she considered the number of women who have made a choice to stand up for their rights? The many women who have been raped and suffered the shame but still stand strong? The ladies across political lines who speak for a majority of people and are doing their best in getting a bill passed? The innumerable many who embrace the Indian fabric by donning a sari, salwar, churidhar, ghagra, pavade, etc? The number of women who enjoy wearing western garb, not because they want to be applauded for donning the gear, but because of a choice they make! Crossover cinema, advertising, talks, walks, marathons, one voice – no repression or regression here! Choice!
In short, the Indian woman has evolved, most certainly. This does not mean to say that women from the earlier years were any less evolved. Heck, they show us how to be decent, cultural and radiate luminance while looking after the home and hearth. Every lady who looks after the family with resilience and courage is by no means regressive but extremely progressive! There are plenty of women who stand tall, albeit silently, for their daughters to receive an education that they were not privy to. And then there are many of us who are caught in this precipice of not knowing where we belong. Are we more American, Brit or Aussie with our adopted slang? We ape the west, in more ways than one, and still exhibit our love for the land by going ethnic. What can we say - we are like this only!
But when we listen to what the lady said, we cannot dispute the fact that this is her opinion. I am annoyed at the fact that she chose to speak out about regression. Because, let’s face it, we do have a number of people in the country who are extremely rigid and do not believe in change. The point of the matter is that I (we) do not want these problems to be discussed outside our comfort zone. These little known facts should be kept at home. The old refrain of ‘keeping things within the family’ seems to have gone astray here. Nevertheless, given the fact that this is an opinion, we have to live and let live. Or if we keep on, as I am here, venting because of an individual’s thought pattern, we are promoting and succumbing to regressive thought patterns. Let’s move on ...
The lady who has spoken out about the lack of vision that Indian women have, seems confused. She speaks of a culture that she has chosen to leave behind. And with a diverse act that she has projected on herself with living six months abroad and six here, well… what can the rest of us say except – what does she know? Has she lived amidst the poor ladies who, in spite of lack of facilities, still weather the storm in providing a meal for the family? Has she spoken to innumerable female students who have proven time and again their dominance in the ranks after the exam? Has she considered the number of women who have made a choice to stand up for their rights? The many women who have been raped and suffered the shame but still stand strong? The ladies across political lines who speak for a majority of people and are doing their best in getting a bill passed? The innumerable many who embrace the Indian fabric by donning a sari, salwar, churidhar, ghagra, pavade, etc? The number of women who enjoy wearing western garb, not because they want to be applauded for donning the gear, but because of a choice they make! Crossover cinema, advertising, talks, walks, marathons, one voice – no repression or regression here! Choice!
In short, the Indian woman has evolved, most certainly. This does not mean to say that women from the earlier years were any less evolved. Heck, they show us how to be decent, cultural and radiate luminance while looking after the home and hearth. Every lady who looks after the family with resilience and courage is by no means regressive but extremely progressive! There are plenty of women who stand tall, albeit silently, for their daughters to receive an education that they were not privy to. And then there are many of us who are caught in this precipice of not knowing where we belong. Are we more American, Brit or Aussie with our adopted slang? We ape the west, in more ways than one, and still exhibit our love for the land by going ethnic. What can we say - we are like this only!
But when we listen to what the lady said, we cannot dispute the fact that this is her opinion. I am annoyed at the fact that she chose to speak out about regression. Because, let’s face it, we do have a number of people in the country who are extremely rigid and do not believe in change. The point of the matter is that I (we) do not want these problems to be discussed outside our comfort zone. These little known facts should be kept at home. The old refrain of ‘keeping things within the family’ seems to have gone astray here. Nevertheless, given the fact that this is an opinion, we have to live and let live. Or if we keep on, as I am here, venting because of an individual’s thought pattern, we are promoting and succumbing to regressive thought patterns. Let’s move on ...
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