Wishing all a Happy New Year!
Have a happy Sankranti too with loads of sweets hard and
soft, soaked in syrup or baked in heat. Recharged mind is back to daily chore.
The first month of the year comes with dipping centigrade, that’s the unit we
prefer. The stacked woollens have crawled out of the almirah to add some warmth
to the season and colour to the mind along with the lovely cosmos and chrysanthemum
in the garden. Well garden is an over statement as not many possess one in the
gated world we live.
Life goes on no matter what happens. Too influenced by Mithali
Raj. Stole her words as read in the newsprint today. Such an inspiring life and
yet so simple. She said she is not fussy about fashion, however the mini poster
picture in blue reminded me of the dark beauty Smita Patel of the by gone years.
The brilliant eyes and the sharp look to see beyond, their styles resonate. Their excellence, spread across time, encourages
to strive and move on when many things around are not all well.
I do pay annual subscription to two leading editions just to
enjoy the breakfast over the extra pages. Sundays are usually longer. The
headlines and the city news are mostly very disturbing and hence flip them only
when I have struck the SUDOKU right. However today saw a news clip that caught
attention. Esteemed academic institutes have been asked to prepare separate merit list
for girls. Now that was front page news and hence would presume it has some
merit for sure. Like every other measure that the country counts upon be it the
tigers or the migratory birds we have now a benchmark for induction to bump up the
diversity quotient where excellence, matters. Does it really matter?
I reserve my views at this point. Infact it is often wise to
repeat facts than reveal feelings.
Disclaimer at this point; I was not qualified for the range
of institutes in the question. No regret. I tried. And just because I tried
very hard I qualified for the next best of my times. I am happy that it was a level
playing ground and the best of the best rightfully got through that merit list.
Mine was a girl’s school from a small town. Our teachers made us bold to face
the ground, prepared us to fight the battle, enjoy the triumph and learn from
mistakes. Walk hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. We learnt to move up the
stairs. Am sure a sudden escalator would not have been the preferred choice for
us – then and now!
Does this diversity demand favour or equal grounds?
Inequality nurtures enmity. Women has enough foes in this world
than friends. One should be conscious not to add on to it by detrimental
policies. Women have many reasons to feel disgraced for reasons beyond control.
More so in a democratic country who hugs west for adopting trends and kisses
legacy for being close to the most celebrated values of the world. So, at the
least give her a fair playing ground to make a point. Don’t give her a
graceless entry into list of merit. It will pain today or tomorrow. If in every
sphere of life women in this country from the village till the city have
excelled, they certainly would continue and emerge out to be even better.
Happily, treat them at par; no less and not even more!
Does this diversity call for reservation or equal facilities?
How much can one reserve! Does each woman in this country
feel safe on road, in office, in school, college and at home? Once more I reserve my views. Silence is
often the best answer. Elevating many minds is what is required to truly make
this diversity quotient work. A % reservation may fast track a few fair careers
but will never bridge the gap that is getting wide to wider. And the sad part
is this uncertainty makes a large part of the nation worried – some worrying on
trivial things like shrinking merit list and the rest breaking head on the major
challenges like the unsafe environment. It is a loss-loss situation across
board.
Come on, we have lot of grey matter together to play a
win-win. Let’s do something worthwhile!