Something Else

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!