This RepublicDay, find inspiration through her
words and go live your dreams!
I was born, in a small town named Pilani in
Rajasthan, to the second son of three, in a farmer family hailing from a remote
village in the neighbouring region. But that for me, wasn’t the interesting
part of this story. What however I could never have enough of, was how, my
then, Captain of a father, distributed “peydaas” (a stamp of celebratory
sentiment) among not one or two families, but the entire colony! Much to the
shock among many back in his family and village. I used to love the idea of
being a celebration for doing something I had no part to play in, being born.
However, as life, society and experience happened,
that story took over a different meaning once I began to read the subtext.
People back in his village weren’t shocked about him being able to afford
“peydaas” for the whole colony, but about him doing so for me. My father was an
exception to the norm which didn’t approve of his joy over the birth of a girl
child for his first born. And I belonged to a statistically shocking minority
of girls who enjoyed that privilege.
I don’t know how drastically has that statistic
changed, but I do know that not very long ago, a young girl hailing from the
same region as my father’s village, became the first ever woman commando to be
indicted in the BSF, a 51 year old establishment. She stood tall and beaming
with her arm around her father, who couldn’t have smiled a wider smile. Each
time I come across a similar success story about a woman excelling in the field
of sports, services, entertainment, banking, politics or any arena where she
blossoms alongside or outside of her biologically expected domain; I begin to
dream of a world where this won’t be an anamoly anymore.
This year as we celebrate the 69th Republic Day of
India, I wish for a future that nurtures, encourages and protects every young
girl who’s aspirations aren’t curbed due to her gender. Who isn’t told that
going to school is of no use as all she needs to grow up to be is a wife or a
mother. I wish for every man and woman in a place of authority and
responsibility to realise the imperative urgency of every girl child being
assured of just and equal opportunities. A reality which stirred me by existing
in an unexpected walk of life, when in late 2016 I was made aware of women not
being allowed to serve in combat roles in the army up until February that year.
Eversince, The Test Case, hinging on that subject,
which I have had the deepest privilege of being attached to, has compelled to
me to share what I took away from this entire journey. In its creative attempt
not just at provoking the ideologies or the politics of defence, and addressing
the globally rampant struggle of gender discrimination; being a hyperbole it’s
a story aimed at reminding any and everyone watching, about a basic fact, that
the only way a woman can be held down from her flight of fantasy is if she’s
denied the right to earn the same license as a man.
I hereby, salute and applaud all the loving,
nourishing and kind men and women who’ve made mine possible, both on and off
screen. Here’s wishing the same for every girl reading this.
Happy Republic Day and Jai Hind.
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें