
A letter to the teacher!

English Translation
Bird
I do not fear those Iron bars,
In which you want to cage me.
Instead I am proud of myself,
As you fear my courage to measure the world.
I am that bird,
If you will cage, will never get.
And if I be free,
To fly high with my wings,
Only then you will get me.
-Sneha
A new friend came into my plain life: The Guava Tree. It has added natural colours and a distinct taste to my life.
It shares that I have filled in its emptiness and now it has a wonderful admirer.
We often talk on numerous things from weather, society, friendship to life etc. It also whispers good night to me by gently moving its leaves on my window.
It once said to me, “I am still growing in my vision and height but my roots are more stronger and deep inside the Earth, so one thing is true that I am certainly grounded and matured. Life may go upside down but I promise, will never leave you in any circumstance till death.”
This sentence reminded me the lost essence of life values in modern humanity.
We live in 21st century which is now largely digitized with modern setup and numerous free speeches related to equality and awareness about women empowerment in India.
But have we achieved it holistically or do we believe in it? Or it is sheer work of using meaningless words by tongue and mouth without dedication?
Of course, women don’t need a “Certificate of Appreciation” from their opposite sex to prove themselves. Also, the comparision is not necessary as both the factors play a balanced and necessary role in society and its sustenance.
Yet the sad fact which exists even today is that in the era of Modern India is that the patriarchy and male chauvinism are still breathing and living in open. Women are often judged and criticized for their roles and responsibilities. They and their work are being negated. They are being compared and considered as “the secondary citizens in family“, ” the shadows“, “the ones with no or less important work“, “the weaker or lesser humans” or “the burdens with easy life and little roles“.
It is also expected from women to say to please the another gender or else to be their dumb voiceless puppets“.
In the mad race of getting rewarded and appreciated from their counterparts, they often compete within themselves, downgrade the same gender to qualify the false and dubious standards of the unbalanced world.
This plight of women is living since the ancient India till today, only the difference with the time is that the people are more literate with degrees, the standard of living is changed, the language English has largely replaced Hindi, women are largely educated, preferably professionally qualified, the family status and incomes have risen, the conversion of villages and small cities to the larger cities with high class facilities and exquisite lifestyles is rapid, the technology is the daily necessity and the debates, programs, semi/webinars related to women and related issues have increased exponentially.
Yet we still dive deeply in the lows of shallow mentality of women criticism, mockery and comparision. And the sad fact is that as we progress the status graph from BPL to low income status to middle class to higher class, we encounter incement in the patriarchy and related undervaluing of women.
A great sociological thinker once said the only cause behind this hidden fact is that due to the intact values and culture, the high class women are less open and expressive to addressing this issue openly in public and vice versa in other case due to societal fear.
The question is mere conducting events, talks, interviews related to an issue are enough or the practice of equality is necessary wholeheartedly, from family to society? It should be soul believed issue and not a outer world forcible issue. What we say must be practicised and not vice versa. There is no issue of comparison which is necessary.
We must not forget that both the genders are humans with own importance in the world. Let them live and cherish their life jointly, with their intact self respect rather than comparing and downgrading one or the other by devaluing and snatching the joys of life.
P. S.