SAVE A GIRL CHILD, EDUCATE A GIRL CHILD

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” ~ Margaret Thatcher

 “India is no more a country of snake charmers now; same goes for women,
they are no longer required to live at the mercy of men.”

Gone are the days when there used to be totally different perception about a female child born in a family. Well, the time has drastically changed and the cliché is over now, females are now growing and evolving like never before. Or I can say they have mastered the household activities now it’s time to outmaneuver/outgrow in the corporate world. They are no lesser than men, nevertheless, they seem to be dominated by men. As I said, the time has been changing on a very fast pace so our thinking. Undeniably, I want to say it now or I couldn’t say it ever, “Women are far superior than men, and the coming century belongs to them.” If the overconfident men can’t digest it then they will surely face a tough time or take digestive pills to digest it later. Because it’s us who restricted them to the household activities and live at the mercy of men, but now there are thumping no. of families where women are breadwinners. It won’t be wrong to say that they have reached the equilibrium and now it’s time to break the threshold.

As even our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi says, that it’s the rise of new India and now we are at the inflection point where unprecedented changes are going to take place.

Just in case, in 1993, 14 women MLAs were elected, a number which steadily increased to 20 in 1996 and 26 in 2002. In 2007, however, the number fell to a mere three women MLAs, but in 2012 a record 35 were elected. In 2017, this number has gone up even further

Today in the 17th Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly there are record 38 women MLAs in attendance, the highest since Independence. The stellar result came despite political parties giving tickets to only 96 women candidates. On the other hand BJP gave tickets to 43 women, the highest among all the parties. Of these, 32 won.

With the Indian economy expected to emerge as one of the leading economies in the world and likely to become a $5 trillion economy by 2025

As women around the world are increasingly becoming the providers for their families. Whether building a digital business, becoming a sportsperson, politician, professional, teacher and much more they are capable of handling all kinds of jobs. The perceptible changes can be easily noticed as we can see in the examples below:-

1. Tanushree Pareek: Tanushree Pareek today became the first woman combat officer to be commissioned in the 51-year history of the BSF, the country’s largest border guarding force.

Pareek (25) also led the passing out parade of 67 trainee officers that was reviewed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the Border Security Force camp at Tekanpur near here.

Pareek, a resident of Rajasthan’s Bikaner, is the first woman to join the force in the officer rank after she was selected in the all-India exam conducted by the UPSC in 2014.

“I was so excited that I prepared myself for the parade with double zeal. I think now it is the time for girls to actively participate in tough tasks,” she says.

In 2013, the BSF allowed women to apply for operation duty and after a four-phase recruitment process, in July 2014, Pareek became the first woman assistant commandant in the border sentinel.

2. Ira Singhal: Back in 2010, passing Indian Revenue Service Examination (IRS) was not enough as authorities cited her “inability to push, pull and lift.’ She was refused a posting because she suffers from scoliosis or curvature of the spine.

Ira’s success is a story of her acute struggle as she has never allowed her disability to stand in her path because she knew that this rule cannot stop her from achieving what she has already achieved. She filed a case in Central Administrative Service and after 4 years of patience she won the case and finally given a post.

Completing her graduation from NSIT (Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology) and MBA from FMS, Delhi, she is currently posted as an Assistant Commissioner in the Customs & Excise department of the Indian Revenue Services. She has also taught Spanish for a year, has been a manager in Cadbury India and a marketing intern in beverage giant The Coca Cola Company.

“Having a disability was never an excuse in my family. I had to set targets just like anybody else would. I’ve learned that more than anybody else, it is necessary for you to believe in yourself.” says officer Singhal.

3. Bhakti Sharma: Bhakti Sharma is India’s (and Asia’s) first woman to swim 1.4 miles, in the Antarctic Ocean, in 52 minutes nonetheless! She broke world records and, since then, has conquered all the 5 oceans of the world!

4. Rupa devi: Rupa Devi, from Tamil Nadu, became India’s first international referee for FIFA and is all set to officiate international football matches soon!

5. Arunima Sinha: Arunima Sinha is the world’s first female amputee (and India’s first amputee) mountain climber, who scaled Mt. Everest! She has also climbed five of the world’s eight highest summits!

6. Mary Kom: Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom (born 1 March 1983), known simply as Mary Kom, is a boxer from the Sino-Tibetan speaking Kom tribe in Manipur, representing India. 5-time World Amateur Boxing Champion, Mary Kom did not let motherhood or conventions of the society hinder her from achieving global recognition in the field she loves. She is also one of the only women boxing champion to have gotten a medal for each of the six championships she’s participated in!

Nicknamed “Magnificent Mary”, she is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal. She has also been ranked as No. 4 AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category. She became the first Indian woman boxer to get a Gold Medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. Even a biopic movie has been made on her starred by Priyanka Chopra.

7. Sania Nehwal: The first Indian woman to receive a medal in the Olympics for Badminton, Sania Nehwal has been ranked no.1 in the world by Badminton World Federation Women’s Singles 2015! Hold on, there’s more!

She is the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships and was also the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament!

8. Puja Thakur: Wing Commander Puja Thakur was the first woman to lead the Guard of Honour for a major visiting dignitary i.e. President Obama at the Presidential residence, one of the world’s most powerful men at that time.

9. Sania Mirza: Sania Mirza has been ranking no 1 in women’s tennis doubles and singles since 2003 till her retirement in 2013. She is India’s highest ranked female tennis player too!

10. Deepika Pallikal: Squash player Deepika Pallikal is India’s first player to enter the top 10 WSA rankings! She also won gold at the Commonwealth Games, in 2014, in the squash women’s double event!

11. Tania Sachdev: This young chess player holds World Chess Federation or FIDE titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster!

12. Kiran Desai: Winning the 2006 Man Booker Prize for her second book Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai gained international accolades and made the country proud.

13. Falguni Shah: Mumbai born Falguni Shah has taken the world of music by storm with her blend of Indian classical music with contemporary western sounds. Since then she has collaborated with biggies like A.R. Rahman, Ricky Martin, Wyclef Jean to name a few!

14. Tessy Thomas: Tessy Thomas, or ‘Missile Woman of India’, is India’s first woman scientist to head a missile project (hence the title!). She is the Project Director for Agni-IV missile in Defence Research and Development Organisation.

15. Indra Nooyi: Indra Nooyi – one of the world’s most powerful women: Indian American business executive Indra Nooyi, was born in India, is the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo, which is the second largest food and beverage business in the world by net revenue. Indra Nooyi is on the No.4 position on the Forbes magazine`s annual survey of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

16. Sunita Williams: Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams born as Sunita Pandya Krishna to Indian parents in Massachusetts, has set a record for longest space flight by a woman. Apart from this, She holds the records for total spacewalks by a woman (seven) and most spacewalk time for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes). Sunita William was awarded the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award by the World Gujarati Society,thus becoming the first person of Indian descent who was not an Indian citizen to be presented the award.

17. Kalpana Chawla: Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-American astronaut and first Indian woman in space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997, as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator. Chawla, the First Indian woman in space died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster which occurred in 2003. Her story encouraged many young women back in India to follow her path and is the idol of many young girls.

18. Kiran Bedi: Kiran Bedi is truly an icon of heroism. She is the first Indian woman to join the Indian Police Services thus setting an example for other women. Kiran Bedi is an Indian Politician and a retired Police officer who was born in Amritsar on 9 June 1949.She founded two NGO’s namely the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation for welfare and preventative policing in 1988 and the India Vision Foundation for prison reformation, drug abuse prevention and child welfare in 1994. Kiran Bedi has been awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay award in 1994 for Government service.

19. B Chandrakala:  B Chandrakala District Magistrate of Meerut, B Chandrakala, has become a part of the dream team of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2014, Chandrakala, the 2008 batch UP cadre IAS officer, became famous in the social media after she publicly pulled up civic officials and contractors for sub-standard road construction. It seems her honesty at work has earned her a reward. Chandrakala has now been appointed as the director of `Swacch Bharat Mission` and deputy secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The IAS officer has worked extensively for ‘Clean India’ campaign while she was discharging her duties as the DM of Bulandshahr, Bijnor, and Meerut. The Centre has applauded her efforts to make Bijnor an ‘open defecation free’ (ODF) district.

RAISING CHILDREN

A young boy was reading a philosophy book in a mental asylum. He didn’t appear to be a patient. On seeing him I sat beside him and asked why he was there. When he was assured that I wasn’t a doctor, he said: “My father was a famous lawyer. He wanted me to become a lawyer. My mother wanted to see in me the image of her father. Uncle wanted me to become a successful businessman like him. Sister wanted that I follow her husband’s footsteps. Brother wanted that I become an athlete like him. No one bothered to look at me as an individual with a mind of his own. They all looked at me like a mirror. Frustrated, I decided to come here. I realized that this was the place where I could live with my ‘true’ self.”

Klahil Gibran’s short story is an apt commentary on the way we bring up children. We want our offspring to become whatever we think they should become. We don’t want to know what they want to do. We treat our children as extensions of our dreams. When our expectations are not fulfilled, we blame our children. Can’t we simply teach our children to become good human beings? Should success be determined by money, designation, a big bungalow and new car? In a society where materialistic considerations become priorities and humanity gets sidelined, corruption, immorality and wrongdoings will invariably creep in. Before trying to make our children ‘big and successful’ people, we should strive to  make them good human beings.

 

I feel inspired while sharing a captivating letter Mr. Amitabh Bachchan (Big B) wrote to his granddaughters Aaradhya and Navya Naveli.

Both of you may be a Nanda or a Bachchan, but you are also girls…women ! And because you are women people will force their thinking, their boundaries on you. They will tell you how to dress, how to behave, who you can meet and where you can go.

• Don’t live in the shadows of people’s judgement. Make your own choices in the light of your own wisdom.
• Don’t let anyone make you believe that the length of your skirt is a measure of your character.
• Don’t let anyone’s opinion of who you should be friends with, dictate who you will be friends with.
• Don’t get married for any other reason other than you want to get married.

People will talk. They shall say some terrible things. But that doesn’t mean you have to listen to everyone. Never ever worry about – log kya kahenge. At the end of the day, you are the only one who will face the consequences of your actions, so don’t let other people make your decisions for you.

It may not be easy, setting your own boundaries, making your own choices, rising above people ‘s judgement. But YOU !…you can set an example for women everywhere. Do this and you would have done more than I have ever done, and it will be my honor to be known not as Amitabh Bachchan, but as your grandfather !!

With all my love… Your ….Dadaji ….your Nana.

We can’t foist our own wishes on our kids or our orthodox beliefs on our girls or girls in the society. If the boy in a family can be given a choice to select his career than why not a girl, even she has her own aspirations to be something. I think, it’s not the time to fight for your rights in your family, it’s time express and accept. It’s the apt time since independence when a girl can express her inclination towards a particular career and for the same her significant others shall accept and let her go by her choice. Well, if it can be done for boys then why not girls. Let’s not think over it, let’s work on it!

I’m very steadfast in my belief that girls are the future of India and if you undermine their talent then also they will outshine in the men dominated society. There has been enough of saying to save and educate a girl child nonetheless there are families that prefer a boy child to be born in a family and provide better education to a boy in comparison to a girl child. It’s high time for all of us, since India is called as world’s youngest country, containing largest no. of youths between age of 30-35, it never says that it’s a youth’s country of boys.  It’s time to accept the truth by educating a girl child we are actually educating two families, one where she is born and other where she lives after marriage. On the whole we are educating the entire city, or state or the entire country. If we think like this then there will not be a single illiterate person in our country and we will be on top everywhere in the world. Our comparison is not with others but with ourselves, we should ponder on that and start acting than thinking.

Padhega India, badhega India – I envisage the future of India when men and women will be treated equally, the day seems not too far. Let’s help educate a girl not just in our families but to those too who can’t afford quality education, like this we can soon change the entire image of our country. Let’s leave no stone unturn to spread this message and help support people in this noble cause. In the end, as the saying goes, “Behind every successful man there is a woman,” doubtlessly.