Tuesday, March 10, 2009

What it takes to be oneself?



Being Me

A slowly filling
Silence;
Muted by the
Melody;
Of heartbeats
Soft;

Cosseted by wafting
Unspoken words;
Life moves within.

Surging, rushing
Feelings
From within to without...
I give expression to
The Unique Me.

I am a woman
Warm, Worthy
I know!
Holding that key

To Shakthi, and Shanti
I am Janani Jeeva...
I am life...

Procreator,
Not just of life,

But of love

Of just Being.


By Usha Pisharody, 8 March, 2009
*******************************

I believe

''Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got.''

Sadly a woman who is the creator of life still finds herself second to her progeny because of gender.

As a woman I only ask for two things: equality and justice. So that in future we don't need a special day to commemorate women.

By Solilo ,8th March 2009

***************************

As long as a woman is made to feel weak BECAUSE she is a woman,as long as she faces hurdles both visible and invisible BECAUSE she is a woman, the scenario in India is unlikely to change.

The day when a woman in India can live on her own without fear ,without the terror that she might be targetted because she is a woman.The day a woman is not to made feel less because she is a woman.

The day a woman in India is treated as an equal not just in word but in spirit. That will be the day a woman will find what it means to simply be a human being.

Nothing more,nothing less.

Our bodies.
Our life.
Our right to decide.

''The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.'' ~Roseanne Barr

By Indyeah, 8th March 2009

***************************

Being me?
A lot of things!

but for now...

Just some random thoughts ….

Being free of conditioning…

Not having to watch women believe they are weaker...

Being able to see that it's not about religion, culture, class …


Of refusing to buy such divides.


Of being able to show no matter what name we call her by,


God does not condone injustice in her name.


Whether it is a Jesme Raphael who risks being declared mad for speaking out,


Or another helpless sister being paraded in the streets of Orrisa,


An Imrana being told to marry her father in law because he raped her,


Or a Bilkis who became statistics...


Girls in Mangalore being taught a lesson just for being girls,


Or women in slums battered every evening because their husbands need no Pubs or Indian culture...


Or some other mothers whose children cannot pray to her god,


Because they married a man who worships another god.


It is never about religion or culture.


Just like rape is not about sex.

And molestation has nothing to do with how provocatively a girl was dressed.



Being me


Would also be a refusal to fall into any divisive traps,


Of how my subjugation is better (or worse) than yours.


Of if I have not worked as a field hand,


Does not mean I can’t see how wrong it is to pay her less because she belongs to another gender.


Being me would also mean I will not put down another woman
no matter how many times I am warned


How unfairly prettier or obscenely successful she is.


Being me would mean being too self assured to allow this devious divisiveness


To make me forget that a trap is just a trap


And every trap is an obstacle in the race against prejudice,


Being me would be going overboard sometimes.


But never forgetting any of this....

By Indian Homemaker, 9th March 2009
*************************************

15 comments:

Usha Pisharody said...

"As a woman I only ask for two things: equality and justice. So that in future we don't need a special day to commemorate women." A fine observation there, Solilo. To have a day set aside to commemorate, means one is special, or precious, so much that one is not seen much [Peace?? Non violence??] Why do we need to wake the world up to us? Why have that one day when the universe goes ga ga over womanhood its trials tribulations and trophies? Celebrate being a woman each day, just as men do that each second for themselves, and women for them too, lol! I like that idea so much. Thank you!

Indygurl, really really really....to continue, let all that concern for her not be limited to meaningless words, but transfer itself to action as well!And till it happens one needs to demand it! Well said!!

And IHM, all those random things so find a place of relevance and immediacy in today's situation! Being us, is not about culture, or religion, and no molestation is not because we dress in a certain way! And yes, how sad it is that a child must choose a father's religion, most of the time, when the faiths of parents differ, and how demeaning and inhuman to work but be considered a lesser person, in wages; and yes prejudice, that seeps every sphere a woman works or exists in...

Never forgetting, and having to work double that of a man, to make life liveable! How much longer? How much more...!

Beautifully concluded there, IHM :)

I know I have told you all this, but I did so want to share it here too :) Proud to know you all; and be part of this :)

And me, lol. I know I'd want to be a woman again, if ever I were granted life again, and was reborn. That says it all :)

InConvincible said...

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got." Along with that, you are also all that we've got !

Amal Bose said...

i was really shocked after reading this post..i never knew women suffered so horribly that too in our country..
the post by Indian Homemaker was a really touching one..
cant we do anything against this injustice?
i mean just by making an awareness within the online community isnt enough.. it has to reach the real sufferers..
i cannot express in words how bad i felt after reading it..these things like that experienced by Jesme and Imrana are unpardonably evil. i cant believe people can actually do such things to others.

i really want to help in someway i could..i really want to make a difference.

Amal Bose said...

i would like to write a post on this subject on my blog and can i link to this blog?

AS said...

indian homemaker had put the plight of women so beautifully. i salute this movement u guys have started and you have my support in all you do. heres looking forward to an india where women walk shoulder-to-shoulder with men.

Surbhi said...

Applause and a bow to each woman who wrote here. No words are necessary.

Just one question - if we understand all this, and men like RK/Chikki/Chirag/Rakesh understand this, why is it so difficult for the others? Are we a different species or are they?

saima said...

wow! amazing stuff really!!
If all the educated people take one small step towards the upliftment of women, it'll make a world of difference..
I hope people realise their social obligations and work towards them, together.

Anonymous said...

nice post, i agree with you, i wanted to add all this happend only because females hate females, females discriminate against each other, take the example if one mother has 2 kids 1boy and 1 girl, she will tell girl to do housework, and boy will go to school, why can not you females,mothers see that both kids share all the work.
culture begins inside home Males are also resposnible for that fathers, i dont blame only females, as there can not be sound with 1 hand In indian cities this process is already starting in many homes parents are teaching both kids equally.

Indian Home Maker said...

@SM I agree. In fact thehand thatrocks the cradle can easily rock the world too. Unforunately the hands aer kind of tied by social conditioning ... it;'s happening but there's so much taking us back... to 18th century :(

Indian Home Maker said...

@Saima Yes we can :)) Thanks for this encouraging comment!
We must all blog about it, because you never know when some disheartened net surfer googles for some information and lands on your blog ...and even if one person benefits, we have done something. Five years ago I was amazed to find a lot of useful information online and then I knew nothing about blogs.

@Amalbose If you know any vernacular language then nothing like making a group blog... in Hindi there's Chokher Bali, and sometimes they tale an article and translate it for that group blog...
I agree with you - those who really need to hear it are not able to hear it. But even if we blog about it, and even if one person benefits it is worth it... also sometimes we might help someone see a new perspective .. that will be a lot!

Indian Home Maker said...

@AS thanks :) We need this encouragement! And I agree we will see lesser bias if we keep working towards it!

@Surbhi We all must keep at it, you are doing such a fabulous job on your blog!!
Yes, Rakesh, Chirag, Chikki,RK are fabulous guys no doubt! A different species, they are all JKGs ;)

RK Thank You!

@Amal Bose Yes we'll be honored if you link to this blog :)

Arnav said...

amazing ma'am,..
Its really a sad sight .. WOmen are subjected to such horrendous things... :(

I really think that no one who DARES to harm a lady should be spared , It Feels disguisting to read such horrible news where a Father Rapes his own daughter .... I mean a father is suppose to protect her isn't it so??

Young girls are Burned alive just because they dared to be happy..
It is ironical that in India " MA DURGA" is the epitome of POWER.. and it is believed that every women has a part of " MA Durga " in her ...

I seriously think that , whatever has been done , is gone ,but we really need to change the future..
A person is - what his environment makes of him , Boys are never taught to respect women ,they see their fathers beating their mom, being disrespectful to them.. what xan we expect but these boys turn out to be men who do the same thing as his father ..
We need to teach the boys around us to respect women, we need to drill this fact in their mind , so that when they grow up they respect women..


Please do read the posts here :

http://arnavspeaks.blogspot.com/search/label/women

Anonymous said...

I am Janani Jeeva...
I am life...

Ordinary Guy said...

where is the next article???? :)

Anonymous said...

Men,yes,they do want to keep their 'women' in strings but let us not forget that the worst enemy of a woman is a woman especially those who lived their lives in suppression and just wouldnot let the younger breed breathe free.'oh!we spent our entire lives wearing sarees....look at the young bahus of today....all decked up in salwars!!'