I finished watching a movie on Mukhtasar mai...and then just gazed up my room in awe... something just struck me baddd....thinking hard ..how??? How does a woman who can't read or write, who have been taught and tamed to be suppressed for centuries, who is born into an illiterate society dreadful of changes, a society that treats women as animals- animals that are supposed to safe keep your dignity. How does a woman from that social background come out and fight her battle? Where did she learn to find that courage and fearlessness and yes the - perseverance.
She is been named in Times magazine the 100 most influential people. And i am truly in awe of her and INSPIRED.
I am a woman from a very lucky side of the world. I was given proper education, it was never a question or consideration,it was just a basic right. I have opinion about everything around me and yet sometimes i see myself following norms that maybe are not so much of my believes but are those of my family or the society. Well none of them are drastic but still i think i follow them coz i don't have the courage to break free and say i will decide and use my own reasoning and make my own believes.
Another things about Mukhtasar Mai that really touched me was her selflessness, when she was given an award for 500,000(her currency) for her bravery for standing up against men who gang raped her - she used it to open a school for girls. She wanted to fight injustice with Education. And she is still fighting.
Well if i think about what i would have done with the money...flee probably.., i feel ashamed and really small in spirit. Is it that my education with giving me empowerment has made me selfish and i am drowning in the pool of my own materialistic wants??
And today when i am thinking so hard to change and improve myself as a human being, I ask myself again -is it because i want to help someone or just uplift myself in my own eyes??
Well, wathever be the reason i am glad that i have the realisation. As Eckhart tolle says- realisation is the major step to enlightenment. I take it that i came across this story for a reason and purpose - the purpose to stare inside my spirit- deep inside and try and trace a spirit that is fearless, a spirit that is non-judgmental of others, a spirit that gives me courage to love and live and perseverance and for once to break free of norms and use my education for soul searching for myself and to find courage that i was born with.
Also it is a daunting to feel that being a woman is so much more responsibility and obviously opportunity to uplift oneself.
It is just not about being in race with yourself for shiny shoes, dresses, make up and hair although it can't be denied it feel materialistically greatttttttttttt.. but really with it to polish what is inside - the soul , to someday shop for inner strength.
I think it will be a new dawn for me if i can wake up and see the greatness in every woman around me and awaken myself and them to learn about each other. And tell them to be fearless and passionate about doing whatever they are and break social norms to do what they believe is right- That takes courage...& it take courage to acknowledge that yes one is judgmental and selfish...but is trying hard to change it with compassion, wisdom and insight within oneself.
Being a woman is great gift. Woman have so much unknown strength and courage that they can really change their society, this world and yes themselves.
When we call ourselves feminists- with that comes great responsibility that of not being judgmental towards other women, that of seeing yourself in everyone and yes aspiring each other to go through whichever phase of their life they are in with passion, worthiness and fearlessness. I learned something from Mukhtasar mai yesterday which i will not forget for a long time. And if i can imbibe just a part of her in me, i would truly claim hard to be a feminist and a Woman like her.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Who is the Bully
With this blog begins the journey of sharing my mind with the world or well just putting my thoughts in one place so they stop agitating me.
A pressing issue right this second at hand is the India / Australia media bashing issue- Australia being named as a racist country. Since i am living here in Sydney for the last 2 years and have been asked this questions several times by friends back home and family, I thought now is the time to share my views.
For background, I moved to Australia after being married . I obviously had prior inhibition mainly towards finding work and socialising. But i realised if one overcomes one's own insecurities about how one would be treated and just try to not be socially awkward(& of course can speak the language...lol..)...well that solves everything. Well, it was immensely easy finding work opportunities- not one but several and i made a lot of friends.
Coming back to Racism- let me throw light on all aspects. This issue is taxing for a person living here and loving it and whose heart lies in India. So obviously i have taken keen interest to know what is happening and why?
To start with- It is reported that in each village of Punjab, there are almost upto 10 agencies set up to send illiterate, uncouth and (generally sexually frustrated ) elements - who if roamed in my home city - Delhi would be sneered upon by me and my friends are send to Australia very easily. It is unbearable to see them come fresh off the boat ogling and making women around so uncomfortable, they are impolite, inconsiderate and couldn't care less about following the rules and then there is the question of jobs - there is a mountain of difference between course they enroll for and work they aspire to do or eventually get..or else they don't find work and do something illegal.
They are here not to learn the culture or adapt or value it nor do they ever aspire to do proper jobs and sadly they are the majority.
The minority are the ones who really take up jobs they enrolled for, love the culture, learn and adapt it , don't give up on the country they belong to(miss it , love it and celebrate it when times come) but make the most of the place they are living in, follow rule and just try hard to not seem and be inconsiderate even unknowingly.
Of course i can't disagree that there are elements of bullying and racism ( which is contained in two categories- low lives here on dole or social security or low income group whose jobs have been taken over by Indians now), but its definitely fueled by the extreme influx.
Racism is everywhere - and yes, can't you really see it?? ....predominant in our India. We are very quick to label a north Indian in south-India and vice-versa..aren't we? ..and for years now when we have foreigners coming to Goa, every now and then we hear stories of rapes without any prosecution in some cases. So isn't that racism...
I also feel that Australia (driven by obviously the moolah made from foreign students) is not doing enough to understand where the problem lies and really work on the visa grounds. Ideally there should be a place for everyone but then when the opportunity presents itself it should be respected and not abused.
Now the media bashing of Australia in India- seriously that's a separate blog. But i think media in India needs govt supervision - it is out of control. Media is busy selling panic and lately all there stories lead to one conclusion- Racism. If it continues,they will lead us to diplomatic drifts between the two countries and that doesn't go very well with the welfare and dreams of our anglophile society.
Concluding i would like to add that racism is the tool of the insecure and weak and the bully is almost the most weakest in its mind. So I chose to be fearless of my own insecurities and i pity those who do not have the realisation.
Overall i feel, patriotism is overrated unless you have actually chosen the country you were born in and so its very important to realise that no place in the world is an Utopia or every place is..... if you want to make the most of it and think it to be. And that I am living in my Utopia:)
A pressing issue right this second at hand is the India / Australia media bashing issue- Australia being named as a racist country. Since i am living here in Sydney for the last 2 years and have been asked this questions several times by friends back home and family, I thought now is the time to share my views.
For background, I moved to Australia after being married . I obviously had prior inhibition mainly towards finding work and socialising. But i realised if one overcomes one's own insecurities about how one would be treated and just try to not be socially awkward(& of course can speak the language...lol..)...well that solves everything. Well, it was immensely easy finding work opportunities- not one but several and i made a lot of friends.
Coming back to Racism- let me throw light on all aspects. This issue is taxing for a person living here and loving it and whose heart lies in India. So obviously i have taken keen interest to know what is happening and why?
To start with- It is reported that in each village of Punjab, there are almost upto 10 agencies set up to send illiterate, uncouth and (generally sexually frustrated ) elements - who if roamed in my home city - Delhi would be sneered upon by me and my friends are send to Australia very easily. It is unbearable to see them come fresh off the boat ogling and making women around so uncomfortable, they are impolite, inconsiderate and couldn't care less about following the rules and then there is the question of jobs - there is a mountain of difference between course they enroll for and work they aspire to do or eventually get..or else they don't find work and do something illegal.
They are here not to learn the culture or adapt or value it nor do they ever aspire to do proper jobs and sadly they are the majority.
The minority are the ones who really take up jobs they enrolled for, love the culture, learn and adapt it , don't give up on the country they belong to(miss it , love it and celebrate it when times come) but make the most of the place they are living in, follow rule and just try hard to not seem and be inconsiderate even unknowingly.
Of course i can't disagree that there are elements of bullying and racism ( which is contained in two categories- low lives here on dole or social security or low income group whose jobs have been taken over by Indians now), but its definitely fueled by the extreme influx.
Racism is everywhere - and yes, can't you really see it?? ....predominant in our India. We are very quick to label a north Indian in south-India and vice-versa..aren't we? ..and for years now when we have foreigners coming to Goa, every now and then we hear stories of rapes without any prosecution in some cases. So isn't that racism...
I also feel that Australia (driven by obviously the moolah made from foreign students) is not doing enough to understand where the problem lies and really work on the visa grounds. Ideally there should be a place for everyone but then when the opportunity presents itself it should be respected and not abused.
Now the media bashing of Australia in India- seriously that's a separate blog. But i think media in India needs govt supervision - it is out of control. Media is busy selling panic and lately all there stories lead to one conclusion- Racism. If it continues,they will lead us to diplomatic drifts between the two countries and that doesn't go very well with the welfare and dreams of our anglophile society.
Concluding i would like to add that racism is the tool of the insecure and weak and the bully is almost the most weakest in its mind. So I chose to be fearless of my own insecurities and i pity those who do not have the realisation.
Overall i feel, patriotism is overrated unless you have actually chosen the country you were born in and so its very important to realise that no place in the world is an Utopia or every place is..... if you want to make the most of it and think it to be. And that I am living in my Utopia:)
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