Women Behind The Limelight

Pulse

oi-suparna-chakraborty Chakaraborthy

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 11:15

'The hand which rocks the cradle, rules the world'. This has been proved several times by women who earned much deserved name and made a difference in the male dominated society. To name a few, we can never forget the contribution made by women like Sarojini Naidu, Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth, Sonia Gandhi and many more. But what about the several other women who fight with the society to do something different facing all odds?

Talking of women in Indian society, In my stay in four different cities in India, I have seen several women who in their own possible way have made a difference. With Women's Day round the corner, I remember all of these women of the Indian Society.

1.When I was in Pune, I had a maid named Shanta. She was my friend and a caretaker away from home. I used to often spend my afternoon after college chatting with her, as she did the household work. One day I learned that she was the sole earning member of the family and abandoned by her relatives for having two girl children.

She, with her sole income had provided education to her girls in English medium school going against her family, who wanted her to put her children in Marathi medium. With her saving she now owns two flats in a good area of Pune and now her daughters are professors of a well known college. On my trip to Pune after four years I met her. She has now grown old and works for an organisation which works towards the upliftment of girls in the villages. On Women's Day I remember this women of the Indian society, who works towards a cause without earning much to her name except the satisfaction from what she is doing. At the age of 65, she still has the courage to take up the challenges of the world.

2.Once in Kolkata, while staying with my Grandma, I got a M.A degree certificate in Bengali literature of a women named Shantilata. On inquiring, my Grandma said that it was the certificate of her Grandma. I was surprised, as I was aware that in those days, education was denied to women. My Grandma illustrated that Shantilata's mother was a women with strong wishes. She wanted to educate her daughters. Once when she tired to enroll them to school, she was hit by the male teacher. Thus, she appointed a master, who used to teach her children secretively every evening. They could not use pen or pencil as it will create suspicion, so the children learned to write on the ground with a stick in the garden. The master would get them books, which they had to finish in one nights time. That's how they finished their education and got their M.A degree. On Women's Day, I get reminded of this women, who took up risks and humiliation for the betterment of her children.

3.While my stay in Jamshedpur, a small township in Jharkhand, I once met a nun of my school, Sacred Heart Convent. She said that she was the pass out of the first batch of girls from this school. With the mention of that, I could see her get nostalgic. She showed me a picture of a group girls. The group consisted of 10 of them. She said that when first a lady from England introduced this school for girls, she was able to get a group of 30 girls but with time due to apposition from the society all expect these 10 girls stayed back. She belonged to a orthodox South Indian family, who would never allow their girl to study in an English school. At the age of 15, she converted into a nun, to be able to get education. On Women's Day, I get reminded of this women of the Indian society, who is still working for the development of the underprivileged.

There are many other women in our Indian society who have make a difference in our daily life. On this Women's Day lets acknowledge these women of the Indian society.