Skip to main content

WE ARE THE PEOPLE TO CHANGE OUR SOCIETY




Yesterday one of my friend had visited my home with her friend. My friend belongs to a very typical JAT community of Haryana and her friend belongs to an orthodox community “Vishnoi”. We talked on several topics. As my friend lives in a village nearby my town, she invited me to visit her village.  She asked “ Malabika, have you ever seen our village life?” I replied that though I haven’t visited any village in Haryana yet, I have seen the lives of women in Haryana. They work very hard the whole day – bring drinking water, fire wood, food grains, food for their cattle, cutting the fire wood along with their as usual works like cooking, looking after their kids and other family members, washing cloths and many more. I have seen the differences between the village life in Assam and the village life in Haryana. I have seen the men sit all the day on charpai smoking Hookah and playing cards. Their duty is only to earn money either by selling food grains or some other way.
My friend said –“ You are absolutely right. Our village women are quite weaker than the urban women. In some communities, women don't have freedom – freedom to think, freedom to speak or freedom to express their feelings. Men think women are only to do their daily works and to give birth of their kids.  If any girl has got education in higher level than it has become a painful job to find out right match for her. Most of village boys don’t want to finish even their school education as they get enough property. Also they would get a car, cash and gold from their In- Laws. So why to waste their time and money for studies!”
How pathetic! Yeah I myself have seen in some communities, where ladies are not allowed to come out of the house gate even. Friend of my friend said – “The Vishnoi Community, which I belong is very tough. I am an educated person living in town, but still I have to be in Ghungat whenever I visit my in-laws place in village. We are not allowed to come in front of any male member of our family. We are not allowed to speak much even.” I was listening to their views turn by turn. The lady is a mother of two growing up kids.  While talking the lady became emotional and said – “Though we are talking about women empowerment and education in our state, only GOD knows when people will be educated in real term!” I answered –“Don’t worry, we are the people. Only we can change the scenario generation by generation. These issues you won’t repeat with your next generation. Thus we can change the views of our society.” My friend replied – “Absolutely! Hope for the best always.” We smiled altogether.
After their leaving, I felt relaxed. I thought the Punjabi Community where I am married, is open minded and moving towards. But I am sure that I will not let the issues repeat which I don’t like with my next generation!!! All is well J

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mekurikai - an unsung hero!

Teok , a small town in Jorhat District of Assam. Around 30 years back, it was in process to be a township. It is my parents' home place, where I was born. As my parental villages were in Teok, we usually visited this place on every vacation. Growing up in a concrete city, I found this place peaceful and naturally rich. We travelled by bus to visit my birthplace. The Teok State Transport bus stand was very small that time. State Transport buses stopped here for few minutes only. Here I saw Mekurikai for the first time. I can still visualise his picture in my mind! Mekurikai , the unsung artist! He used to wore a half pant and a shirt, hanging wooden box around his neck. He sang TOKARIGEET  (type of sufi song in Assamese Folk) and collected money from his listeners. Every morning he used to come to Teok State Transport Bus Stand. Whole day he got into the buses while they stopped, sang his TOKARIGEET  in his mild and beautiful voice with feelings, collected ...
1 comment
Read more

My Vaishno Mata Darshan with Shahida!

I used to think of visit Vaishno Devi Temple, but couldn’t manage my schedule anyhow. It is said that only when Matarani (Goddess Vaishno Mata) calls her devotee, then we can be able to visit this famous temple, situated in Katra, Jammu. I was staying in a working women hostel at Sarojoni Nagar in South Delhi. Here I met Shahida, a fair and slim Assamese girl, who belonged to my birthplace Jorhat, Assam. One of Shahida’s roommate introduced me with her when she came to our hostel. Shahida was junior then me. But very soon we became good friends. Whenever we got time in off days, we planned to cook something typical Assamese Dish together.  That was April 2003, I noted that we had a holiday on 18th for Good Friday and Saturday- Sunday were to be off days for me. Shahida told –‘Let’s plan to enjoy our long holidays!’ But how? We even didn’t think that in next few minutes we would plan for a memorable trip in our lives. I responded –‘Yaah, we must not waste our long holidays ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Cann't We be Satisfy With Our Lives!

I visited a village in Arunachal Pradesh. A very remote area in Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh. There was limited facilities in that area. There were no communication mediums, no market or shops, no transport, not enough education facility and not even medical facilities. People had to walk miles of mountain path to get there minimal needs. So there was less value of money; strangely we discovered exchange system!  'Strangely' I am using this word because I had never seen such exchange system before nor I have seen ever afterwards. There were very populations in that village. Education system was so poor that children even didn't know the name of their nation; not even name of their Chief Minister or the Prime Minister of their nation!! Obviously these information seemed useless for their lives. But I found that people didn't have any complain about their lifestyles or against the system. There were happy with what they were getting in lives. I was y...
Post a Comment
Read more