I lost my mother on 15 January. Her notebooks revealed to me the restless often tortured quest that Indian women embarked on to find voice, visibility and equality.
Movies about Praveen Babi, Silk Smitha have treated them as victims, and emotional trainwrecks. The missing ingredient in both cases was input from the actor or those close to them.
From Zeenat Aman’s stunning Instagram debut to Sharmila Tagore’s comeback on the silver screen, these Bollywood legends showed the curtains never really came down for them.
The baseless claim of Arunachal Pradesh as 'Southern Tibet' cropped up once again when an Indian national was harassed by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Airport.
Once acquired by IAF, the medium transport aircraft (MTA) will replace both AN-32s and IL-76s, it is learnt. The idea behind the revamp is to meet modern operational needs.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
That’s the problem with people like Ms. Sagarika Ghose.
According to them, the feminist movement is defined by dressing flamboyantly, smoking cigarettes and having hard-drinks at parties. When a woman indulges in all of the above, she is given the certificate of being a feminist by the likes of Ms. Ghose. If she happens to divorce her husband, things become even better. It’s as if she has earned the black belt of feminism.
What these people do not understand is that a divorce is a very painful episode for both the partners. It’s a pain that lasts for a lifetime. Nobody wishes to get divorced. And most certainly it is not something to be celebrated or tomtomed as an achievement.
Fine, evocative column. Stirs memories of my own mother, also married to a mandarin at age 20, first child at 21. Lived close to Park Street in Nizam Palace from 1974 to 1976, left too soon from our government apartment in Moti Bagh in 1980. Not a feminist rebel, stayed within the mould of society, but brought us up so well. Exceptional sense of personal hygiene which she passed on to us, always fragrant with Yardley soap and talc, lavender. More emotional strength and fortitude than today’s young sometimes exhibit, despite so many more attainments and opportunities. A beautiful Lahore girl, Partition interrupted her formal education.
How did such a strong independent lady of great dignity and fortitude have such a daughter?
Some families, very unfortunately, are like that. The parents might be very honest and upright, principled and resilient.
But the children turn out to be immoral and unscrupulous.
Ms. Sagarika Ghose has fallen far too short of the lofty standards set by her mother. The apple has indeed fallen far from the tree.
Ms. Ghose, are just another elitist, born into privilege, who is disappointed that she is not ruling over India anymore. A product of nepotism who got where she is just because of the family you were born into. That also explains your love and admiration for fellow nepotists like Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee. Your derision and contempt for the underprivileged sections of our society is quite well known- the class which Modi came from.
That’s the problem with people like Ms. Sagarika Ghose.
According to them, the feminist movement is defined by dressing flamboyantly, smoking cigarettes and having hard-drinks at parties. When a woman indulges in all of the above, she is given the certificate of being a feminist by the likes of Ms. Ghose. If she happens to divorce her husband, things become even better. It’s as if she has earned the black belt of feminism.
What these people do not understand is that a divorce is a very painful episode for both the partners. It’s a pain that lasts for a lifetime. Nobody wishes to get divorced. And most certainly it is not something to be celebrated or tomtomed as an achievement.
Why did my earlier reply not go through
Fine, evocative column. Stirs memories of my own mother, also married to a mandarin at age 20, first child at 21. Lived close to Park Street in Nizam Palace from 1974 to 1976, left too soon from our government apartment in Moti Bagh in 1980. Not a feminist rebel, stayed within the mould of society, but brought us up so well. Exceptional sense of personal hygiene which she passed on to us, always fragrant with Yardley soap and talc, lavender. More emotional strength and fortitude than today’s young sometimes exhibit, despite so many more attainments and opportunities. A beautiful Lahore girl, Partition interrupted her formal education.
Who cares?
How did such a strong independent lady of great dignity and fortitude have such a daughter?
Some families, very unfortunately, are like that. The parents might be very honest and upright, principled and resilient.
But the children turn out to be immoral and unscrupulous.
Ms. Sagarika Ghose has fallen far too short of the lofty standards set by her mother. The apple has indeed fallen far from the tree.
Ms. Ghose, are just another elitist, born into privilege, who is disappointed that she is not ruling over India anymore. A product of nepotism who got where she is just because of the family you were born into. That also explains your love and admiration for fellow nepotists like Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee. Your derision and contempt for the underprivileged sections of our society is quite well known- the class which Modi came from.