Dear Bapu...

Dear Bapu,

After a long time, it feels liberating to pen out my thoughts. Not that I’m not given the freedom of speech, Bapu- it’s just that the people for whom you won independence do not appreciate the openness with which women speak. But I’ve always thought that in our country, a woman is considered the ‘Ghar ki Lakshmi’. Is this the way to treat a goddess? But Bapu, you’ve inspired me to stand up for what I feel is right. So now I’m going to let it out.

During your time, women were not encouraged to speak or participate in social events. Thank goodness! A lot has changed now! We have more freedom and we are actually appreciated in many fields. Women have also achieved many feats that were considered impossible till now. I agree, Bapu, that with change in time, a lot of those shackles that bound the early woman have been broken. But sadly, they’ve only been loosened. Women are allowed to speak, wear clothes of their choice and to go out when they want. But all these include restrictions of their own with the famous tagline, ‘You’re a woman. Always stay within your limits’. Now, Bapu, I’ve never really understood what that meant. But again, I don’t blame the society much for putting these restrictions. It’s the way the world is now, Bapu, especially in the country we reside. I, being a woman, am helpless to stick to these rules because I’m scared! Yes Bapu, I’m frightened of the world outside my home. If a woman speaks out, there is no guarantee that her views will not be merely suppressed. If she wears clothes of her choice, there is no guarantee that she will not be assaulted. If a lady steps out of her home, there is no guarantee that she will return home. And what’s worse, Bapu? The society accuses her of not being ‘wise’ enough to avoid these unfortunate incidents.

Another major problem in the country that we both equally love, Bapu, is the uncanny detest towards anything related to menstruation. Ssssssh! You’re not even supposed to say that out loud! I am familiar with so many code words that women use to ensure that no one gets embarrassed or offended. I don’t understand why people fail to realize that menstruation is one of the most important factors behind life on earth. The society wants a happy family and healthy children but none of them wants to talk about the processes leading up to it. What I consider the most disappointing about this is that instead of encouraging women to embrace their womanhood and promoting awareness, the government has levied a twelve percent GST on sanitary napkins. Now what is that all about? Every woman needs napkins. But it seems as if menstruation is now a ‘profitable business’. And these are only the least of the problems faced by the so called goddesses in India- child marriage, female infanticide, compulsory widowhood and the list goes on.

Bapu, I love my country and am proud to be called an Indian. I will not stand it if people say anything against India. But Bapu, how can I defend my country against these accusations on how women are treated? These allegations are brutally honest. Bapu, you’ve inspired me to raise my voice against injustice. You’ve displayed the courage to take a stand for the right cause. I want to be the change I want to see in the world. But Bapu, being a woman, am I allowed to do that?

Yours sincerely,

Es Weide