JOIN USInternational Women’s Day is globally celebrated every year on March 8 with a view to recognise the achievements of women and to highlight, in effect, the nobility of womanhood which has made life on this planet beautiful and meaningful. This year’s theme emphasises on ‘Empowering women; Empowering humanity”.
The scenario was different in many ways about 75 years ago. I don’t remember anyone mentioning women’s empowerment then; but, nevertheless, women had their own irreplaceable identity. Ours was a large joint family with around 15 members of three generations living blissfully under the same roof, with my father as the head of the whole set up.
Come summer, the number would nearly double, with my cousins joining the household for spending the much awaited summer holidays after the annual school examinations.
To me, it is a near miracle to this day how my mother, who herself was an employee of the erstwhile Mysore government, managed those two months year after year dealing with so many mischievous youngsters and their simian antics, that often threw the entire household into disarray, while also adequately taking care of all our needs.
This was only a part of the total picture. The household also consisted of a couple of cows, two German Shepherd beauties, a pair of pampered cats and at least a dozen pigeons. Without a frown, mother provided all these extended family members with the amenities needed for their respective pattern of living!
During one such holiday season, a singular incident made us realise yet another touching and amazing aspect of motherhood. That unforgettable night, when father was away on an official tour, we were all fast asleep after a sumptuous meal.
At around midnight we were awakened with a start by the menacing voice of a well-built person wearing a mask, brandishing a gleaming knife, demanding that my mother hand over all her jewellery and money, while threatening to stab us all if she refused.
The professional burglar that he was, he had sedated the dogs and gained entry into the house by the rear door, which we children had carelessly thrown open. Without losing her cool, mother pretended to go into the bedroom to fetch the safe keys only to suddenly emerge like ‘durga’, wielding father’s 12 bore shot gun, usually kept behind the door!
Despite being aware that it was not loaded, she thrust its muzzle to his chest ordering him to drop the knife. As the terrified burglar did so, she pounced on him like a tigress, thrashing him with the butt of the weapon till he bolted off in panic!For me, she forever symbolises womanhood in all its glory, blessed with the capability of donning whatever role the situation warranted.
Despite much-touted talks about women’s empowerment, it remains a painful irony that our system continues to throw up ‘Nirbhayas’ day after day. The celebration would enjoy sanctity only when this shameful menace is liquidated in toto by the powers-that-be.