<p>Haveri: State Women’s Commission Chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary has called upon female students to value their time and avoid distractions such as love affairs and social media during their crucial years of study.</p><p>She was speaking at an interaction programme organised for PUC and degree college female students at G H College auditorium here on Tuesday. She emphasised the importance of focusing on academic goals to achieve success.</p><p>Nagalakshmi expressed concern over the rising issues faced by rural women, including teenage pregnancies and love-related cases. “Students should not fall into the trap of love and romance while they are still studying. Parents trust you and send you to study. Fulfill their expectations by achieving your goals,” she advised.</p><p>She warned against those who exploit women under the guise of love, making them pregnant and then refusing to marry them. “At the end, caste becomes an obstacle. Is all this necessary while you are still studying? Your future is more important than love. Everyone should become educated and lead independent lives,” she added.</p><p><strong>Blackmailing on social media </strong></p><p>Nagalakshmi also cautioned students about the dangers of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. “Most students today use mobile phones and have accounts on various social media platforms. This can be very dangerous. Do not share personal photos, videos, or private information with strangers,” she said.</p><p>She advised students not to accept friend requests from unknown people or send requests to strangers. “Many cases have occurred where students have been blackmailed using their photos and videos. Perpetrators take advantage of this to repeatedly harass and abuse them. If students face any such issues, they should immediately inform their parents. If injustice occurs, complaints should be filed with the police. There is always a chance to correct mistakes. Do not be afraid or lose your life,” she said.</p><p><strong>Empowerment through education, politics</strong></p><p>Reflecting on the ongoing struggle for women’s rights, Nagalakshmi said, “If everything had been available to us earlier, today women would hold all 224 seats in the Vidhan Sabha. It is not enough for women to be doctors, engineers, or IAS officers; they must also enter politics and become chief ministers.”</p><p>Additional Deputy Commissioner Nagaraj L, ZP CEO Ruchi Bindal, SP Yashodha Vantagodi, and Women & Child Development Department Deputy Director Revathi Hosmath were present on the occasion.</p><p><strong>‘Change outlook on women’ </strong></p><p>“Women have achieved a lot and have become strong, but the system continues to bind their hands, which is a contradiction,” said Nagalakshmi Chowdhary with concern.</p><p>She highlighted the deep-rooted societal prejudices, saying, “Brahmins have long claimed that a woman who does not have mantropanishad is impure. Society still views women merely as childbearing machines and homemakers.”</p><p>Recalling historical struggles, she said, “Basavanna left his home because he refused to perform a ritual for his sister-in-law. It is because of leaders like Basavanna, B R Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, and Lala Lajpat Rai that we are able to sit here today. There was a time when if a husband died, the wife was burned alive on his funeral pyre. Since then, women have been fighting for their rights, and this struggle continues.”</p><p>Her remarks called attention to the need for a change in mindset and greater respect for women’s rights in society.</p>
<p>Haveri: State Women’s Commission Chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary has called upon female students to value their time and avoid distractions such as love affairs and social media during their crucial years of study.</p><p>She was speaking at an interaction programme organised for PUC and degree college female students at G H College auditorium here on Tuesday. She emphasised the importance of focusing on academic goals to achieve success.</p><p>Nagalakshmi expressed concern over the rising issues faced by rural women, including teenage pregnancies and love-related cases. “Students should not fall into the trap of love and romance while they are still studying. Parents trust you and send you to study. Fulfill their expectations by achieving your goals,” she advised.</p><p>She warned against those who exploit women under the guise of love, making them pregnant and then refusing to marry them. “At the end, caste becomes an obstacle. Is all this necessary while you are still studying? Your future is more important than love. Everyone should become educated and lead independent lives,” she added.</p><p><strong>Blackmailing on social media </strong></p><p>Nagalakshmi also cautioned students about the dangers of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. “Most students today use mobile phones and have accounts on various social media platforms. This can be very dangerous. Do not share personal photos, videos, or private information with strangers,” she said.</p><p>She advised students not to accept friend requests from unknown people or send requests to strangers. “Many cases have occurred where students have been blackmailed using their photos and videos. Perpetrators take advantage of this to repeatedly harass and abuse them. If students face any such issues, they should immediately inform their parents. If injustice occurs, complaints should be filed with the police. There is always a chance to correct mistakes. Do not be afraid or lose your life,” she said.</p><p><strong>Empowerment through education, politics</strong></p><p>Reflecting on the ongoing struggle for women’s rights, Nagalakshmi said, “If everything had been available to us earlier, today women would hold all 224 seats in the Vidhan Sabha. It is not enough for women to be doctors, engineers, or IAS officers; they must also enter politics and become chief ministers.”</p><p>Additional Deputy Commissioner Nagaraj L, ZP CEO Ruchi Bindal, SP Yashodha Vantagodi, and Women & Child Development Department Deputy Director Revathi Hosmath were present on the occasion.</p><p><strong>‘Change outlook on women’ </strong></p><p>“Women have achieved a lot and have become strong, but the system continues to bind their hands, which is a contradiction,” said Nagalakshmi Chowdhary with concern.</p><p>She highlighted the deep-rooted societal prejudices, saying, “Brahmins have long claimed that a woman who does not have mantropanishad is impure. Society still views women merely as childbearing machines and homemakers.”</p><p>Recalling historical struggles, she said, “Basavanna left his home because he refused to perform a ritual for his sister-in-law. It is because of leaders like Basavanna, B R Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, and Lala Lajpat Rai that we are able to sit here today. There was a time when if a husband died, the wife was burned alive on his funeral pyre. Since then, women have been fighting for their rights, and this struggle continues.”</p><p>Her remarks called attention to the need for a change in mindset and greater respect for women’s rights in society.</p>
