| | It was 8:00 pm. While the sun rose in India announcing the augmentation of our Republic Day, we the expats in the USA waited a few hours behind – but with no less sense of pride and anticipation. All the channels had been revoked to telecast the Republic Day Parade. I watched it while cooking, with a mixed reaction. In the past years, somehow the childlike pleasure we had while watching the parade had watered down. Our constant complains about the democratic nature of our country, the constant insults the women are subjugated to in India, all had taken away the simple pleasure we felt while watching this parade. Somehow, today I wanted to watch – along with my little ones. After our Hon. President Pranab Mukherjee made his speech and our Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi along with the USA President, Barack Obama took their seat – I suddenly felt glued to the television. No, it had nothing to do with the eminent personalities who were being projected on the screen. It was the immense display of Women’s’ Power that held my attention. For some time all the rape victims, the dowry deaths and the disgusting behavior of men towards women in India took a back seat. For here lay my answer as to why it was happening. It was a tug of war. The rope being the power, the rising authority of women in India. With every force, a woman was introduced. Army, Navy, Air Force, Cadets.. The whole parade glorified women power. I felt proud of each and every woman out there – they all represented us. I salute them. But, as the show came to a stop with our National Anthem – the doubts resurfaced. Will it only be a show? Or will now women power be re-enforced in our daily life? I am not saying we need to pick our broomsticks and beat up the men – though if it comes to that, we don’t mind. :P But will men ever realize that there is nothing we cannot do that they can? So stop protecting us, stop demotivating us – now the time has come to walk together - for unless the men realize that- we will always bear the tag of 'developing nation'. |