When Wikipedia stated that “A woman is a female human”, it did not suggest the women as the weaker sex, who should be subjugated, or overruled by the males of the society. It simply defines women as humans, humans who are free to exist and who can lead their own lives according to their own will. The good news is that the Indian mentality which has been long dominated by the patriarchal, traditional and societal norms has finally started receiving hard blows from the rising stereotype breakers; the free women.
Mastering the impossible pathway, there are a number of Indian women who are finally tired of their mute state and no longer want to be constrained by the male domineering shackles. It is their heroic determinism and strong sense of passion for their own individuality that their background, environment, upbringing, nothing could hamper their zeal to achieve greater things in life, things which were only controlled by the male category until now and fields which previously barred entry for womankind.
The era of manufacturing ‘Bhartiya Naaris’ with a pre planned syllabus issued for their lives including their marriage age, their motherhood start, their never ending sacrifices is coming to an end. The female propagators of the upgraded curriculum who defied all odds are many. Let us get to know about some of them.
Arunima Sinha
Victim of leg amputation, Arunima Sinha was once a national level volleyball player. This leg injury caused by her being thrown out of a running train, scared her sports career. But her brave return soon after the surgery showcased her true sportsmanship. Later on with her hard work she went on becoming the first woman amputee in the word to have climbed tallest peak of Mt Everest. That shows the limitless prowess this Indian woman has in herself and quite enough to inspire others.
Suhasini Mulay
We all know this Marathi actress by her face. Her career’s performance in many movies and TV soaps has granted her to make a strong mark in the entertainment industry. It was recently when Mrs Mulay got hitched at the age of 60 with a 65 year old physicist Atul Gurtu whom she met on the new age online platform. This bold step of hers surely broke all the age related stereotypes which monitored especially the women of the society. She inspired us to not hurry into married life just because we are aging. Happily succumb into this phase only when you are ready and find an appropriate partner to lead your life with.
Harshini Kanehakar
Becoming the first women to apply for the fire engineering course at the National Fire Service College, Harshini Kanehakar unknowingly entered the male commanded arena where all her classmates were men. The rigorous training and tough exercises couldn’t stop her from achieving her goal and now she successfully adorns the title of first Indian fire woman.
Nandita Das
Every woman is beautiful. There should not be any parameters to judge a woman’s charm. Nandita Das with her famous campaign “Dark is Beautiful” moved ahead in this same direction of removing womankind’s perception built on the category of fair-skin-the-best-skin. Fairness is just the skin pigment which female acquires naturally. She has no control over her skin shade so why do we have to create such an idea that only ones with fair skin are pretty. Das confidently spoke against the country’s obsession with fair skin and does not endorse any fairness product. Dusky like any other shade of skin is equally natural and lovely don’t you think?
Surekha Yadav
“Women don’t drive railway engines!” Go and tell this to Surekha Yadav, the first woman train driver of India who has so many firsts in her satchel. Her brave attempts to neglect the discrimination women face and made her successful enough to drive various important trains of the country. She is the inspiration behind women drivers in Delhi and Jaipur Metro connectivity.
Laxmi Agarwal & Sunita Krishnan
Unfortunate victims of acid attack and gang rape, respectively, both these women personify an undefeatable attitude for us. Both with their NGOs, have come out stronger from their frightening experiences and didn’t let the physical setbacks stop them to help the other acid attack and rape survivors.
Among other super women are Kalki Koechlin, Sampat Pal Devi, Sushmita Sen, Bhanwari Devi, Ishita Malaviya, Roshni Sharma, Irom Sharmila, Amrita Shergil, Soni Suri who have brilliantly rebelled against the non-feminist propaganda and are sources of inspiration for the rest of us.
