Has anyone imagined how would it be if there is no education
at all? I have had first-hand experience and let me give you a virtual-reality
experience…
There lived a family – mother, father and two kids. The
father (henceforth referred to as the ‘hunter’) wakes up right on time to start
to work (a sedentary one, of course!). The wife (called ‘attendant’ in the ensuing
lines) wakes up early (Nah! She cannot go to work – no one ‘offered’ her education)
to attend to all the needs of the family including keeping her husband’s (yes! Coz
it’s her duty!) things ready for the day, cooking, cleaning, washing clothes
etc. Yet there is no contribution on the other end, just snaps and yells. She
tolerates, in fact, feels guilty, that she had not performed her duties right.
She feels sad and she regrets for being a bad wife and sometimes, a bad mother
(that is how she is induced to infer) …that’s how she has been trained. And that’s
the training her girl will get too. The attendant was ‘taught’ that the hunter
goes out to get the prey for the day and he deserves rest. The attendant is
supposed to keep the family intact and attend to all their needs. While the
attendant deserves the utmost respect for nurturing her family, she is hurt,
harmed or sometimes beaten, just because she does not know that she deserves respect
at all!
You might think this is just fiction. Alas, this is
real. This is how most women have been ‘educated’ in places where education is a
privilege only men are allowed into.
The woman does not know that she is the most valuable part
of the family, that she attains the ultimate purity of her soul by giving birth
and that everything in her body that had contributed to all she does and creates
should be cherished and not cursed upon.
The woman does not know that it is okay to let grown-ups to
take care of themselves. She startles at the thought of it. You know why? Because
she thinks that it is her USP and if she loses the hold, she might lose her
family too! Or simply put, she might be kicked out!
The woman does not know that her body is unique, her mind is
powerful, and her heart is strong. In fact, there is nothing else in this
entire world that can be compared to this exceptional combination!
The woman does not know that it is alright to ask help, it is
good to be offered aid and it is absolutely fine to fall ill and let others
take over. She thinks she does not have rights to those!
The woman does not know that she is supposed to teach her
kids, the values of equality, inclusiveness, sharing and caring. She does not
realize that all this will make her son a responsible and a caring man, while
empowering her daughter to reach out to her dreams.
The woman does not know that being suppressible and vulnerable
is not only her weakness but the society’s too. She does not understand that every
weakness can be overcome and in fact, be grown out of!
The woman does not know that however hard she works and
tries to impress everyone, she is always judged, criticized and belittled. She,
in fact, does not know that there is nothing that she needs to run behind – she
is the perfect person any man or child can ever deserve!
The woman does not know that tears were made for her to relieve
her stress, sorrow and anger, and not to be the silent companion for her nights.
She does not even know there is a whole world out there waiting to know her,
love her, cherish her talents and care for her!
You know when will she know what she has to know? When she
learns, explores, discovers, understands and realizes!
But how? She can get this elixir of her life if her father
was an educated, responsible and caring man and her mother had taught her
values of equality, inclusiveness, sharing and caring. Yes, thus were my parents and here I stand, reaching out to my dreams!
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