Mallika Writes: Just Speaking
For the few years that I didn’t write a column, many people wrote to me asking why not. So here it is, appearing in DNA, Ahmedabad every Sunday. For me Just Speaking is not only just speaking, but speaking justly.
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To whom do they turn?
He has worked with me for about 8 years. Hardly a boy when he joined he has moved up from being the office boy into a skilled technician. A couple of years ago he came to us distraught. His sister, a mother of two little girls had just been diagnosed with kidney failure. I called my friend Dr Trivedi and she was admitted at once. Both her kidneys had failed. The family had known of one kidney having failed some time ago but did not have the money for dialysis. And after all she was only a woman, not the bread winner of the family who was indispensable.
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Gender Benders
Recently I read in the newspapers that Dharmendra and Hemamalini's daughter said, very proudly, that her father considered her his true son. And she is not the only one. I often hear fond fathers patting their daughters' backs and saying “Aa mari dikri nahi dikro chhe”.
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Tsunamika
Looking at the televised debate of the motion of no confidence against the government last week, any one could be condoned for despairing of our democratic credentials and of being ashamed of the people we have elected to govern us. And but for chance encounters with people across the country, so would I.
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Chicken Gunya
My story begins nearly 61 years ago. My mother, brought up in a strictly non-traditional Brahmin meat eating household, married my father and settled in a very overtly vegetarian Gujarat. Not having a liking or even acquaintance with dudhi, parval, tindola and the likes, the fare offered by the Sarabhai matriarch saw to it that she lost twenty pounds in the first months of her marriage. And worse, on drives through the city with varied Sarabhai nieces and nephews she was asked whenever passing a stray head of cattle on the streets, “Mami do you feel like eating that?” Amma very quickly became vegetarian.
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Oh our poor Indian culture!
A few days ago I was both amused and bemused to read in this paper the results of a survey which tried to see the trends in young people today about love, marriage, live in relationships and pre marital sex. Many of the youngsters surveyed voiced the opinion that live in relationships and pre-marital sex were “against our Indian ways and culture”.
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Take the First Step
A few months ago I received an invitation from the apex body of the Finnish Investment Agency, SITRA, to go and lecture. My co-speaker was to be ex President Kalam. I wondered at the selection of the two of us – why not someone from Industry? My caller assured me that the choice was correct; the powers that were in Finland wanted potential Finnish investors to India to understand the development strategies of the social sector voices – apparently from Prof. Kalam the concerns of the rural Indian, from me, of women all over...
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Sephali & her friends
If she wins any more prizes or medals one of the family will have to move out of their spotless but tiny home. Her cv makes interesting reading. Besides getting 78% in SSC and an A+ in Tally 9.2, she has an M Com degree. From 1994 to 2008 she has stood first in every State level competition she has participated in. And now, discouraged by the State’s and peoples’ lack of interest or encouragement for a sportswoman she is looking for a job in a BPO. Meet Sephali Makwana, judo champion and trainer and now budding boxer...
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A Call to The People of Gujarat from a Daughter of Gujarat
It is easy to follow Gandhiji today. In fact during his life time he would have never imagined that an entire nation, barring a measly few hundred thousand, would so assiduously follow his principals so many decades after his death. Just think of it – Gandhiji always said, “Speak no evil. See no evil. Hear no evil”. And we follow it. When evil and cruelty rage around us we refuse to talk of it. When we see horrors being wrought around us, we do not see them. And when there are pitiful cries of pain, we do not hear them.
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Reserving Judgement
I have often found myself in an odd position on the issue of reservation or affirmative action. My stand is generally not endorsed by the people I happen to talk with. They are vehement in their opposition to any reservation at all. That is why I was so delighted when, a few days ago the newspapers reported that ALL the SC/ST students who had sat for their IIT entrance tests got in on the regular list – the only help a few of them took of their reserved status was in becoming eligible for the stream of their choice.
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Caste-ing Fear
A few days ago, at a public discussion a woman cornered me saying she wished to discuss a public matter concerning the use of surnames with me. In a hurry as the proceedings were due to start, I gave her my number and asked her to call me. Three days ago she visited me and shared her story. Given the continuing discussions about castes and sub castes and their increasing use by politicians and their hold over people I will share it here with you..
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