This refers to the Chinese Whispers item "Despite being a woman" (June 9). The needless controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina smacks of a cockroach-like approach, where one looks for crevices. It is basically an effort to hide rather than stand in the sunshine. I did not know that praising somebody for standing up to adversities in spite of being faced with it can become a rallying point for anti-Modi entrepreneurs. When we praise a woman for making it big in life despite being a woman, it is not sexist. It is not to highlight her weakness. While we do it to appreciate her strength, it is also a comment on the society at large. It is a criticism of the society that works overtime to oppress women. We do it to underline the fact that it is much easier for a man to achieve heights in life as compared to a woman because of societal partisanship. A woman has to tread anti-current and fight oppression to achieve heights.
If we fail to appreciate such facts, we would be mean to a woman and would be failing in criticising the societal oppression. No wonder that society takes such comment as a criticism of their attitude and tries hair-splitting. A woman achieving heights in life indeed requires appreciation for her achievements despite being a woman. It is for the society to look into their heart and decide whether success to a woman is as natural as it is to a man.
D P Ghatak Durgapur
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