Where do we stand on International Women's day ?

• by Swikrita Dowrah

International women’s day celebrated on the 8th of March is an occasion where we reflect on the successes and failures of the women’s’ empowerment movement. Its an occasion where each one of us acknowledge the existence of women with respect and look back at their achievements and the problems they faced while trying to succeed.

Every year, the United Nations comes up with a theme to mark this occasion and to set the objective for women development rolling. This year too there is no exception, with the united nation theme--- “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all.”

This theme has the greatest significance in a country like India where equal rights and opportunities, though, guaranteed by the constitution is almost a myth, especially as far as gender is concerned. And, this year, the women’s day will bear testimony to that with the government of India decided on passing the much debated women’s reservation bill on the occasion of this day.

This bill was supposed to have been implemented years back in 1996.It was one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to be considered by the parliament, seeking 33% reservation in Lok Sabha and the state assembly. This bill has been hanging for over 14years now for want of political consensus and since the very first attempt to introduce it by the then HD Deve Gowda led United Front government, the bill has faced violent oppositions with papers being snatched away from the hands of the then law minister, Ram Jethmalani in 1999.Even in 2008,when the law minister HR Bhardwaj introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha, he used to be closely “guarded “by congress Ministers. Today the government has ultimately decided on the bill being passed on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, but not without opposition. Parties like Samajwadi party, RJD are reluctant to let it through and are seeking a quota within quota for women from backward classes. With such a vicious debate surrounding the implementation of 33% reservation let alone 50%, shows how seriously the country has to achieve the UN’s objective of equal rights and opportunities.

The problem doesn’t simply end here. For in a country like India which is taking giant leaps in economic and developmental sectors, there remains a darker side where rape, dowry, female infanticide are on a rise. There are innumerable instances in India’s long history where women have struggled hard to achieve things despite many forces being against her. Now the question is where does the celebration lie? There are more girls going to school and more girls topping the board exams despite efforts to kill them before they are born. Do we rejoice at the fact that ruling parties are contemplating on giving women a chance to sit in the parliament after facing opposition for 14 years now? Shall we celebrate the fact the women’s hockey team won the Asia cup despite no support, no sponsorship and miserable living conditions than their male counterparts? That women entrepreneurs and managers are making their mark in the world even if the recognition comes by way of a separate women’s award? These are issues we can celebrate on this women’s day.

On the other hand, although we celebrate, there is a need to pause and reflect, why the number of women as compared to men continues to decline in India? Moreover, despite changes in rape laws, the convictions for rape are few and far in between while incidence of violence and crime continues to grow. No doubt, India has the largest number of professionally qualified women. However, everyday we get reports of parents continue to sell their daughters ‘to marriage’, often miserably unhappy by paying unaffordable amounts of dowry. At the same time, we can look back and wonder why despite the progress in science and technology, millions of Indian women continue to die during childbirth.

This international women’s day, the 100th anniversary is an occasion where the true strength of Indian democracy will be shown when the women’s reservation bill gets tabled. For, in a country like India, where every 8th march, the achievements of women is highlighted, the opposition they face should also be addressed. This women reservation bill seems to be giant step towards that end. Till then, India must try to work together to make the United Nations central theme---“Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for all.” a reality!

Ringing Long Distance Relationship !

• by Ranadip Pathak
  
  Gone are the days when people used to convey their messages through messengers. There was a time when pigeons were happened to be the envoy of love and affection between people. Letters written with someone’s own handwriting filled with the sense of real care were regarded as the valuable personal asset. It was a normal scene where we see people used to gather around postman coming to the village to deliver letters.
  
  This is ‘the’ 21st century. The time is to move fast and fast. People are now a days running like mad after materialistic success. In the name of achieving success we have entered into an undeclared rat race. However, we are living behind some priceless assets like love, emotion, friendship and so on.
  
  A small electronic device having the capability to send and receive magnetic waves has become the connecting medium between relationships. Mobile phone is the equipment which has become inseparable part of our life.
  
  Internet, which can be regarded as the most significant discovery for mankind in modern era has become the most important medium of communication among people across the globe. Today internet is flooded with many services provided by various service providers. Email and Social networking sites are happened to be most frequently used medium. Social networking sites like Orkut , Facebook, Tweeter and so on have spread a drugs like effect on the youths now a days. Arrivals of internet cafes have helped youngsters of our day, making online friends not only with the known one but also with the unknown ones.
  
  However, the question arises today is whether these modern modes of communication are helpful enough to maintain long distance relationship or not?
  
  People may respond differently on the same question. Nevertheless, if we really try to analyze the present health of our society, then we can witness most of the people being the victim of the very useful modern modes of communication.The success of a long-distance relationship gets a toll on the mostly used idioms like “absence makes the heart grow fonder” or “out of sight, out of mind”.
  
  In the days of letters too, long distance relationship did exist. However, faith was the one aspect that bound people those days. With the easy accessibility of modern gadgets, guys and gals want to stay connected throughout all possible moments. As a result, tensions build up which has an inevitable impacts on the relationship. Your dear one is away from you and you are trying to make her a call, you find her phone busy and that’s what leads you to think in a different way.
  
  Seeing two sides of everything, communication can be considered to have both positive and negative sides. But looking at the benefits it has provided, negative impact of it is almost negligible. Anyway, it has become impossible to live life in today’s world avoiding new gadgets, but we should not let letters to pass away. Otherwise days are near when we will have to call for a ‘letters day’ to celebrate to renew our long distance relationship.