Women Can Walk Alone Amidst Adversity

Hima Das is the first Indian athlete (sprint runner) to win gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championship in 2018, held at Tampere, Finland. The daughter of a humble rice farmer near the town of Dhing in Assam, Hima Das became a national phenomenon at the young age of 18.and in 2019, she won 5 gold medals in 20 days.

Albert Einstein once said, “The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” In our family norms, females are still regarded as insecure and fearful who seem not to be yet aware of their own power.This is no exception even in the matrilineal society of Meghalaya.

Stories of women empowerment is the story of success and social activism. Medha Patkar is one such well-known social activist and a reformer turned political icon who is associated with the Narmada BachaoAndolan dealing with the river issues in Gujarat. She is the project director for Agni-VI missile, which was successfully launched in 2011. She is referred to as the 'Missile Woman' of India as she is the first woman scientist to have successfully piloted a missile project in India.

Gita Gopinath is a Harvard economist who became the first Indian woman to assume the position of Chief Economist at IMF - the International Monetary Fund. Hima Das is the first Indian athlete (sprint runner) to win gold at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championship in 2018, held at Tampere, Finland. The daughter of a humble rice farmer near the town of Dhing in Assam, Hima Das became a national phenomenon at the young age of 18.and in 2019, she won 5 gold medals in 20 days. Chungneijang Mary KomHmangte is an Indian Olympic boxer from Manipur. She is the only woman to achieve the coveted No. 1 position in the International Boxing Association (AIBA) after becoming the World Amateur Boxing champion for a six times record. Kom is also the only woman boxer to have won a medal in all seven world championships, making it a world record. Known as ‘Magnificent Mary,’ she has become India’s favourite sportsperson, shining at several international platforms. Flight Lieutenant Avani Chaturvedi, a young Indian Air Force officer, inspired many young women by making her mark in a field dominated by men.

Women From Indian Mythology are also really heroic--be it Draupadi, Sita, Mandodari or even Hidimba, the women in our Ved and Puranas are fierce. Both men and women are equal if given similar education, training and grooming.

Gargi, one of the few famous female Indian philosophers and seers, is known to have composed several hymns on the human relationships with the universe. At a time when philosophers and religious teachers were positions usually secured for men, Gargi was amongst the first few women to shatter this belief. She was one of the navaratnas (nine gems) in the kingdom of Janak’s. All her life Draupadi lived a life full of thorns. In spite of all the insults and bruises, she held her head high.Amidst all the criticism, Draupadi is a true epitome of standing tall in the face of adversity who achieved what she wanted. It was her firm willpower and determination that made Draupadi play a pivotal role in the most historic stories of India. It is heart-breaking to see Sita as a helpless woman shown to be at the mercy of men in the society. However, if you look closely, you realise, Sita bore immense courage and self-respect. Sita bravely raised both her kids without complaints. She chose her battles wisely and did not hesitate to step back when her purpose was served – a quality every leader should embrace.It is ironic that Urmila is usually lost in the story of Ramayan. If looked at closely, Urmila displays greater strength and patience than any other woman in the epic story.When Laxman decides to accompany his brother and sister-in-law in exile, Urmila wants to accompany him too. Another unsung hero of Indian mythology, Gandhari is narrowly remembered for her patience, courage and candour. Married to a blind prince, Gandhari chose to remain blindfolded throughout her life. It is debatable if this action was out of empathy for her blind husband or a way to avenge the wrong done to her.Although Gandhari is often blamed for nor raising her sons ‘right,’ she never minced her words and was known for her straightforwardness. It is also said that she warned her husband about the horrendous outcome of the battle of Kurukshetra. And that she suggested the kingdom be peacefully divided between Kauravas and Pandavas. Unfortunately, this never happened. However, Gandhari did keep up with her righteousness even in the most heart-wrenching situations.

Today, Sati Savitri is a title loosely given to any woman who is seen to be abiding by the patriarchal system. On the contrary, Savitri was nothing like that.Her fearlessness and rock-solid determination are qualities to draw inspiration from. Despite knowing that the man she chose to marry had a short life-span, she went ahead and took the risk.Later, when Satyavan (her husband) died and his life was taken away by Yamaraj, Savitri did not give up. She stood confident and did not even hesitate to question the God. With her relentlessness and wit, she could bend the rules and make destiny work in her favour.Just like Urmila in Ramayan, Hidimba is the forgotten hero in Mahabharat. This tribal beauty fell in love with Bheem and married him. Despite marrying Hidimba, Bheem failed to provide her the respect she deserved. However, she stayed strong and took care of their son Ghatotkach, who later fought the battle of Kurukshetra on the side of the Pandavas.Hidimba is a true example of immense patience and integrity. Kunti is the single mother from Mahabharat, who tirelessly performed her duties with great patience.Although Kunti never failed to perform her duties. She was smart enough to keep an eye on Shakuni and Kauravas’ malicious plans. There is a reason Mandodari is remembered with love and respect, despite being Ravana’s wife. Playing against societal expectations, Mandodari did not choose to be a silent spectator of her husband’s misconduct. She stood firm in condemning Ravana’s act and offered him sound advice, despite rejections.Though born to a low-caste family, Sabari was accepted as a disciple by Sage Matanga – against the wishes of several other sages. Despite her endless wait to meet Ram, Sabari did not lose heart and treated every new day with hope and joy. She did not let her social status or people’s disapproval become a roadblock in achieving her purpose of life.

In Raja Rao’s Kanthapura we see in our modern times Gandhiji’s insistence on Women and Dalit (Untouchables) participation in Freedom movement and the female fight against untouchability.Woman's participation in India's freedom struggle began as early as in1817. Bhima Bai Holkar fought bravely against the British colonel Malcolm and defeated him in guerilla warfare. Many women including Rani Channama of Kittur, Rani Begam Hazrat Mahal of Avadh fought against British East India company in the 19th century; 30 years before the “First War of Independence in1857”

The role played by women in the War of Independence (the Great Revolt) of 1857 was creditable and invited the admiration of even leaders of the Revolt. Rani of Ramgarh, Rani Jindan Kaur, Rani Tace Bai, Baiza Bai, Chauhan Rani, Tapasvini Maharani daringly led their troops into the battlefield.Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi whose heroism and superb leadership laid an outstanding example of real patriotism . Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi, Vijayalakmi Pundit and Annie Besant in the 20th century are the names which are remembered even today for their singular contribution both in battlefield and in political field.

Dr Ratan Bhattacharjee International Visiting Professor USA and a trilingual writer may be reached at profratanbhattacharjee@gmail.com