Today, is that day of the year, again when we all celebrate womanhood.It is worth noting that there is a need to recognise the many facets of females only one day every year -it is as if it has been thurst on all mankind nah on all of us ! Just goes to show that we go about our daily lives being indifferent about the pitiable condition of women.So,we have one day when we say all good things about ladies to forget or better still do all that we can so that women remain at the bottom of the social ladder.
This year finally the Women's reservation bill may become law.But does this mean that women will have better laws,better conditions in a patriarchal society as ours ? Maybe yes & maybe no. Yes,some women who are truly representative of the females in our society will strive harder in Parliament to make conditions better .There will be many others who will be just representing their husbands,sons,fathers,etc in Parliament & will have no voice of their own.Moreover,one women ruling the nation does not mean that all women have been liberated.If this was so,all the Indian women would have gone places as we had a woman as the Prime Minister at the roost for so many years.Now,also we have a woman not as the Prime Minister but as the King Maker but witness how even she has to crack a whip for presence of her MPs for the passage of the Women's bill.But as something is better than nothing,this bill is worthy .
A lot of schemes supposedly to benefit women will be announced by all -the government,the private sector et all only to be forgotten tomorrow as we all have very short memories ,especially the men .If all such plans had really been implemented as declared,we would all have been in a better condition by now.This just proves that there is no follow up or even if there is ,it is all half hearted.
Crimes against women are on the rise-especially rape,trafficking,prostitution etc .For this,the police need to be sensitvised but nothing is being done.Girls as small as nine years old are being raped,molested & sold off all over our nation. But we all turn a blind eye.The least we can do is report any of our suspicious about a child being trafficked to the authorities.But the authorities must also be empathetic & not make the complainant pay for lodging a complaint.
Women's day is basically an urban phenomena.There are millions of women in rural areas who have no idea of this.So,they continue to do as they work daily like walking longer more than yesterday for fetching water & fuel for keeping the home fires burning.They also work for wages lesser than men in the fields.Moreover,they work at home as well.Today only a survey reported in Hindustan Times reveals that more than half of men want the woman only to do cooking in addition to earning .No,this doesn't shock any female.This just confirms our suspicions that men will remain always MCPs.
For the women who are extremely poor ,adivasi women,handicapped,deserted,divorced,raped,this day of March has no significance.So,the only option for us is to help another female on any day or assist in whatever way we can so that we can all survive as a team.Womanhood will then be all about sisterhood.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Eavesdropping ? !
I was looking after grievances of customers at the city office.We had some medical practitioners who would scrutinize the health related complaints & advise us on further action.One of the doctors whom we consulted on a weekly basis was already on the panel with our registered office.He used to come to the Head Office on a daily basis one hour before closing time.He would also look up staff who were sick or do a routine check up if the staff went up to him.Generally,the files were carried by our peons & delivered to this doctor with a note requesting him to advise us on the grievances of the complainants.Sometimes, in rare instances,I would carry the files to meet the doctor face to face to explain the problems we were having in those cases.This was so, as our peons opined that they had the right nah the license to carry papers,files,folders etal & thereby earn taxi fare as conveyance.This was quite amusing as the staff knew that all went by walk but claimed taxi fare to augment their meagre incomes.This is understandable for the people at the bottom but even Managers & above also take this conveyance issue seriously - albeit for pocket money !
Once,my boss asked me to meet this doctor to sort out some two to three long pending complaints.In Public sector,unless the matters assumes extreme urgency (that is top executives or any Government agency,etc starts pounding the office about any files ),files are forgotten or better still misplaced ! Thankfully,we had some order still in the department & we located the files .Relevant notes were prepared for the doctor to peruse & reply.I carried the files to the doctor at the end of the day, that is, almost towards the closing time.By the time ,I reached the Head Office,I saw a very senior Executive entering the doctor's consulting room.
I waited on the bench outside his room.I could hear the doctor advising the executive.I was thinking, that, I was lucky, as nobody else was waiting.Just then,I saw another senior Manager of our Company walking towards me.I smiled at him & wished him.He asked me," Hello ! How are you ?" He meant, that despite the management's attitude towards people like you ,how come you can smile .I replied that I was fine .He remembered my reply & hence in a few days,I was transferred to another State !
He just knocked on the door & went in .I was shocked that he had no qualms about just going in when I was waiting sorry when someone is waiting.But then to expect any such decency from the upper crust is a fallacy & that too for a person much below their ranks in the corporate ladder is a crime !
I could hear loud exchanges of hellos from the cabin.Then there was a discussion about how Mediclaim was not being handled properly at Divisional & branch offices.This was so as one of the relatives of the executives was denied a claim & the doctor was being ordered to settle the claim in review.Otherwise,the executives had been indifferent to all queries,suggestions on improvising claim settlement in all departments.Just goes to show how nepotism can turn you against your own employer.I was able to hear almost everything .I had no intention to overhear but as I was sitting so close by,there were no options left.I could not get up & go as somebody else could gain entry next.I wished, our executives could refrain from talking so openly when they knew that a junior was just outside.Or the least, they could have done was to be magnanimous & allowed me to go in first.After my work was over,they could have all discussions openly provided no one else like me was around. But since this possibility was a big improbability,they had to pursue this actuality. My wait was increasing by minutes now & I was getting irritated as I had to rush back home to my daughter.
Then,there were check ups done.The doctor told them that they were both in good health.This perhaps prompted the executives to tell," Lets have a drinking session one of these days ." I was flabbergasted - I knew that many claims,& delicate issues are debated only during such sessions but this was just like the official seal ! But thankfully,the banter ended in a few minutes after that & both the executives walked out of the cabin.I knocked on the door & let myself in.I told the doctor about the files in brief & he promised to give his replies in the forthcoming week.My work over-I walked to the bus stop to catch my bus home.
The next day,I narrated to my boss the whole episode & requested him that he never depute me for such work.This was because I did not want to lose whatever little respect ( if any ) I had for the top management.He just smiled & left it at that.
Once,my boss asked me to meet this doctor to sort out some two to three long pending complaints.In Public sector,unless the matters assumes extreme urgency (that is top executives or any Government agency,etc starts pounding the office about any files ),files are forgotten or better still misplaced ! Thankfully,we had some order still in the department & we located the files .Relevant notes were prepared for the doctor to peruse & reply.I carried the files to the doctor at the end of the day, that is, almost towards the closing time.By the time ,I reached the Head Office,I saw a very senior Executive entering the doctor's consulting room.
I waited on the bench outside his room.I could hear the doctor advising the executive.I was thinking, that, I was lucky, as nobody else was waiting.Just then,I saw another senior Manager of our Company walking towards me.I smiled at him & wished him.He asked me," Hello ! How are you ?" He meant, that despite the management's attitude towards people like you ,how come you can smile .I replied that I was fine .He remembered my reply & hence in a few days,I was transferred to another State !
He just knocked on the door & went in .I was shocked that he had no qualms about just going in when I was waiting sorry when someone is waiting.But then to expect any such decency from the upper crust is a fallacy & that too for a person much below their ranks in the corporate ladder is a crime !
I could hear loud exchanges of hellos from the cabin.Then there was a discussion about how Mediclaim was not being handled properly at Divisional & branch offices.This was so as one of the relatives of the executives was denied a claim & the doctor was being ordered to settle the claim in review.Otherwise,the executives had been indifferent to all queries,suggestions on improvising claim settlement in all departments.Just goes to show how nepotism can turn you against your own employer.I was able to hear almost everything .I had no intention to overhear but as I was sitting so close by,there were no options left.I could not get up & go as somebody else could gain entry next.I wished, our executives could refrain from talking so openly when they knew that a junior was just outside.Or the least, they could have done was to be magnanimous & allowed me to go in first.After my work was over,they could have all discussions openly provided no one else like me was around. But since this possibility was a big improbability,they had to pursue this actuality. My wait was increasing by minutes now & I was getting irritated as I had to rush back home to my daughter.
Then,there were check ups done.The doctor told them that they were both in good health.This perhaps prompted the executives to tell," Lets have a drinking session one of these days ." I was flabbergasted - I knew that many claims,& delicate issues are debated only during such sessions but this was just like the official seal ! But thankfully,the banter ended in a few minutes after that & both the executives walked out of the cabin.I knocked on the door & let myself in.I told the doctor about the files in brief & he promised to give his replies in the forthcoming week.My work over-I walked to the bus stop to catch my bus home.
The next day,I narrated to my boss the whole episode & requested him that he never depute me for such work.This was because I did not want to lose whatever little respect ( if any ) I had for the top management.He just smiled & left it at that.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
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