An Adieu to Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh

Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, minister of Science and Technology and minister of earth sciences  and former chief minister of Maharashtra left for his heavenly abode on 14^th August 2012 due to multiple organ failure at Global Hospital Chennai. This surely was a shocking news and   I was really disturbed.

I am not a politician nor interested in politics, I have been an educationist for the last 28 years and I really do not understand much of politics. I am not at all here to write about Mr Deshmukh’s political career but I would like to write about his excellent quality-punctuality. I had the opportunity to interact with him on a couple of occasions when I worked for GFGS at  Kharghar

I joined Greenfingers Global School Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, as a Founder Principal and we had the school inauguration on 19^th June 2006. Mr Deshmukh  who was then the Chief minister of Maharashtra  was invited to inaugurate the school. The function was fixed at 3:30 pm and there were nearly ten thousand  people assembled for the same , it is not an exaggeration but a fact, the one acre play ground of this school was so packed that the late comers had to stand on the road to have a glimpse. This was the largest crowd I have faced and addressed! This school belongs to Mr Vijaysinh MohitePatil, another popular minister who has a huge fan following.

Mr Deshmukh had confirmed, to be on the premise by 3 pm sharp but that day he came in 20 minutes earlier and there were almost all the ministers from his cabinet who attended the function including Mr R R Patil the then Home Minister and all of them had arrived 10 minutes earlier before Mr Deshmukh arrived. I heard them talking among themselves “ Sahebancha sobat jayayacha manhje  tharavlele  vela  peksha ardhataas tari laukar pochla pahije”-meaning if we have to go to any function with Saheb it is better that we reach half an hour earlier than the scheduled time.

I was really surprised, I have seen politicians making the crowd wait for hours together and then walking in at leisure at their own whims and fancies and sometimes not turning up at all. Even the education inspectors or chief guests invited for small time functions, walk in late at their convinience and here was a chief ministers showing up 20 minutes earlier than his scheduled time! I could not help but admire and adore him for this disciplined trait.

When he addressed the crowd, his speech was crisp, relevant and charismatic. I must mention        Mr R R Patil also is a very good speaker who speaks intelligently.

 

 It was not just this occasion, an year later when his cabinet along with Mr Sharad Pawar came to lay a foundation stone for Grameen Bhavan at Kharaghar, they were served lunch at our school and again the same discipline was maintained.

Mr Deshmukh has surely left this world much before his scheduled departure; all of us know 67 years is not the age to exit. All I can do is to pray that his SOUL rests in peace.

Arundhati Hoskeri

BOOK REVIEW: GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth

GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth


  GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth, written by Dr Manu Kothari and Dr Lopa Mehta is an unusual work on the subject of Ecology and the Environment. I realized for the first time that a dry subject like Ecology could be so romantic and fascinating after I read this book.

“The Authors” in fact need no introduction; both are post graduate medical teachers, Ex-Heads of the Department of Anatomy, Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital who have published many thought provoking books in the Medical field. Their works are recognized internationally. I am privileged to know them and if I have to describe them in one sentence, both of them are “Excellent Human beings”- that says it all.

 There are many books on the subject of ecology which have loads of information supported with facts and figures that could make you yawn after going through a couple pages. But Guia’s will – is a different story all together.

 It begins as an autobiography of planet Earth, I mean Mother Earth. Humans on one hand give her the status of mother and exploit her in all possible ways on the other! What an irony! May be this is how a mother is being treated in KALIYUGA!

 The preface begins with Vasuda eva kutumbakam-meaning the Earth is just one family, the principle on which the authors have been living their life.

The beautiful language and the rich vocabulary is a treat to behold. Today when the standard of English language is declining and deteriorating, when even the so called journalists feel proud to use American slang or Hinglish lingo, Gia’s will is a must read.

 It has quotes from Sanskrit to Julian Huxley to William Blake to R Emerson to Chief Seattle’s plea….the list is endless.  The thoughts are well organized and the focus is not lost, there is a lot of information on the subject that unleashes slowly and beautifully like the break of a dawn.  It is handled with such sensitivity that every sentence, every word written makes you ponder and take you on the process of self realization, if you are a sensitive human child of the Mother Earth.
You can not read it at a stretch like you read a work of fiction. You need to go slow, try to ingest and digest each word to understand it completely, for instance: the authors say “ Life is originated only once, life has exhibited incredible consistency over the past 4 billion years….” You, my dear, are related to all the human beings, extinct, extant and destined to be- You are similarly related to all the beasts, birds, insects and bacteria. You are life; life is you- That art Thou- Tat twam asi.

 Later referring to the chemical building block of life itself ; DNA that oversees the Development, Nurture and Annihilation of life, thus embodying within itself the Holy Trinity of Brahma the Generator, Vishnu the Operator and Shiva the Dissolver, i. e. Srusti Sthiti Pralaya concept of Hindu Philosophy. ( Ch. 3. I am dying pg. 16) 

 It is really Mother Earth’s desperate attempt to awaken higher self of the Crown of Creation to their own betterment and to achieve her own salvation.

It is scientific, it is factual, it is informative, it is thought provoking and it is romantic.  I would strongly recommend this book to all students, teachers, and educationists and to all the ignorant children of Mother Earth.



---- Arundhati Govind Hoskeri

YOUNG INDIA ACTION FORUM (YIAF) FORTHCOMING EVENT

To each his suffering: all are men

Condemned alike to groan;

The tender for another’s pain,

The unfeeling for his own.

The above lines written by Thomas Gray have deeply touched my heart since childhood. My father often used to quote them, explain the meaning. Even today I try to analyse and try to understand these precious lines.

 Always we keep on blaming the circumstances, difficult  childhood, bad work place , the politicians, the society and so on. The list is endless.

But when we sit back and peep within ourselves we understand our own worth! We get so much from the world around but what have we given back?

It is high time that each individual sat back and reflected and got ready to contribute what ever he / she can. It need not always be money; you can offer your TIME, a more precious commodity these days.

I try my best to promote this idea to my young students, youth and the audience in general whenever I get an opportunity to address a large gathering. I am happy even if few from the hundreds of people I talk to get convinced and try to contribute their bit. But my target of course  is to convince  100% of them! I am a very positive person, a true Libran in spirit!

Well , a few of us really felt we must do something for the needy section of society, we came together and YIAF-Young India Action Forum was born! We take up an issue try to resolve it or at least help our best to whatever extent possible. We do not have any Government or Semi Government assistance, we coax our friends and relatives to lighten their wallets for a good cause and also we  lighten our wallets too!!

So our committee consists of young and not so young members who are committed and enthusiastic to contribute. Well YIAF itself is tree years old and all of us yet just toddlers in that sense!

So far YIAF has taken up the following projects:

1.     IMPROVEMENT OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS :

This was the maiden project taken up by YIAF. Traffic conditions out side Matunga central railway station were horrible at any time of the day. To streamline this we introduced a barricade opposite the parking lot which got converted into a permanent divider, easing out the traffic conditions.

2.     DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD GRAINS

Staple food stuff like Pulses and Rice was distributed to 50 families in wadala slum.

3.     FREE COACHING TO NEEDY STUDENTS

Some of our members volunteered their time and expertise to help out the needy students of King George High School, Dadar to cope up with their curriculum. With the growing demands, children coming from lower strata neither get conducive home environment nor have the capacity to afford private tuitions. Again YIAF extended a helping hand

4.     A JOYOUS RIDE WITH SENIOR CITIZENS

Bandra – Worli sea link on Arabian Sea in Mumbai is one of its own kinds. When it was inaugurated all the Mumbaikars were thrilled so naturally they  rushed for repeated long drives on the sea link. When one of our members contacted  senior citizens of Manav Seva Sangh and offered them a day’s picnic or a movie of their interest, all of them unanimously said they wanted to travel  the new Bandra worli sea link! Well YIAF arranged a special  open bus for sixty of them, provided snacks and converted the bus into a joyous picnic spot ! All the senior citizens on board were so happy and felt the 3 hours that they spent on board went past so soon!

5.     FREE MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CAMP

We pitched  in our doctor friends, who agreed readily to help us out. Auxilium Convent School, wadala was kind enough to give us space. Our members campaigned from door to door in the nearby slums and 350 poor families availed our services. A paediatrician, a Dentist, an Ophthalmologist and a General physician formed our medical team. 50 patients who had eye defects were provided with spectacles totally free of cost.

6.     SUPPLY OF NATURAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS TO DEAF AND DUMB CHILDREN

Since last year we are regularly distributing fresh fruits to Dumb and deaf children on every Tuesday and Thursday to rectify the nutritional disorders of the children studying at LT Deaf school wadala. If you wish to join this once a while, you are most welcome, you need not  necessarily be a member of YIAF.

7.     FREE DIAGNOSTIC CAMP ON WORLD KIDNENEY DAY 2010

500 and odd people were checked for Blood sugar, blood pressure and weight and were advised further action by our team of expert doctors.

8.     FREE EYE CHECK UP CAMP FOR BLIND SCHOOL

A free eye check up camp was held at Kamal Mehta Blind School at Dadar. The whole idea was to restore the vision and hope for partially blind girls, who could not afford the treatment.  The girls were helped with spectacles, medications and corrective surgery ( At Bachhoo Ali hospital Parel)

9.     MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA FOR BLIND GIRLS

A musical evening ( Orchestra) was organised for students of Kamal Mehta Blind school for girls on Women’s day. They not only  enjoyed the performance of Orchestra but some of them rendered old numbers of Lata Mangeshkar beautifully.

10.                        YOGA FOR THE STUDENTS OF LT DEAF SCHOOL WADALA

YIAF arranged for a Yoga teacher who teaches Yoga and Pranayam once a week and children are of course very happy about it! The cost is borne by  YIAF

We also provided a transport facility ( Bus) for their picnic.

11.                        MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CAMP FOR KIDNEY DISORDER ON SUNDAY 18^TH MARCH 2012

Our forth coming event is scheduled on 18^th of March out side Matunga ( Central) railway station.  People will be screened for any possible diseased condition related to Urinary System by the team of expert doctors. Needless to say it is absolutely free. They will also be given some useful tips and home made remedies for initial / mild problems related to Diabetes and Urinary System.

This picture was taken at a Maedical Diagnostic  Camp conducted at Auxilium Convent High School Wadala, Mumbai

Big Cat On My Lap!

We visited Thailand in 1998. We were at Pattaya visiting a huge national park where animal shows were going on. There was a bird show, Dolphin show, Elephant show and so on. After the bird show we were to proceed to the Elephant show. My husband was holding my hand and we were moving together, but there was a swarm of people and in that mad rush he moved on and I was left behind by few yards.

While moving on I happened to come across a care taker hitting the Tiger Cub with a stick and refusing to feed the poor animal. The reason was there were so many tourists/ visitors queing up to click their photographs standing near with the cub by paying money of course. The cub was hungry and was refusing to pose and was angrily roaring loudly.

I was very much disturbed and tried to tell the care taker, to feed the baby and not to hit, and that those who want snaps will wait, he got so annoyed and shouted back “You call baby! This fella is big fella, troubling me....not drinking milk....look how he roaring .... if you feel so much love, take the bottle and feed him!"

I took it as a challenge....quickly snatched the bottle from his hand, and sat on a small table where the cub was sitting, he came on my lap, I stroked him as if he was my domesticated pet, he drank the whole bottle and I was so comfortable, I did not get scared at all.

Once the bottle got empty I came back to my senses! Then suddenly I got up and looked at the crowd around who looked astounded....so many people clicked photographs. In fact the picture inserted here was mailed by a Japanese gentleman who was so very much impressed with the entire episode!

I did not dare to mention this to my husband lest he should take me to task. I requested my friend who was watching this, to keep this to himself and not to mention it to my hubby.

We came back to Mumbai, I forgot about it. After a fortnight I got the photograph through e-mail, then I showed it to my husband and son. Both of them were so angry and shocked, especially my son

 " Amma,  do you know what you have done? Anything could have happened to you, it would have bitten off a pound of flesh from your thigh! It would not have waited like Shylock to ask for it in the court of law!” He went on and on in his own style. Sometimes I wonder whether he is my son or I am his daughter!!

But I am very proud of that moment. I may not venture it again, when I look at my own self in the snap, I wonder how serene...how calm I am when feeding him. I strongly believe that there was some soul connect.....something to do with the ferocious cub in my past life...

This is not only my favourite picture but all my kith and kin and friends fall in love with it at the first sight!!!!

Who will win the coveted World Cup?!

Cricket mania had returned after 28 years! After the 1983 world cup, the era of Sunny’s charm and magic of Kapil paaji, the excitement bounced back and the sensational match induced tachycardia into every Indian heart! Especially into the heart of every Mumbaikar!! Nobody was interested in anything but CRICKET. Most of the offices / organisations pulled their shutters down for the day, people were waiting to get home, when they were forced to work for half a day.

We were eagerly watching the match, and when the Sri Lankan score crossed beyond 250 in spite of superb fielding by our team we were a bit concerned. I quickly thought of checking the position of our team astrologically. But to do so one should be an expert in “Medini Astrology” (a special branch of predictive astrology which deals with places / nations) which I am not and one needs to have the birth details of the captain and his team mates, which of course I did not have. Then suddenly a flash occurred, why not use Krishnamurthy Paddhati, popularly known as K P Paddhati?

Then I cast a KP style of horoscope at 5-39 pm on 2^nd April 2011 at Mumbai. Considered Ascendant as an Indian team and 7^th house as the opponent as a Srilankan team. Sub Lord of 1^st house was Jupiter who was a significator of houses, 1, 4, 7 and 10. Sub Lord of 7^th house was Rahu who was also a significator of 1,4,7 and 10. This gave a clear indication that victory is not going to be easy for either teams, as both the teams are equally strong which indicated the match might end up in draw, with both the teams showing equal strength. Then using the same simple principle of Ascendant and opponent I decided to review the traditional Vedic point of view ( Paramparik Astrology):

Virgo ( Kanya) ascendant with Saturn (R) in it and  the 7^th house Pisces with Sun, Jupiter, Moon, Mars and Uranus. 1^st and 10^th lord Mercury in 8^th house (Aries) . At a glance 7^th house is very powerful with Sun who denotes strength and Mars who indicates Valour with benefics like moon and Jupiter. But all of them are aspected by Saturn + association with Uranus made the opponent’s position un predictable!      Mercury as an owner of two kendras + benefic by nature becomes Yogakarak for the Indian team  in this case.

1^st house has 7^th  aspect  i.e. sampoorna dristi of Jupiter, moon ( 11^th lord), Mars ( 3^rd lord), Sun-all this  conferred blessings on 1^st house that represented Indian team 7^th aspect  of Uranus would give twists and turns in performances of Indian team, it would create tension till the last minute( un predictable situation). In Navamansha kundali ascendant was Capricorn and 7^th house was Cancer whose lord moon  is in 8^th house with association of mars (11^th lord)and Pluto which spoiled the prospects of opponents. Also Uranus in 9^th house ( 3^rd of opponents) added fuel to the fire.

Then I sent a mail to my son, stating there is a chance of Match ending up in  Draw, as position of both the teams are equally strong but still if one team has to win it would be Indian and not Sri Lankan (I did not CC it to anybody, with the fear that if the predictions failed and I would become a laughing stock...)

Thankfully we won against all the odds. The idea of sharing this with all the readers  is certainly  not to blow my own trumpet as,  a know all astrologer, but simply it is to share my  sense of achievement, a good feeling when my prediction has come true. I never make a statement that I am an expert, the science of astrology is like a deep ocean, as you dive deeper and deeper, you start realising your limitations of your knowledge, it surely requires a lifelong commitment, consistent effort and  a regular study of the subject. But I am very passionate about this science. I have been studying Astrology for the past 16 years, I‘ll continue to be the student of Astrology for all my life.

Release of the book "Women in Hindu Society" on 13th March 2011

Release of book “Women in Hindu Society” on 13^th March 2011 at Culture hall, Nehru Centre Worli Mumbai at 6 pm.

Left to right: Ms. Sonavi Desai-Publisher and Editor, Indus Source Books, Ms. Arundhati Hoskeri- Principal SaS Billabong High School, Ms. Vibhuti Patel  - Director and Head of dept of Economics, SNDT Mumbai, Ms. Supriya Sule- Member of Parliament,  Mr. S K Kulkarni-Author of the book,  Mr Ujjwal Nikam-Senior Public Prosecuter,  Mr. R. D.  Pradhan-Ex. I.A.S.officer,  Mr. Satish Sahney-IPS (Rtd) Chief executive Nehru Centre

On Sunday evening, the Culture Hall of Nehru Centre was overflowing with people, and it was such a good feeling for me that in the present era of Gizmos when most have lost the habit of reading, still there are some who love books. The best part of the show was each one of the audience was keenly listening to all the speakers with interest and curiosity, and the 90 minutes of pin drop silence was amazing.

Mr. Parth Kulkarni, grandson of the author compered the program very well and spoke in brief about the 5 books of the author published so far, spoke about how his grandfather took to journalism after retirement.

Ms. Sonavi Desai spoke about Indus Source Books and also gave a brief synopsis of each chapter of the book and expressed her own views about women in Hindu society. She also spoke about the difficulties faced by women and atrocities committed against them, even as India is trying to move towards, true empowerment of women.

Ms. Arundhati Hoskeri  gave a synopsis of each chapter. She compared the status of women in Hindu society with contemporary western society, covering the Vedic era, ancient Greek Society, and the 17^th century Victorian era where even William Shakespeare who held his women characters in high esteem had to show them disguised as men in his plays, when they had to prove their intelligence and rescue the protagonist as in Merchant of Venice, As you like it or any of his other plays, as he could not go against the society where women were considered un intelligent! She quoted women writers like Mary Anne Evans who wrote as “George Elliot” using a male pen name, with the fear of rejection from society if she disclosed her identity as a woman!  Some of her famous  works are “Middle March” and “Silas Mariner”. She also quoted the verses of Manu Smruti, and Swami Vivekananda, Sanatan Dharma  and spoke about the plight of widows in today’s modern society.

She said actually man and woman are the two faces of the same coin, inseparable, intertwined so much so that one is incomplete without the other. The relation between a man and a woman in any form is marvellous and so she does not promote any idea of feminism, for she believes there is a man in every woman and a woman in every man and that she is proud to be born as a woman.

She concluded her speech with her view that, the mindset of society about women that has roots dating back to many centuries ago is of course going to take its own time for its complete eradication. But the change has started long back, and women are emerging stronger each day. A society where men and women are truly equal, can be called as the mark of true progress and emancipation.

Dr. Vibhuti Patel gave a critical analysis of each chapter of the book in detail and spoke about the plight of women in male dominated society. It was a detailed look at the book, and served as a classical critique of the book’s contents, which brought out areas where the book worked, and could have done better.

Ms. Supriya Sule spoke about how women are held responsible and blamed for anything that goes wrong even at family level, quoting an example of even teachers blaming the mother if the child is not doing well academically, with allegation that when the mother is too busy with her career and neglect her home the children are affected. She also spoke about how women have yet to be considered as equals in our society, and the difficulties that they face in their day to day lives because of discriminatory practices.

Mr. Pradhan expressed his concern about delayed justice in our country and showed his regard for women and congratulated  Mr. S K Kulkarni  for writing a wonderful book on such a sensitive subject.

Mr. Nikam spoke about his experiences as a criminal law practitioner and agreed that women have more intelligence and endurance than men. He talked about how he was able to get justice for wronged women in his illustrious career, by citing an example of the Dara Singh rape case, where he inspired and emboldened the victims to step up and testify in court against the criminals involved. He also gave an interesting example to differentiate between intelligence and wisdom, to know that tomato is a vegetable not a fruit is intelligence and the awareness of not using tomato for fruit salad is wisdom! He expressed his concern about the crime against women and assured that he will always be there if his service is needed for fighting wrongs against women.

Mr. Satish Sahney spoke about the injustice to women right from ancient times, exemplifying the women from Mahabharata, right from Amba, Ambalika, Ambika, who were won by Bhisma for his sick brothers, how they were forced to cohabit a stranger when they were widowed and issueless, the blindfolding of Gandhari,  who did not even know her husband was blind by birth till she met him, Kunti  be getting her children from others when her husband failed to procreate. His sensitive  speech provided fodder to thinking minds. What made it more special, was it was totally impromptu, since he didn’t have enough time to prepare for the occasion!

Mr S K Kulkarni expressed his gratitude to the guests of honour and everyone  who attended  the function. He said he never considers himself as a great intellectual, but a common man who observes the world keenly and tries to study, collect facts and write about the something that appeals to his mind.

Overall, the function went off very well. This book published by Indus Source books is very well edited, without spelling or punctuation errors, the font size is suitable for all age groups, and the printing is very clear, leading to a very classy product overall.

 My request to everyone is, if you want to read any book, please do not borrow it, but buy it if  you can afford it, so that more and more authors are encouraged to publish their works. “Women in Hindu Society” and also the earlier book “Hinduism: Trials and Tribulations” are well worth your personal as well as institutional collection.

International women’s day 2011...

I am very proud to be born as a woman. Man and woman are absolutely interdependent; one is incomplete without the other. The most beautiful relationship in this world is the relationship between a woman and a man, be it beloved-lover, wife-husband, mother –son, sister-brother or just two soul mates, so I do not promote any idea of feminism, for me  there is a man in every woman and a woman in every man.

Well now coming to the point: on this occasion of International women’s day Mr S K Kulkarni is releasing his book titled” WOMEN IN HINDU SOCIETY” on 13^th March at Nehru Centre at 6 pm the book is worth your collection.

THE AUTHOR:

 Mr Kulkarni has an interesting writing career! He retired from Indian audit and accounts service and took up as the Director of Finance and Administration at the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai.

He accidently wrote a column for a news paper, which his friends liked and encouraged him to go ahead with more such columns, lo an author was born! Sometimes we ourselves do not know our hidden talents! He wrote many articles for two news papers “The Daily” and “ Free Press Journal” and a monthly magazine “ One India One People” His articles cover a wide range of topics and have been highly appreciated by readers. So far he has authored four books:  Perceptions, Challenges, Focus and Hinduism: Triumphs and Tribulations. The last book is translated into Kannada and Marathi. After  his full time work profile this octogenarian puts in consistent efforts and takes almost two years to bring out his work. A very warm, dignified person open to suggestions and discussions, Mr Kulkarni generates respect in whomever he comes across.

I was privileged to go through the manuscripts of Hinduism and also this latest work “Women in Hindu Society”

THE BOOK : WOMEN IN HINDU SOCIETY

It is a very systematic study and careful critical analysis of the status of women in India from the ancient Vedic period to modern times. His style of narration is simple, supported with facts and figures and references, which makes it a passionate read.

THE FIRST CHAPTER:  “The Girl Child: Birth and Education” covers the status of a girl child, female infanticide and female education from the ancient period to the twentieth century, review of education policy of 1886 and role of Social reformers like Gurudev Tagore ( whom I hold in great esteem), Jyotiba Phule and Maharshi Karve.

THE SECOND CHAPTER: “Marriage and Widowhood” begins with reference to Biblical story of Adam and Eve, how natural instinct of co-habitation was bestowed upon animals and humans, how humans thought of relationships culminating in family using their intellectual ability is fascinating. He also describes different forms marriages and rituals, covering different communities in India, then widowhood and the plight of widows.

As I went through this chapter I could not help thinking about the plight of women even today when we brag of moving shoulder to shoulder with men in almost every sphere of life. Still women are ill treated and subdued, incidents like rape, dowry death, wife battering, physical torture, female foeticide and infanticide are at least reported sometimes but what about the un reported torture in every woman’s life? Single woman whether she is a spinster, a divorcee, or a widow is not safe at all. Her very status of loneliness is taken as her desperation and any man young or old, married or un married is eager to exploit her, why? Married women are raped in bed rooms by their own husbands, working women are molested..... But why,  I really fail to understand. Only way out I think is up to every woman to stand up for her dignity and protect herself, rather than blaming men or society.

THE THIRD and FOURTH  CHAPTER : Repression and exploitation of women I   and II covers extensively such facts that are really disturbing.

THE FIFTH CHAPTER: Empowerment of women highlights the constitutional as well as legal provisions and economic and political empowerment.

THE SIXTH AND LAST CHAPTER : Manu on Women,  is really interesting. It has been my experience that everybody for sure knows one statement of Manu, “ Na Stree Swatantryam Arhati” which translates to “NO woman deserves freedom /  independence” even though they may not know who Manu is!

 Yes Manu did say “ Pita Rakshati Koumare Bharta Rakshati Youvane . Rakshanti Sthavire Putra Na Stree Swatantryamarhati” ( Manu : 9.3) which means “ A woman needs to be protected by her father in her childhood, by her husband in youth, by her son in her old age and so a woman does not deserve any freedom”  we have to view this in the social context that existed in 5^th Century BC which is obviously not relevant or acceptable today. But the same Manu has said “ Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante Tatra Devataha. Yatraitasrtu Na Pujyante Sarvastatraphalaha Kriyaha,( manu Smriti 3.56) which translates to “ wherever ( family / household) women are worshiped or held in high esteem, the Gods and Deities reside there happily and where they are not respected all actions remain un fruitful” thus Manu’s views on women create a lot of controversies in our minds.

 Why only Manu or other Indian sages like Angirasa, Yagnyvalka are blamed of holding women in poor esteem, even the great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle of the western world too considered women as un intelligent, weak, incapable of taking any worthy decision and Plato kept them just one strata above the slaves, needless to say slaves were never considered as humans.  May be this kind of placement of women was based on the fact that men had greater physical strength and valour than women, physical strength and valour were very important for ancient Greeks. Nevertheless Plato also believed that women were integral part of the society, who made excellent home makers, mothers and care takers without whose support no progress in society was possible.

The mindset of society about women that has its roots dating back to many centuries ago is of course going to take its own time for its complete eradication. But the change has started long back, women are emerging stronger each day with the support of men who are their integral part and all women like me will patiently and definitely wait for that day when women will be equal to men in the real literal sense of the word.