Cool or un- cool?!

Of late I've noticed a lot of things going around me - some appreciable; others rather disappointing!

The other day, I was travelling to an early morning tuition by bus, and to my surprise I saw the bus was being manned by a lady conductor! That was so damn cool, considering the fact that you see very few female passengers at that time of the day, and here was a lady managing a bus by herself. In view of the depressing state of affairs of west Bengal, when it comes to women, this was indeed a welcome sight.

Often in offices, you notice that a lot of the employees and in some cases (though not so rare), even employers are re-christened with names, names which may not be supposed to mean well. To a certain extent, the re-christening part is bearable, but at times when it gets too rough and rude, it becomes really, really, un-cool! It then looks like a clear cut expression of not wanting to work under or with someone, either out of ego or due to lack of compatibility and failure to adjust.

Singing for your girlfriend, and letting out a low whistle on seeing her --- romantically cheesy yet understandably cool.

Hooting at a girl on the road and passing comments or singing to her, either directly or indirectly --- so not cool!

An initiative named M.A.R.D - Men Against Rape and Discrimination by Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar, is so cool and hopefully will go on to be successful.

Keeping the name of your movie - Mard ko dard nai hota, is ... Do i really need to say it out loud?!

'Why?', I ask...

Why do independent, career-oriented women want their men to be chivalrous and gentlemanly rather than treat them as equals? Why is the guy always expected to pay? Why do people think love is free for women? Why is the burden to run a family still on the man's shoulders? 'Why?', I ask...

Why are women taking the easier way out? Blaming others for the state they are in.

If we don't speak when we have to, work when we deserve to and lead when we need to, the future still seems very bleak!

Of course there are many exceptions to the rule but I hope a time will come when working women are seen as the rule and not the exception.

Genuinely, there is no need for quotas and reservations for women. Such reservations simply underline the fact that women are not considered equal! Its easy acceptance among women surprises me!

It's always been : Behind every successful man, there's a woman. Let's make it : BESIDE every successful man there's a successful woman!
I'm not in anyway insulting men or women. It's often because of a few that the entire clan gets blamed. But if we really want to be treated as equals and not called so, a long stretch needs to be covered!

I accept that in the past it's always men who've taken decisions. Because that is how our society had been. But now when times show glimpses of change, women should grab the opportunity! Yet, today we see many educated women turn to home-making after marriage rather than continuing with their job. Why? The question remains unanswered.

Signing off with the hope that times will change...