The saying ‘behind every successful man is a woman’ just took a backseat when 24 year old Shankar Lal displayed exemplary determination and didn’t leave any stone unturned to let his young wife clear the medical entrance exam.
Rupa Yadav’s dream of becoming a doctor is an outcome of her in-law’s approval and her husband’s commendable efforts, besides her strong willpower.
A resident of a small village in Jaipur, Rupa was a child bride married at the tender age of 8 to 12 year old Shankar. However, even after being tied into the wedlock, she didn’t succumb to the society norms and kept her spirits high and her keen desire to study further.
Kudos to her husband (a graduate who is into farming) who stood by Rupa at every step and let her go beyond the ‘ghoonghat clad’ married woman from an orthodox background. Shankar got Rupa admitted to a private school away from their native village for higher studies. Not only that, she went to college and attained a BSc degree and attempted the All-India-Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT).
Although, when Rupa didn’t qualify for an MBBS course, Shankar Lal took his commitment to his wife to another level. He took Rupa to Kota for medical coaching and even drove auto rickshaw to meet the expenses of her coaching classes. Well it wasn’t all plain sailing for Shankar to convince his family, but then finally his efforts paid off. It took nearly two years for Rupa to clear NEET and securing a national rank she is now eligible for admission to a government medical college in Rajasthan.
This is not just an ordinary story of a couple, but Rupa and Shankar’s tale is exceptional in many ways. It speaks volume of the courage, resolve and persistence this young man carried to fulfill his wife’s yearning for education and self reliance. Shankar has broken the shackles of patriarchy and his decision to give wings to his wife’s dreams has made him a hero.
Shankar’s constant support and encouragement to Rupa since her adolescent years, is something rare in our society which is still a slave to the decrepit notions of the past and treats women as a commodity.
A village lad like Shankar, undeterred by how the society looks down upon a married woman and how well it decides her role of being a mere house wife; chose to be a flag bearer of changewhere his own wife is a more qualified woman than him and is a proud husband at the end of the day. A perfect example of how men should treat their women, without any disparity and gender biases.
In this age of growing crimes and twisted mindsets against women, how many men actually encourage their partners to pursue their goals? How many men let their wives follow their careers? How many men want women to be educated and independent? For that matter how many women have the freedom to chose and prove their worth, other than being a wife and a mother to someone?
Don’t we need more men like Shankar to do away with the prejudices against women? Don’t we need more men like him who genuinely lend an ear to their women and prove to be ‘better half’s’ in every sense of the word?