This women’s day, yet again Facebook and Instagram were full of posts on the lines of “Happy Women’s Day to my mother, the one who raised me,” “Wishing all the lovely ladies happy women’s day, stay strong,” “To the one I was born from, to the one I was raised by, to the one I see my future with, happy Women’s day.”
Well, fair enough, but is the day only about posting pictures and stories? Have you ever tried to look around and find other women who are fighting regularly, and yet go unrecognised?
Why do we indulge these social media show-offs for nothing? I am not writing this just because it’s Women’s day, but I am writing this because it has to start from somewhere.
Women make other women strong. This article is to thank all the strong women who are behind the voiceless.
This Women’s day goes to Nirbhaya’s mother, who has been strong all this while fighting and demanding justice for her daughter. No one can even imagine the mother’s pain, and through this article, I feel the need to mention her.
Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, has been continuously fighting for justice for Nirbhaya. Aparna Bhatt, an acid case victim lawyer, a housewife, a mother and a daughter, making us all believe that nothing is impossible. Payal Jangid, a 17-year-old girl from Rajasthan, is working towards the abolition of child marriage and child labour. The list is never-ending.
It’s not just about Nirbhaya or Laxmi, but about you and me. We all have gone through sexual harassment or mental torture; some decided to end their life, and some chose to stay quiet. To all the Nirbhayas, Laxmis and all the ‘me and yous’, thank you for being strong, for teaching us to fight for our rights and justice. I am sorry that you were born in a society that did not let you grow.
I, as a woman, will stand with you and raise my voice even though people will try to push me down, I will stay strong and I will help others to empower themselves.
You are not alone in this fight. One by one, we will form a chain, and this chain will never allow anyone to stop us from finishing our goals.
हर उस इंसान को सलाम जिसने रोका मुझे,
हर उस हैवन को सलाम जिसने खींचा मुझे,
किया जिसने मुझे नंगा या जलाया हो मेरा चेहरा,
क्या मिला अंत में, नफ़रत और अंधेर।
ख़ून बहा कर मेरा क्रान्ति तूने ही फैलायी,
मेरे इरादे प्रबल रहे जो तूने मर कर भी मुक्ति ना पायी।
अपने पीछे छोड़ गयी में अपनी ही परछाईं,
मेरी इस लड़ाई में नारी बनी लक्ष्मी बाई।