Don't Stoop To Our Male Level

Dear Namrata,

You know, I entirely agree with you. Entirely. I have tremendous regard for the way women of this country haveevolved, against all the men-made odds as it were. I am deeply impressed at the way they juggle urban stress,married life and heavy familial expectations.

Most men I know would find it enormously difficult to get even close and that includes myself. In fact, Iwould go a step further and state, generally speaking of course, and at the risk of being lynched by fellowmen I might add, women tend to constitute a superior race on most parameters, especially when it comes toresilience, character, maturity, will-power and inner-strength.

I suspect you read my article with your heavy-duty FCP (Female Chauvinist Pig, yup, that’s that breednow) boxing gloves on, and have needlessly made this into a battle of one-up-man-ship (or should that beone-up-woman-ship?). And in the process, completely missed the proverbial woods for the trees.

The only point I was attempting to make, albeit in a harsh and provocative manner (I don’t docomfortable), is that some urban ladies, in their misplaced so-called ‘liberated’ beliefs, are attemptingto emulate the worst ‘qualities’ of their male counterparts (smoking, drinking, drugs, abuse, chauvinism,etc) in order to be seen as ‘equals’.

There is no need for that to happen. A woman can be successful, yet be herself. She can be strong and haveher way in the new-age, competitive world without having to be masculine. She can be intensely feminine andyet emerge tops in ALL walks of life. Millions of such women exist in our cities and some Indian names thatare commonly known would include people like Shabana Azmi and Arundhati Roy. Both strong, successful,‘role-model’ ladies, but entirely feminine.

Agreed, only a segment of the urban women would fall into the wannabe-man category. But that 5-10% figurecan so easily rise to 10-15% before we know it.

All I said to you, and all ladies reading the article, was to be yourself and be proud of it. Don’t dropthe bar by stooping to our men’s level.

And yes, do drop in for a cup of tea. Promise to prepare it myself.

Anil Thakraney