A True Companion!

Arbaz Bhat

World can not progress to its maximum potential unless we recognise the potential of the world’s 50 percent population. When I say 50% population, I mean women. In the 21st century, it seems too weird to hear terms like “Manmade” , “Mankind” and “Manpower”, it rather should be “Humanmade”, “Humankind” and “Humanpower”, because women too have contributed to the progress that the world has made. Be it Science and Technology, Defence, Literature, Economy and so on and so forth, women are at par or sometimes ahead of men. Even if women are lagging behind in certain fields, it is only because of the traditional thinking and barriers put by men that women are a weak creature.
While men can only earn, it is only women that can multitask. She is a worker, a caring mother, a caring wife, she looks after home and what not. I call it a myth ,that it is only a woman who is supposed to cook at home. Men can also cook for their wives and children. Offering a woman good clothes, Expensive ornaments, and other luxuries is indeed appreciable, but real women empowerment is something else. Like one can not imprison a bird into a cage and make tastiest food of the world available to him in that prison. Now if you keep two choices for that bird , you offer him each variety of food and keep the doors of the cage open, i can say so confidently that he will prefer to fly over that beautiful cage. Similarly, real women empowerment in my eyes means giving her freedom to think, freedom to choose where she wants to study , where she wants to marry, what are her plans regarding her career.
A man will wash the feet of women if he sees an LSCS surgery, the pain that a mother suffers while delivering a child, the long cut that a Gynecologist makes. A mother forgets more than 30 stitches and smiles with the initial baby cry of her child. A woman, a mother is a revolutionary, who revolutionises the life of her children. While doing so she forgets to take care of herself and while she was busy taking care of her children she did not know when she got old. Revolutionary attitude of mothers is like that of a candle that lightens its surroundings, and gradually exhausts. Birth is not the only thing that a mother gives , she is the first teacher, she makes you smile. And most importantly she always keeps praying for her children, which children never know. Men must know that when it comes the hardest times, when even shadow disappears it is the prayer of a mother that is there with you.
“Behind every successful man there is a successful woman”, as this adage goes women have been great companions of men in history. For example Nurjahan was a great companion of her emperor husband, who always helped him in decision making, another similar example we find in our state is of “Queen Diida” who was a courageous lady ruler, inspired by her, people still call the sisters as “Didda” or “Ded”. Man discovers a woman in multiple forms, as mother, as sister, or as better half. Man may learn every skill of survival, but without women his life becomes a flower without fragrance.
Women are emotional creatures, the psychology of women is a little harder to understand. But one thing is certain that she is the queen of your house, it is because of her smile that your house shines and she deserves the unlimited respect. In an assembly of people one must first greet the women and then men, while one is asked about the favourite cricketer, he must first take the name of a women cricketer and then man cricketer. Preference over men is the right of women. And I find no injustice in it if a father gives some extra pocket money to his daughter than his boy. One can not be called a gentleman until he does not have respect for women. And when a girl is married her father-in-law ,and mother-in-law must treat her like their own daughter. Isolating the cover of sadness from the face of the wife should be the top most priority of a husband, because her father has handed over his kidney (even more beloved than that).
Men must consult their wives while making any decision in the family, letting her to take rest and preparing meals can be the most thoughtful gesture of a man. Educating her can have a revolutionising yield. Education of a woman is the education of a family, and change of a family is the betterment of a village, betterment of a village is the betterment of a society, and betterment of a society is the betterment of the whole valley. A week ago i was boarded in a SUMO, a mother along with her child were boarded beside me. Mother looked too simple, her child asked her hundreds of questions , all questions were creative. That mother kept on answering without feeling tired, she prouncated the English words so well, giving me the idea that she was a well educated woman. The way she smartly answers the creative questions of her child will surely have a much positive impact on the creativity of her child. And it is such a child who with the guidance of an educated mother becomes a great man in history, leaving his footprints forever in this creative world.
However, in the walk of women empowerment, women themselves have to walk an extra mile. Their education is their ornament, their scientific temperament, their creativity, their skills will take them to the place they deserve. Women also have a number of responsibilities, which they must ensure that they are concerned about. Their responsibilities include, not cooking, not washing clothes because that is the work of men. Their responsibilities include being a good daughter, making her parents feel proud, respecting her husband, her mother-in-law and father in-law , giving good education and guidance to her children is the top most responsibility of a woman. Moreover, mother’s must be aware about “Early Childhood Care and Education” an emerging sub-discipline of Education. Having basic knowledge of Child psychology, Child nutrition, child behaviours will surely help to ensure all round development of her child.

• The writer can be reached at arbazbomai90@gmail.com