From the Pen of Lopa

For ages, the societies have been majorly ruled by men, and the books of history drip blood of women for the injustice done under the name of superstitions and beliefs. Buried alive or trampled underfoot for the sin of taking birth as a girl child, countless never saw the daylight. If survived, blamed for reasons like the practice of witchcraft and burnt alive, hung from the gallows or stabbed in the heart. Women have come a long way of living an oppressed life, and sadly, the story continues even today across different parts of the world without a change. Ironically, in the subcontinent of India, on one hand people worship goddesses and on the other, seize the reach of their daughters and wives to the basic human rights; gender equality is a far-fetched thing. Not everyone would bear such oppression and hence, women from across timelines have fought back to demand justice and take control over their human rights and equality, coining a new term, Feminism. People often ten...

We see ambassadors,   diplomats and expats from different countries working day in and day out, representing their respective countries in a different nation altogether. For all they do and act, they complete their official duties, but do they have any social duty towards the nation they are living in? A general wonderment would reflect answers towards ‘no’, while they are not a citizen to the country they are currently in During the last visit of our late President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to Athens, Greece in 2007, I was lucky enough to meet him in person and discuss about different issues persisting in the societies of India and Greece. I clearly remember his response, when I asked him about the social duties of an expatriate towards the nation they are currently living in. For the noble figure he was and loved for, he said: “It is your moral and social duty to give all of your efforts to bring a wave of changes in the country you are living in. This is the...

We were a family of 5 and both my parents work. I have two siblings as an elder sister and younger brother. I was 13 and all set to go to school wearing my school uniform and suddenly my mother who is a teacher herself and my elder sister came running and telling me not to go to school. I was surprised why would I not as I am already ready for school….then my sister like a secret mission asked me to come to the toilet and gave a piece of cloth and asked me to wear in a certain manner and I was all surprised thinking what all is happening why is she asking me do it …. She asked … I did… without been informed what is that and why I am asked to wear a cloth … why I didn’t got school that and the subsequent days after that… My sister asked to see the stains on my skirt and I didn’t even knew where it came from neither I have been told what and how and why all these blood in my cloth.. all I was told was to wear this cloth and sit in one place of my house after which both my mother a...

The Death of humanity: Rape   "She wasn't supposed to board the shared auto", "she shouldn't have stayed out so late", "she shouldn't have consumed alcohol", "she shouldn't have worn such clothes", "oh she was asking for it", "she shouldn't have taken that job", this is what people say after getting to know about rape cases. If this victim blaming wasn't enough, they have the courage to go another mile saying, "It's okay, such things happen" or "chow mein causes rapes". How lower would we fall? How cheaper would we go? There hasn’t been a day when there were no news about rapes in the papers. Every day, turn the pages and you will find more and more news about these soul-crushing and inhuman crimes, and yet we are okay with it, because these aren’t happening to us. Right? Hush, let's not talk about something so obnoxious! This is what people quote when this topic c...

There are times when you expect the least and receive the best of surprises. And sometimes such instances impact your life in a drastic manner, changing a lot about your perspective and you as a whole. Such an instance happened to me 3 years ago. It all started when I was asked by team members of an Implementing agency, with whom I coordinated for our ground work, to accompany them to the Jamia Nagar Police Station in Delhi. I was first surprised, a POLICE STATION? They asked me to look into a project which they were executing and which made me wonder, what exactly would I witness in a police station? Perhaps some women cell, where I would meet distressed women needing assistance. But to my utter surprise, it was something completely different. As I entered the premises of the Jamia Police Station, I saw a Public library by the name of Delhi Police Public Library. A big question struck my mind, why would a police station have something like a public library inside its premises?...

"I dreamt of flying, when the winds resisted. I dreamt to rise, while the quicksand tried to pull me in. I planned, I failed, I strived, I fell, but, I never stopped standing up again. It surely took some time to check mark my goals, but it still is a long way to cover, before I say that I won." Year 1976, a child takes birth in a well-educated upper middle class Oriya family, second girl child of that family. As per the society, she wouldn't get to study much, as she won't need it much and get married, being the only forced-fed goal for women of the society. She is given a name, ironically, inspired by an ancient female philosopher & scholar from the Southern India. A determined being, she carries her education breaking the shackles and stigmas of societies. She promises herself for offering the best of education to her, no matter what troubles she may face. If you are determined, you make your own ways and achieve, and sometimes, the stars help you...