The letter by Amithabh Bhachan to his grand daughters was a good read.. Nothing new or extraordinary though.. I fail to understand what the fuss is all about! Is this yet another hero worship factor playing here, just because it’s written by The Big B? I mean no disrespect to the man himself… Infact, i am a big fan of his acting and the energy he exudes even at the ripe old age of 75+. The manner in which he turned his career around after a huge slump and came back with a vengeance is commendable..) But that’s where my admiration ends. I refuse to hang on to every word that he or any other super star utters. Well, if it makes sense to me or the nation at large, then yes! Otherwise am sorry, I will but voice my thoughts on it. And today being teacher’s day, we must agree that every one we meet teaches us something in life! Sometimes it’s a random person’s words or actions that impacts us the most!!

Leaving that aside, ‘m just a bit curious about why ‘the length of the skirt’ portion is being highlighted in every other article and not the ‘log kya kahenge’ or anything else from the letter !

Aren’t we being superficial and concentrating on just the attire when there are so many other things that we should be addressing? When it was the Saree , the fight was for the salwar, when it became the salwar, the fight was for the jeans and then the short. Now the battle continues for shorter than short skirts and then what next? Trust me am not against or for a woman’s choice of dressing. I think we are putting ourselves up to being judged by looking for validation about what we should wear.

I will wear what I feel like on any given day and that is my choice and it’s not on the table for anybody’s approval or discussion. But I am also for dressing appropriately too! Just because I want to prove my freedom of dressing, (be it a man or a woman for that matter) turning up in a pair of shorts for work is totally a no-no! And when u choose to swim, let not the so called ‘ogling spectators’ make you squirm for wearing a nice swimsuit! Whatever u do, (as far as it has its certain amount of appropriateness) do it with confidence and style!

Shouldn’t the role of a woman and her due respect in society be the prime focus on this day and age? When that’s addressed holistically, what one wears or when one steps out of the house or other such trivialities become immaterial..

My humble opinion is we are still sticking to very superficial elements and trying to make the gender divide even larger than what it is.

Men and women are different and are made in a certain way where they benefit most when they learn to co-exist harmoniously, instead of just fighting over who is superior.

When one’s role extends their normal parameters, it’s how the rest of us facilitate and respect them, that matters.. It applies to both men and women. Don’t u think?

A small example of a widower raising a child single-handedly and doing homely duties is thought provoking in a society like ours.. He, who needs to be appreciated for taking on so many roles, is ridiculed by people of his own sex who think he is being too ‘womanly’ and ‘uncool’.

I know of a gentleman who took off from work for a few years (after his wife’s untimely death) to look after his children and when the appropriate time came for him to resume work, he did but he would be back home by 7pm, come what may. I am sure he was being bullied by a lot of his peers for having to rush home and not being a ‘Man’ and not staying back to party. But he did it nevertheless! And I will say he is more “manly” than many Men. And he would have had it a little more easier on himself if everyone around him had facilitated it.

The same applies to a woman juggling home and work and instead of being supported, understood and excused for her lack of time and energy for certain ‘womanly social calls’ is the subject for gossip among the so called ‘same sex supporters’. When a woman chooses to pursue a career, she needs to manage work, house and family and that is a Herculean task! And it definitely saps her energy. And when she should be supported by her extended family members by knowing her life’s demands, I find a lot of women folk bickering about how some (working) women don’t have time for certain things that most home-makers have. Not that a home-maker has it easy in any way.. But it’s just about setting priorities..

Interestingly in both these cases it’s the same sex that seems to put the other down. Each role that a person takes on has its priorities and that has to be respected by the people around!

Be it a man or a woman, his or her role and journey and their priorities must be facilitated by those around them and that in my humble opinion is the highest form of respect we can give to a human being!!

(The author is Jaishree S Santhosh, CEO, VLB College of Arts and Science)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own