SEETA

Seeta was her name who washed my utensils and swept my house.
Looking at her one felt something churning in ones stomach with grief,
at least I felt that way. How could Seeta be so simple so poor, so forthright,
that is what her image projected.In this “kaliyug”, you did not expect
any bai even if her name was Seeta to be so.Mrs. Pereira my ground
floor neighbor sent her. The first day she came in quietly and stood
before me, she stood as if she was waiting the ground to engulf her,
She portrayed a feeling as if she did not want the world to see her,
as if she was a non entity in this physical existence. Those eyes glued
to the ground, a little ill dressed ….that was a little surprising in
the existing scenario where bai as they are called are always
well dressed. She also lacked the jhatkas and matkas of the Indian -bai
After the initial introduction very matter-of factly, I told
her that she was supposed to do cleaning utensils, washing
clothes and swabbing floors. “How much salary do you expect
“Rs 450/ pat was the reply. “I will pay you 350/- I replied,
“Yes" she said.
And the bargain was fixed.
She hardly spoke, even when spoken to she answered in monos,
never uttering an extra word. I always wondered,
“How could a bai be so quiet”, she was so accurate in her work
that one could hardly find any faults. She had perfect entry and
exit timings and her work completed on the stroke. And I kept
on wondering “how could a bai be so….”One month passed and with
great respect and honor I gave her the monthly salary, I could
just see a flicker of smile on her face while expecting it.
Before I could confirm, her face was back to its original canvass.
that pitiable smile again stirred my heart but I was on the alert,
I would not fall prey to such emotions of pity and helpfulness,
I had had enough of my share of agonies with these bai and their tantrums.
Now the second month started with the same timetable and
excellence here I was in complete bliss finding a bai to
work so deligently.another 15 days or so passed and one
fine morning there was a knock on the door .I opened it
thinking it must be seeta. It was a small child of 5 yrs
informing me that seeta would not be coming to work. As
she was not well, I did not mind. Eight days passed by no
sight of seeta, .I wondered…....
Another eight days passed…. By now, I was fed-up with the
daily chores. I got restless and decided to make some
investigations. I inquired with two of her cousin sisters
who replied that she was not well .one day I decided to
confirm and came to the block in which her cottage was
situated. A boy of 15 yrs was sitting at the entrance. I
asked him if seeta was inside and that, I had come to meet her.
“oh madam “ he replied “don’t you go in she is not on her
senses what happened I asked fearing something dangerous…
nothing madam only that she is a drunkard and for the last 20 days,
day in and day out she has been drinking heavily…now at the moment
she is just not on her senses.
I was stunned and dazed I did not know what to say…
Life had taught me another small lesson….never judge people by appearances.
Sometimes I think and wonder …what must have been the experiences to make her so
Anyways you never know…
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ARUNA ASAF ALI

BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS POST LETS MAKE ONE POINT CLEAR ie
INFORMATION ABOUT WOMAN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FAME
IS COLLECTED THRO ALREADY ESTABLISHED
INFORMATION BANKS..... for this post a little information is
taken from wikipaedia.... the other post about simple lives and
other comments is entirely my creation.


The name “Aruna Asaf Ali” brings to our mind the Gowalia tank
incidence. Gowalia tank is situated in Bombay --the present Mumbai.

As a movement of the freedom struggle, it was decided to hoist the
congress flag at this maidan.Along with the other freedom fighter,
Aruna Asaf Ali was the first woman to hoist the flag.

Her child hood was spent mostly in Haryana.Born to upendranath ganguli and ambalika Devi. She educated to become a teacher and married a Muslim “Asaf Ali”. She being a Hindu this marriage too like Sarojini Naidu created a hue and a cry. Asaf Ali was a leaderin the congress party. After marriage, she too joined the congress party and became an active member.
She participated in the various Satyagraha and was sent to jail.In 1932 a prisoner in tihar jail, she protested the indifferent treatment to political prisioners; her efforts improved the condition of these prisoners. However, later she was subjected
to solitary confinement at ambala jail.
Later she is mainly remembered for her active participation in the quit India movement. At a very young age she presided,the meeting at gowalia tank and on august ninth hoisted the congress flag marking the opening of the quit India movement.

As per the following information from internet sources namely (wikipaedia)….
“An arrest warrant was issued in her name but she went underground to evade the arrest. Her property was seized and sold. In the meanwhile, she also edited Inquilab, a monthly magazine of the Congress Party; Leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan and Aruna Asaf Ali were described as "the Political children of Gandhi. The government announced a reward of Rs. 5,000/- for her capture. Mahatma Gandhi sent
her a hand-written note to come out of hiding and surrender herself – as her mission was accomplished and she could utilize the reward amount for the Harijan cause. However, she came out of hiding in 1946 after the warrant against her was withdrawn. She treasured the note from the Mahatma.
However, she also faced criticism from Gandhi for her support of the RIN Mutiny, a movement she saw as the single greatest unifying factor of Hindus and Muslims .
She was a member of the Congress Socialist Party. Disillusioned with the progress of Congress party on socialism she joined a new party, Socialist Party in 1948. She however left that party along with Edatata Narayanan and they visited Moscow
along with Rajani Palme Dutt. Both of them joined the CPI before Stalin's death. On domestic front, she was bereaved when Asaf Ali died in 1953. In 1954, she helped to form the National Federation of Indian Women, the women’s wing of CPI but left the party in 1956 following Khruschev's disowning of Stalin. In 1958, she was elected the first Mayor of Delhi.
She and Narayanan started Link publishing house and published a daily, Patriot and a weekly, Link the same year. In 1964, she rejoined the Congress Party but stopped taking part in active politics. Despite reservations about the emergency,she remained close to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in her lifetime.
Aruna Asaf Ali was awarded International Lenin Peace Prize for the year 1964. She was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 1997. In 1998, a stamp commemorating her was issued. Aruna Asaf Ali marg in New Delhi is named after her. All India Minorities Front distributes the Dr Aruna Asaf Ali Sadbhawana Award annually.”
Therefore, here is to the memory of another
great woman ….hats off to her ….



.

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The news was glaring me in the face.”Sena activists assault JJ professor, blacken face”
J.J. school of arts is a fine arts college situated near the CST station of Mumbai. This high profile newspaper had reported that this professor, as alleged by the students attacking him, misused his position as a teacher. He would often ask the woman students out so also if they refused he threatened to fail them.

This is a bad piece of news; if educated people in a very significant position as a college professor do this to students who are in a vulnerable position, then what should we think would be the state of teachers and students in far of remote villages, where it takes days to travel to nearest police stations.
This college is about five minutes walking distance from the police commissioner’s office. Why the woman students who blackened the faces of this professor did not take him to this police station and file a complaint?.

This act itself raises quite a few questions in the mind.
Did this student not have faith on the police personnel?
Did they think that they could take the law in their hands and get away with it?
One fully supports the cause of the public ire .the pain and insult to a woman when such an incidence happens is beyond any justification.
Then here one feels that the judgment is passed before hearing of the case.
Then also, there is an inclination that in such very hysterical rallies each member has her own earlier annoyance regarding the opposite party due to previous injustices. Then all that pent up anger is meted out at one single party.
Lastly, what if the professor is not so guilty. Was misunderstood giving out vibes like any other similar 33-year-old person (which presumably may not be the case in this incidence).

Whatever, all sympathies and understanding to all fellow woman,cause... One knows how a woman suffers when passes are made at her. How a man stares her down to the last tip and she has no proof to show this self-indignation. How people just hit on her and then grin and say “sorry”. How rude and insulting sexual remarks are made about her and that too behind her back and it is laughed at as silly jokes.
.
That 33-year-old professor whose face has been blackened and clothes are torn is a symbolic representative of all this suffering of a woman.
Such is life can’t help it…...happy blogging

Incidentally, a little humour has been added to this entire episode, the paper publishing this news has also submitted 5 pictures. How the professor was brought out his clothes torn, his face blackened . If only other reporters take, a lesson or two we would also have pictures of a murder being committed in a slow motion reel splashed across the paper. How funny isn’t it?..
also visit the other blog:
1)all about life and its values
2)there is a beautiful place called konkan in india read...
3)money money money