Ah, the echoes of history! Back in 1848, Savitribai Phule and her husband Jyotiba Phule kicked off the nation's first girls' school in Poona. Fast forward 175 years to January 1, 2024, and voila – the debut of the Sainik School for girls at Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. A leap for womankind, you might say, from quills to rifles. In this grand spectacle of progress, women now strut towards military leadership like runway models. Chief of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, or the Indian Navy – take your pick, ladies! Few countries can boast such lofty aspirations for their femmes, given the hurdles of society, politics, and pesky laws.
Post-Republic Day, adult franchise became the norm, making India a trendsetter. No more suffragette struggles here! Today, women conquer every sector, proving they're equals, if not superior, to their male counterparts. But, reality check – women still juggle challenges, despite the Constitution's equality gospel. They dance through hoops to prove themselves, while men get a free pass on capability assumptions. GDP contribution? Often overlooked. The unsung heroines toiling at home or aiding their men in the fields – invisible feats.
Enter the paradox: women-friendly laws coexist with insecurity, vividly illustrated by the tragic tale of a 13-year-old in Mumbai, raped and impregnated by her own cousins. In a land where women are revered like deities, they yearn for a level-playing field, not a pedestal. No props needed – just equal opportunities to shine on their own terms. The goddesses demand more than worship; they want a shot at the throne without the drama. Let the women rule, or at least let them have a fair fight! And to quote Tagore, “...into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
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