The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
It was
about a month back that I was first approached by Shethepeople.tv to be a part of
their ‘Women in Leadership’ and #EveryWomanIsALeader Campaign. I hesitated to jump in, simply because
inspirational writing isn’t really my forte. But then, my thoughts turned to
some amazing women I have known, and have met, through the years. Here was an
opportunity to write about them. Besides, I rationalized, maybe the post would
help explain to some of you, why I do what I do, and who inspires me to! So,
here I go, trying something new, and hoping you will like it….
A leader is "a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal"
That is
possibly the simplest and all-encompassing definition of the word. The goal
could vary, but the quality to lead doesn’t. We think of leaders as those who
rule, or those who hold high positions, or those who run organizations. But the
woman who runs a home is no less a leader than any of them. She, in fact, has
more responsibilities on her shoulders than any professional. And it is these
women I look up to, the most, beginning with the women in my family.
My mother,
of course, tops the list. Her innate sense of leadership has drawn people to
her over the years, and in spite of all the problems she has faced, and the
disadvantages she has experienced, she manages to hold her own. The same goes
for a great aunt, a young widow, who lived for her family, but who, in every
sense, held the reins of the house tightly in her hand, almost till the very
end. She passed away recently at the age of 100, and my last memory of her is a
conversation about a month before her death, where she could barely see or
hear, but her intellect remained just as sharp. It was evident that though the
circumstances had changed, she still held the reins of the family!
And then, there
was another great aunt (I come from a huge family and have loads of great
uncles and aunts and am close to each one of them!). After losing her husband
and child, she chose to study and become a teacher, that too way back in the
1930s, when widows weren’t encouraged to leave the house. She passed away many
years back, but I remember her as a strong and independent woman, who led the
family so well, she was an inspiration to many!
Moving on
to the family I married into, today, when people talk of solo women travel, I can’t
help but think of my husband’s mother, as well as grandmother, both of whom
travelled alone all the time. They did not have the convenience we take for
granted these days. A journey to their village from Mumbai involved changing
trains multiple times, and sometimes, without even a reservation! And yet, they
managed the trip year after year, sometimes with their children in tow, and
almost always massive luggages that involved vessels, clothes, gifts and god
knows what else!!! They arranged marriages and orchestrated all sorts of
functions, managing the kitchen and the social life with equanimity, first learning
the ropes, then leading the way!
Then, there
are the women I have met on my journeys – the guide at the City Palace Jaipur,
who was the first female guide there, who had risen to the challenge after
losing her husband to a tragic accident, and who proudly told me how she had
fought for her place and won! A pair of women I met at Sirpur in Chhattisgarh
told me how they travelled together to all sorts of places, and then helped
others make the journey. Women I met in the hills were a lot more articulate
than the men. They lived under the toughest of conditions, and yet ran the
house with the meager earnings the men brought in. They led, not just their
families, but the entire village. I attended festivals which were organized and
run so well, by these same women, which would put event managers to shame!
What makes
these women leaders? They have all battled issues and circumstances, and yet,
these problems have only brought out their leadership qualities. For most of
them, the driving force is their family, and their burning desire that their
family should do well. They are willing to sacrifice anything and everything
for their family. The sacrifice however, hasn’t made martyrs of them. It has
only made them stronger, and more adept as leaders. They are the ones who pave
the way for the success of their family, and yet, almost none of them take
credit for this success. Does it lessen their leadership? I believe not, for
the best leader is the one who helps every single member of the team reach
their true potential. And that is just what these women do!
It is these women I seek to emulate, and as I sit
and write this post, recuperating from one trip, preparing for another, and planning
for more, while the kitchen beckons and the house cries out for attention, I thank these women for being a part of my life.
I
have been compensated for this post by SheThePeopleTV, but you can win an all-expense-paid
trip to an exciting destination, by participating in their contest. All you
have to do is pen down your thoughts on “Women in Leadership’, and submit it on
the site. To know more details, head out to their site and check the rules and regulations!
That was awesome post Anu! I know there are more such women in your life, I've heard their stories from you. And I can just salute them for what they were. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Nisha!!
DeleteGreat article Anu! It's hard to step out of your comfort zone, but you did a great job! It was great to read of the women who influenced you to be who you are today.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Anu. This is such a nice way to acknowledge and salute the women we take so much for granted in our lives. This is especially true of women who travelled solo, before it became the vogue that it is today.
ReplyDelete