A large notice board in front of a marriage hall on OMR with the photo of a young girl. She'd be barely 12 or 13. Slightly plump, with an innocuously round face. Bejewelled, and wearing flowers, in a pattu pavadai - green and gold in colour. The notice board reads : "Manjal Neeratu" for the girl; with a welcome note from her parents and other folks. Another board besides the board with the welcome note stands tall with a childhood picture of the young girl posing with her parents.
At the first instance, I mistook the event for a marriage reception. As a matter of fact, any sane person would have, for such was the grandeur of the event - with people flocking into the 'marriage hall' for the 'manjal neeratu' at 7.30 pm. Not to forget the amount of electricity that was being used up - lights stretching for at least about a 100 meters on the road (public service?)!
The girl or should I say kid, am sure would be oblivious about the whole drama happening around her. So much for having bled for the first time? By all means attaining puberty is a sign of life beginning to brim with all its fullness; albeit it is best when kept indoors without letting the whole world know about it.
A regressive sight to have seen on the so called IT Express Highway of Chennai. On the one hand, we have women walking with their chest held high on the IT corridors and on the other, we have a bunch of insensible people announcing the attainment of puberty. What kind of women empowerment are we talking about? As long as there are uneducated people, such things will go on, regardless. Encourage education, which will in turn lead to empowerment - be it male or female.
At the first instance, I mistook the event for a marriage reception. As a matter of fact, any sane person would have, for such was the grandeur of the event - with people flocking into the 'marriage hall' for the 'manjal neeratu' at 7.30 pm. Not to forget the amount of electricity that was being used up - lights stretching for at least about a 100 meters on the road (public service?)!
The girl or should I say kid, am sure would be oblivious about the whole drama happening around her. So much for having bled for the first time? By all means attaining puberty is a sign of life beginning to brim with all its fullness; albeit it is best when kept indoors without letting the whole world know about it.
A regressive sight to have seen on the so called IT Express Highway of Chennai. On the one hand, we have women walking with their chest held high on the IT corridors and on the other, we have a bunch of insensible people announcing the attainment of puberty. What kind of women empowerment are we talking about? As long as there are uneducated people, such things will go on, regardless. Encourage education, which will in turn lead to empowerment - be it male or female.
