Is it in the Name? They say its all in the name but is it?
Yes if you go by what’s happening these days in our country. The current scene of riots and the news doing rounds on every news channel reminds me of a strange encounter with a girl sitting next to me in bus enroute Muzzafarnagar to Dehradun. I had travelled to Doon a lot of times alone with ease but this time it was different as I did not find a reservation in AC train or the so called Deluxe bus. I was more than excited to wait any longer to reach home so I boarded the NORMAL bus. And just to avoid any embarrassing or unsafe thing I sat next to a girl. She looked like really pretty without a dash of makeup. She was wearing a simple salwar kameez, and was engrossed in some petty chore of fixing her mobile. May be her phone was out of charge, I asked her if she needed my charger but then I remembered the local bus would not have a charging slot, So she used my phone to call on a number. Well I had helped her and in return got a wonderful smile. I had a nice conversation with her and she told me her name was Veena, she lived in some place near Muzzafarnagar. was first time traveling alone. I had a great chat with her about various things. She was quite a pro in economics and gave me some amazing tips to manage my funds. She looked amazingly informed about world politics, was listening to some classic English country music and was also dwindling with her iPad. As the bus was passing against the temples, I as my customary gesture was praying or folding hands in every temple, the Peer baba ki mazaars or gurudwaras PASSING BY. She noticed me closely, and then I told her about my faith in god. Also I narrated my favorite tales of Hanumanji eating sun, and even the mantras of my school. She was smiling and even joined me in some of the narrations as if she has also read Ramayana and Hanuman Chalisa. When the bus entered the Khatauli area she slightly reached her bag and took out a black piece of cloth, opened it and wore it over her dress. It was a burqa! I was little taken aback, such a progressive girl wearing a burqa. She smiled at me and said she was Veena Sheikh. I smiled back!!! Suddenly I was like sympathetic to her, dwelling on my perception that the veiled girls are victims of severe conservatism. But what she said was worth admiring… She said-“I am not restrained or forced to wear a veil but it gels with the sentiments of the place I belong to. My Abba and Ammi, did so much for me so cant I wear what they like”. Her voice and words exuded confidence what I had never even seen on the most advanced and westernized women also. I loved her logic- Wearing a veil doesn’t mean my mindset and outlook is veiled. Stereotyping doesn’t help. Its time opinions are not restricted to the attire a person wears or the language one speaks. “ I still remember her and would always do. A woman should not be oppressed and what she wears is her call, veil, burqa or jeans, skirts if she can carry it, she can wear it. Also I do not feel being from one religion restrains us from admiring or even having faith in other. My devotion is in god and I know god is one, So I pray to Hanumanji, go to Mazars, light candles in church and find solace in Gurdwaras. And luckily every god bestows me. To them it does not matter if I am Neha Agarwal, Neha Khan, Neha Kaur or Neha Fredrick. We youngsters have come a long way beyond the shackles of the blind religion. We love our religion but are ready to move beyond the classification of people based on their last names. I belong to a world, fortunately where Radhika, Rachael, Ravinder Kaur and Rubina sit together and talk about their boyfriends, crushes and fashion choices sharing a same cup cake. So, its just time, the creepy politicians and the extremist stop diving people. And Education is the only way through which we all can be sane enough to understand what is true and what’s a trap.
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AuthorI am an enthusiast writer who believes words are the most beautiful way to express thoughts. I love writing on anything that touches my heart... A technical documentation specialist by profession, I earn and learn by jostling with words... Archives
July 2014
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