A local politician's birthday prompted him to
invite children from various schools at his place for celebration. A
few guys from media also were invited as a strategic step to show
Netaji's love for the kids of the nation. I decided to prompt Netaji
on this occasion to know his views on #ShareTheLoad and let the
representatives of Gen Next present there understand it. It was all
unplanned. Netaji didn't know what I had in mind. Neither did anybody
else have a hint about it.
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| Photo via Visualhunt |
The kids between the age 7-15 were assembled well
in time at his premise. The setup was made outside lawns of his huge
bungalow. A big pandal and a lot of chairs were organized on one side
of the lawns. Another side had catering arrangements. The agenda was
cake cutting by the birthday boy (Netaji), a short speech by him
addressing children on how to build the country and what all is there
in store for them to explore in future. After that there was a small
session for media queries and then snacks and food for the children
before they were to disperse for their respective places.
After the cake cutting ceremony, Netaji started
addressing the children about his party's good work being done for
the country in general, and children in specific. He shouldered a big
responsibility on children as they were the next in queue to take
onus of building the nation. He stressed on adopting good things from
all across the globe and bring those into practice. After he closed
his speech, questions from children and media were invited. Prompted
by me, a kid sitting next to me raised his hand and asked the
question I had injected into his ears. “Sir, Many happy returns of
the day. I want to know what steps and direction should we as the
younger generation take to curb gender prejudices?”, he asked
Netaji.
“I am very impressed by the question you have
asked and am happy that you raised this concern that everyone of us
has been living with for so many years.” He replied with a smile on
his face. “But the time has come that you children will have to
take a lead and set an example at your home to kill this virus that
has been haunting us for so many years.” He called the kid on
stage. “Let me give you an example of what I do in this regard, and
then you all can decide to take it further in your own way. My only
request is not to stop your journey in between till we all are able
to achieve #ShareTheLoad in the whole country.”
He invited one of his housemaids on stage. “Meet
Kantabai. She has been working at my place since I was in school.
When I was a kid like you all, I used to see her working so hard at
our place. Then she would go to her quarter adjacent to our bungalow
to do all her house chores. I found that her husband neither was
having any job, nor was he helping his wife in any of their house
chores. One day when he came to our place to inform that Kantabai was
unwell and hence would not be able to come, I went along with him to
their quarter. Kantabai was not in a good shape and hence I promised
her to do their house chores that day. In the beginning her husband
was just sitting and watching me but gradually somehow he felt
something inside and started helping me. After sometime he told me to
leave rest of the things that he would finish.”
“That day brought a big change in Kantabai's
life as everyday when she would reach her quarter after finishing her
job, she would find Rajaram, her husband busy in finishing house
chore. He took the complete responsibility of all house chores.”
Netaji was overwhelmed and so was everyone present there. “What are
your takeaways from this story?” He asked children. And almost
everyone was eager to reply. “I would request my parents not to
differentiate between my sister and me and would ensure I don't get
any extra advantage for being a boy.” One of them replied. And
almost everyone had a similar kind of reply.
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| Photo credit: Saarblitz via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA |
I was sure, the flame is lit in every heart and
would definitely light every house these kids have come from to
finish the age old conventions of woman only being a perfect
homemaker even when she has stepped out to share the financial load
with man. Now men will not feel ashamed in #SharingTheLoad and even
if some of them do, the children will not let them, now. One thing is
clear, every Netaji is not fake. There are few with great leadership
qualities to set an example for others. I hope every child will
become a true leader in this regard for his parents, peers, family,
friends, and whosoever comes in their life.
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