100th Women's Day, who cares !

Again the 8th of March is here, yes, Women's Day. But this time  in its 100th edition. Like every year, achievements of  women will be acknowledged with gifts, accolades, flowers, hugs and love by their family members, friends, colleagues, societies and the like. However, will a saree-clad lady serving tea in a roadside stall ever care that there is a special day to celebrate her gender? Or for that matter, your own maid who daily comes to your house for cleaning and cooking will give a damn that there is a  day called Women's Day? I don't think so.

To prove if I am correct or not, I actually went on asking to these lot. First, I tested my maid early in the morning today.

Happy Women's Day didi, I wished her.

“He he he...kya bol rahi ho baaji (What are you saying elder sister? By the way, I have no clue why she also calls me elder sister) ?” giggling didi asked me.

Didi, today that is March 8, the whole world celebrates achievements of women in various forms and it's called Women's Day, I explained.

Anyway, how does it matter to me? It doesn't, she told me. I have to wake up early in the morning, then prepare lunch for my kids and husband then I go for work. I have to do a lot of work every day so it hardly matters which day is what and for whom it is celebrated for. In fact, I don't know if today is Sunday or Monday, forget about Women's Day, she said.

Oh my God, I felt I committed a sinful crime by wishing her. Seeing her reaction,  I didn't go further otherwise I would have to do all the cleaning in the evening.

After successfully testing my first case, I went to wish my second one.

Bhabhi, Happy Women's Day, I wished the lady who serves tea nearby my office.

Happy happy to you, she replied with a smiling face. Then asked me, is today some special day or what?

Yes, today is a special day for the world celebrates achievements of our gender, I explained the same thing to her as well. Won't you celebrate? I asked though I know what would be her reply.

Pat comes the reply, aarey madam, yeh toh bade log hi manate honge, hume kya. (Madam, this day must be celebrated by the elite class only, it doesn't have to do anything to us).

Exactly, celebrating Women's Day is an elitist approach. She's right, I second her.

Well, I would have been more than happy if I or for that matter all of us recognised the hard work these people do every day. It would have been great if the plight of women in some corner of north eastern India or in some village in Orissa or Bihar are brought to the notice of everyone rather celebrating so-called Women's Day.

In India, where there are women living sans proper food, shelter, clothes, women surviving below poverty line, when plight of women is so disheartening few kilometers away from the city, so for me it makes no sense to celebrate this day which is so elitist and self indulgent in nature.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog are that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of The Sunday Indian.)