Ladies Public toilet

What is the one issue which I will like to see implemented in India? This question was posted by a blogger group.I thought over it for some time and came to this idea of "Ladies Public toilet" as the one area which is deficient in modern India.One can always see on the highways when one travels by bus or train, village ladies getting up from relieving themselves.As my mother was diabetic i know her need for frequent urination and so the need for a Ladies urinal and various ways my father used to become a screen along with young me on the highways.Now when my only daughter being on heavy dose of anti/Psychotics, she also faces this problem and I am an expert in finding ladies Urinals at unlikeliest places in Bangalore.The Mushrooming malls around Bangalore are a great help but when I think of ordinary village women folk and others especially senior citizens suffering from diabetes or Prostate problem then the issue becomes one of public nuisance for other Citizens while it is a life and death issue for those sufferers. To solve this issue one has also to find water in and around highways and so water is a major issue of resource to solve this problem.When Indians do not have clean germ free drinking water throughout India, the question of ladies toilet takes back seat. As a village boy who grew up among the Temples of Tamilnadu, I wonder now how royal ladies of yore could control themselves as it is normally the custom for royals to worship along with commoners in Temples (No ticketed VIP darshan those days).We have a Temple pond called (Teppa kulam) in the center of almost every temple where everyone takes bath before going for worship which is a daily routine amongst Tamils in village.We young kids are not allowed to bathe in the pond and those who know swimming might have urinated in the pond itself.Most of the Temples in North are located on the banks of the river while Tamilnadu does not have so many rivers and so the Teppakulam is the answer for washing before worship. When i visited Hampi ruins recently I was fascinated to see a Toilet seat amongst the ruins (carved out of black stone) which is exhibited in the Hampi national museum.

I do not know where and at what location this was excavated but shows that at least royals had this type of toilet.In Bangalore infrastructure development means flyovers which are not normally used as most of the traffic goes by the side or below the flyover. Signal free corridor to Airport is the Manthra but none talks about Signal free corridor to Kempegowda Bus station or City Railway station or to even any major City Hospital. They talk about ambulances on Highways and so many new fascilities and I hope ladies Toilet for the Public also forms part of the thinking amongst the Indian Highway planners

In Awe of Pakistani Ladies

    
                  I think it was Kushwant Singh who said that whenever he went to Pakistan ladies colleges as guest lecturer he has to really search  for an ugly face while in Indian Girls’ colleges it is the other way around when one rarely saw a pretty face. This created a small furore at that time and being a Madrasi from south it was blasphemy; as for me every north Indian girl looked like apsaras in the streets of Delhi’s Karol bagh. Any how I have never met or interacted with a Pakistani lady except may be during 1971 war when I saw some East  Pakistani refugee women. Now when I comment, posted blogs in Pakistani spectator, I was also able to read some brilliant blogs,comments by Pakistani ladies.like Ghazala Khan(Blogs  herePakistani spectator), Amna Gilani ,Nazia,Maria ( also use the Pakspectator), Tazeen(http://tazeen-tazeen.blogspot.com)Noor hanif (blogs here http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/author/241/noor-hanif/),Mehreen Kasana (http://mehreenkasana.wordpress.com/) etc

One common thread I see in all of them is the COURAGE AND HONESTY in tackling issues
concerning Pakistan.
    The subject of Pakistani ladies cannot start without Mohtramma Benazir Bhutto.She knew all along that she will be the target of attack by the establishment but she had that one singular quality COURAGE which even today not exhibited by Military man General Musharaff or MQM chief Altaf Bhai. She could have easily gone back when she survived such a massive first attack but she believed in Pakistani people and almighty Allah and stayed on.
  Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, an American of Pakistani Origin neuro scientist, was convicted by a US Military court for the attempted assault and killing of U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Must have required lot of courage and ingenuity.
Pakistani  Christian lady Asia Bibi has shown rare guts inspite of Majority of Muslim ladies of her village bullying her at the water point and her profanity might have been blashphemical but did not hold back (http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Pakistan-Cleric-Offers-Reward-for-Killing-Christian-Woman--111315554.html
Mukhtaran Mai, the gangrape victim has shown her guts in spite of legal hassles .She blogs here (http://pakistaniat.com/2006/09/08/mukhtaran-mais-blog/)
MNA Marvi memon is another lady who has shown loyalty and boldness in sticking by her leader President Musharaff who is so unpopular now in Pakistan and also consistently anti-Indian
Sherry Rehman is the lady who started the trial baloon about changing the Blasphemy law(
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12991421)
Veena malik is another Pakistani lady who takes on the clerics with lot of courage and logic. in this must watch video.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnAmRa4NYw)
What we see here is the emergence of young new thinking Pakistani ladies who have to show much more courage than our Indian ladies just to survive and voice their opinions. They are doing it without fear and in their own way.All of them are fiercely Pakistani patriots but they are also eager to see TRUTH and explore.I only wish our youth in India interact with them instead of CIA agents from America who mask as Indians and foul mouth venom with Indian names and glorify anything Indian ..These ladies will respect Truth and Honesty from Indians therein lies future of Indo-Pakistan peace which is now held hostage by Pakistani Army and Civil Society fed on brain washed Mullahs. The Americans are desperately trying to win this constituency as their traditional supporters from Pakistani Army General HQ is no more that popular in Pakistan after they sold to Americans on the Raymond Davies affair.  Indians must also remember that there are 1200 females in Pakistan for 1000 males while due to our killing of girl child in womb we have a ratio of 850 females to 1000 males and so we lag behind Pakistan in this Human development Index. These young Pakistani ladies are the future mothers of Pakistan and all south Asians know what role these Mothers play in the life of their sons. So our educated youth should reach out to these Pakistani ladies with TRUTH and Honesty instead of that proud crap that we are functioning democracy, our growth rate is 10% and our software professionals are ruling Silicon valley etc etc.Therein lies peace in the sub continent of future.

 

Sudha Murthyof INFOSYS,the girl who wrote to JRD TATA

I want to post this as part II of my earlier post on SUDHA MURTHY of INFOSYS. Here it shows how lucky India is for producing ladies of this quality, guts and vision not only to select/leave a job but also select her man and also leave her husband the freedom to continue though she knew she is as good as him in the job.

Subject: THE GIRL WHO WROTE TO JRD

It was April 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmohars were blooming at
the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduate department and was
staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuing research in
different departments of Science.

I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computer
science. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US . I had
not thought of taking up a job in India .

One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I saw
an advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirement
notice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It stated
that the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with an
excellent academic background, etc.

At the bottom was a small line: "Lady Candidates need not apply."

I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up against
gender discrimination.

Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I had
done extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers.

Little did I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough
to be successful.

After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform the
topmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company was
perpetrating.

I got a postcard and started to write, but there was a problem: I did not
know who headed Telco I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata
was the head of the Tata Group;

I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, Sumant Moolgaokar was the
company's chairman then) I took the card, addressed it to JRD and started
writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote.

"The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who started
the basic infrastructure industries in India , such as iron and steel,
chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education in
India since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of the
Indian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprised
how a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."

I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I received
a telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Pune
facility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. My
hostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of cost
and buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap!

I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I
feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed
good enough to make the trip..

It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.
To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do in
Hubli, my hometown.

The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed, I went to Telco's
Pimpri office for the interview.There were six people on the panel and I
realized then that this was serious business.

"This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as I
entered the room. By then, I knew for sure that I would not get the job. The
realization abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while the
interview was being conducted.

Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so I
told them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview."

They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about my
attitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.

Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you know
why we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have never
employed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this is
a factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. We
appreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories.

I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.
I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, so
I answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever be
able to work in your factories."

Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So this
was what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take up
a job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became good
friends and we got married.

It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrowned
king of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet him
till I was transferred to Bombay . One day I had to show some reports to Mr
Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew a SM. I was in his office on the
first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD
walked in. That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" in
Gujarati. This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay House
called him.

I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introduced
me nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this young
woman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.

She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. I
was praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or the
postcard that preceded it).

Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls are
getting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?"

"When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am Sudha
Murthy.

"He smiled a kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As for me, I
almost ran out of the room.

After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman and
I was merely an engineer. There was nothing that we had in common. I was in
awe of him.

One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after office
hours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how to
react. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, I
realize JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident for
him, but not so for me.

"Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said,
"Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It is
getting dark and there's no one in the corridor. I'll wait with you till
your husband comes." I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD
waiting alongside made me extremely uncomfortable.

I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simple
white pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't any
air of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person.. He is a
chairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sake
of an ordinary employee."

Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tell
your husband never to make his wife wait again." In 1982 I had to resign
from my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have a
choice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up my
final settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. I
wanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped.

He saw me and paused. Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs
Kulkarni?" (That was the way he always addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving
Telco."

"Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting a
company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune."

"Oh! And what will you do when you are successful."

"Sir I don't know whether we will be successful."

"Never start with diffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence.
When you are successful you must give back to society. Society gives us so
much; we must reciprocate. I wish you all the best."

Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed like
a millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive.

Many years later I met Ratan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the
chair JRD once did. I told him of my many sweet memories of working with
Telco. Later, he wrote to me, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The
sad part is that he's not alive to see you today."

I consider JRD a great man; because despite being an extremely busy person,
he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must have
received thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, but
he didn't do that.

He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who had neither influence
nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. He did not merely
give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.

Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges are
girls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. I
see these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me what
I want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how the
company we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

My love and respect for the House of Tatas remains undiminished by the
passage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model for
his simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of his
employees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the same
vastness and magnificence.

(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the Infosys
Foundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosys
chairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)