Human Interest Features

This blog is created by the students of Journalism Course run by the Department of English, Goa University. The students are solely responsible for the content displayed below. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

The following features are based on women related issues.

FEATURE 1:

Her Power!

By

Ms. Tanvi Kamat Bambolkar

There is a measure in physics called “horse power”.  According to Google its “Horsepower (HP) is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts”. But recently I visited a young girl suffering from a serious disease in hospital and encountered what I term as "her power". 

The girl was pinched with all sorts of wires around her neck; she had been out of ICU just that morning. To my amazement, the girl was smiling, laughing actually and talking endlessly. Her mother narrated an incident where she was being taken inside the room even the doctors were shivering to start medications on her as the case was really serious but the doctors said that just because she did not scream and was smiling they were able to save her. That was “her power”. 

Women! She suffers, she gets hurt but something is there in her that allows her to smile and carry on with the life. There is a misconception among the men and also women that women are emotionally weaker and they tend to cry easily and quickly. Psychologically, this notion totally wrong. By crying she just vents out her emotions. She doesn’t hide it somewhere deep inside like men do. They try to show that they are strong and control their cry. But I have seen women in my life who have stood strong during the tough times of life. The reality of life is hidden somewhere in the cobwebs of our customs and traditions. Traditionally women are considered as weaker than men in the physical aspect  but women are stronger in emotional, psychological, social, intellectual and sexual aspects. Ask yourselves, when do guys ever try to express their emotions? Do women start smoking out of little stress? Actually women go through so many stressful events in life. Naturally their psychological health is better.  Women are “gossip queens” because they are socially strong. They survive because we talk and we express. It’s not that men do not express but they do it little. Of course I don’t need to talk about intellectual side of it as it is already known that most of the state rankers are girls and more girls pass in the board and university exams than boys.  Sexually, well, if I start I would repeat only what research has proven.

I guess my heart was too feministic this time. Yeah… the “her power” hidden in me do come out in such way sometimes. This doesn’t mean I intended to hurt men. I love men. All of them in my life but just wanted to say that don’t underestimate women. We are not weaker sex! When the time comes “her power” does arise and it would keep arising! Salute to the "her power"..! 

FEATURE 2:

 

Gender Bias: When Humans Take it Beyond Themselves

by 

Ms. Palia Gaonkar

Day by day, the number of abandoned animals increases fourfold. The moment they can walk on all fours and can see clearly through their novel eyes, they are termed fit to survive on their own and left at the gate of a stranger. They would probably be females. No. Obviously females. The owner cannot support too many of them. Replace the animals with a female human baby. There is not much difference in both the cases.

There are many situations where female counterparts of pets are given away or left at someone’s gate, or left at the market place, or left to die. Reasons may be myriad, genuine…justifiable?

Why should the females of most species undergo similar fate? Just because they bear female offspring or because being born a female in itself is a misfortune? Except the offspring of the animals considered as livestock, others find themselves on the roads. Always looking out for gains, the humans! It’s funny being born one.

With the snapping of string of compassion and reason, the world is free to commit any kind of wrong against any life in the world. By crying out till the throats bled, abortion, female foeticide, female infanticide, prenatal sex determination has been strictly prohibited, practice of which would lead to heavy punishments. Nevertheless, it goes on, illegally. “Every legal activity as an illegal counterpart in India,” he said as he shifted the gear, “The one that earns revenue for the government is legal, and whatever does not, is termed as illegal. But corruption works in both cases.” 

After birth she becomes a victim of molestation, rape, prostitution - a mere toy to be played with. They forget, though, that they have been born out of one such toy. 

Taking care of a female life is considered expensive. It requires special attention and a lot of sacrifice on the part of the guardian. But it is only so because they deserve it. Though conception of life may require both the partners, during the period of gestation it is only and only the female who is to be given the credit for the healthy growth of the child that belongs to both of them. She nurtures life. It is a blessing, a power. To have a life growing within oneself would be such a magical experience. And only the female of every species is fortunate enough to be blessed by this miracle. Why not then consider her gifted perpetually, and thank the almighty for being blessed by having her in one’s life? Or is it too extravagant for the ego?

The world has become entangled in so many illusions that basics of life have been forgotten. There is a need to peel off the thick cosmetic layer and realize our true identity as human beings, and not as a man or a woman. If life is viewed in plain and simple perspective, many differences would vanish and things would fall in place.