Skip to main content

MY ROLE MODEL- MY FEARLESS MOM by Chitralekha Kulkarni

MY ROLE MODEL- MY FEARLESS MOM
My mom, born in 1931 showed me the right direction, not just in words, but in action too. She got married in 1952, not a progressive society then. As was customary, when my dad came to ‘SEE HER’, she clearly stated that shewould not give even a penny as dowry; nor would she entertain any sudden jewelry or money demands right at the time of Saptapadi, which was a trend then. My dad proudly recounted this incident many a times.
As they say, History repeats itself. In 1992, my marriage was fixed. A month later, on one of my visits, my would-be F-I-L told me that ‘10-12 tola’ gold was an ordinary demand that my dad must fulfill. My role model inspired me and I straight away said, “NO, my parents will talk to you tomorrow.”
Next day, my dad and my brother went to meet the party. It resulted in a kind of bargaining, and my brother called it off and came back home. Few days later, I told my mom that I was going to return the sari that was gifted to me by them along with the boy’s ‘patrika’; why should we keep it with us! I rode my LUNA to return them.
As destiny would will it, it was ‘the boy’ who opened the door. Apparently, his friend had informed him about the cancellation of our marriage owing to the gold demand, and he came down from Mumbai to oppose it. We talked, and I took the sari back.
Finally, we got married. Had my mom not done it in 1952, I would not have repeated it in 1992. I do salute my dad and my husband for their stand.
I’m lucky to have a daughter, and I’m sure she would carry the legacy forward. If we need to put a stop to this practice, which actually is legally prohibited, it’s our generation which ought to be firm and pass on the values to the next generation.
Chitralekha Kulkarni
Faculty- English and Legal Studies
Choithram School, Manikbagh, Indore


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

CBSE Affiliation Open for the 2026-27 Session under SARAS 6.0

CBSE Affiliation Open for the 2026-27 Session under SARAS 6.0  TINA KHATRI The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officially opened the online application window for various categories of school affiliation for the 2026-27 academic session on Tuesday. Schools seeking affiliation across multiple categories can now submit their applications via the automated system, SARAS 6.0, which will remain open until June 30, 2025. Himanshu Gupta, CBSE secretary, urged schools to carefully follow the guidelines outlined in the SARAS Manual 6.0. He emphasized, "We strongly advise all applicant schools to carefully review the manual to ensure their applications meet the required standards." Key Requirements for Schools For existing schools, it is crucial that their OASIS data is accurately updated. No incorrect or misleading information should be submitted. Additionally, all schools are required to upload prescribed documents, including details of teachers and their qualifications, ...

Railway Station Redevelopment Plan: Capacity boost to handle 10,800 passengers/hour

Railway Station Redevelopment Plan Capacity boost to handle 10,800 passengers/hour In response to increasing demand and future growth, the Railway Department has proposed a comprehensive redevelopment plan for Indore Railway Station, aimed at expanding its capacity to handle 10,800 passengers per hour. The design of the new station is being developed with a focus on long-term sustainability, considering the city's projected needs over the next 50 years. The redevelopment aims to create a state-of-the-art facility that will not only accommodate growing passenger traffic but also enhance the overall travel experience. With 7,500 passengers currently traveling daily and 52 pairs of trains operating each day, the need for infrastructure upgrades has become critical. The proposed station will serve as a major hub for commuters and will play a key role in regional connectivity. The new design will include modernized passenger amenities, advanced traffic management systems, and better int...

Jharneshwar Mahadev in Madhya Pradesh: a nature escape from urban jungle

Life is too short, unpredictable and an adventure if lived to the fullest. Learning the essential value of life and deciding to seek adventures in life, several groups are now connecting to nature and seeking spiritual growth. Leading a group of adventure seekers to less-known wonders of Indore, Gyandeep Srivastava, administrator of Rides of Riders group unravelled a new getaway. The group went on a long ride exploring the rural areas of the city. In their bid to seek adventure, the group came across an ancient temple ‘Jharneshwar Mahadev’ which dazzles visitors with nature, beauty and wonder. The temple is situated in Shajapur, about 230 kilometres from Indore. The waterfall of Bhadooh (Jharneshwar Mahadev), a famous tourist place falling under the Quartak Panchayat, about 30 km from Manasa in Neemuch district. After monsoons, the waterfall attracts tourists from all over state to witness the 100 feet high waterfall. There were 25 riders in the adventure trip including female rider I...