The boldest articulation I have read of what it means to be a woman in India

Read this powerful lead story in the college newspaper by Commitscion Devika Premlal (Class of 2015) here.

• This comment, from John Thomas of the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), was sent by e-mail to Tia Raina (Class of 2015), editor of The Chronicle:

I read the cover story in your magazine's latest issue. As a man, every time I read about incidents [such as the ones described by Devika Premlal], I squirm. I think what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on I-Day is so true and so important. Parents (especially mothers, but sisters as well) must raise their sons (and brothers) to respect women and send out the message that complaints from girls about misbehaviour will be taken very seriously.

MORE COMMENTS:

• From Commitscion Nishal Lama (Class of 2009), Bangalore: Brilliant article. I can't agree more with Devika and what it really means to be a woman in India today. And the problem, I think, is deep-rooted within our society. I am hopeful that the coming generation will see things in a different perspective. 

• From Commitscion Monish Debnath (Class of 2008), Mumbai: Such a powerful article. Shaken up at the sheer audacity these men have; shame is the only word I can think of. Brilliant writing.

• From senior journalist Kokila Jacob, Dubai: Well-written and, yes, powerful. She has articulated the experience of EVERY Indian woman. Sadly her starting sentence is so true. Nothing will change. Not as long as parents still yearn for sons and then, when they get them, they go on to spoil them rotten.

• From senior journalist and editor of Khaleej Times, Dubai, Patrick Michael: Just three words come to mind after reading this powerful piece: Bold, frank, and fearless. Words come easy but only Devika will know the hurt, the pain and the frustration she went through when she decided to write this story. Shocking? No. A revelation? No. Will it trigger a change in the way men treat women as mere commodities? No. But it had to be said. And we need more Devikas. Women hold up half the sky and yet men won't admit it. Ever. Our egos will not allow it. Carry on, Devika. Don't let men influence who you want to be. More power to your pen.

• From Commitscion Nilofer D'Souza (Class of 2009), Bangalore: Okay, I must admit, when I saw this link, I thought to myself, "Here goes Ramesh Sir, encouraging another new kid on the block..." But, then, I read the piece, and I agree wholeheartedly with what Ramesh Sir says. A raw first-person account, which is appreciated.

• From Commitscion Arathi Krishnan (Class of 2007), Dubai: Brilliant!

• From Commitscion Ria Dutta (Class of 2016), Bangalore: This article is indeed very bold and very true... I can relate to it as I have encountered similar situations growing up. Hats off to Devika Premlal for being able to write this. Truly very impressive.

• From homemaker and mother of two young girls Vidya Nayak, Bangalore: Hats off to Devika for putting into words what, I feel, all women in India go through at different times in life. Except for our mother or, in extreme cases, our father, no one talked about it. We were asked to avoid the road, so what if it was the shortest way home....  I am proud to know a girl today is able to talk about it. I fully empathise with Devika. The only way ahead, I feel, is to teach girls, like I have taught mine, that they are not responsible for the weirdo's behaviour. He is wrong. Period. Evasive tactics need to be taught. Also to scream. At the end of all this is a mother who worries every time her child goes out with friends. Till she sees her child again. Where is the age of innocence? Are only boys entitled to it?

• From Commitscion Ankita Sengupta (Class of 2013), Mumbai: Wow! Even though I am not acquainted with Devika, I feel so proud of her. She may be right in stating that irrespective of what we say, nothing will change, but to stand up and narrate such personal incidents deserves applause. Things may never change but thanks to bravehearts like her, more women will learn to speak up for themselves. Kudos to her!

ALSO READ: Gutsy Commits student Ankita Sengupta's story in Bangalore Mirror — an inspiration to women everywhere.

What happens when a crusty old journalism teacher takes on Gen-Y?

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ THIS STORY ON THE COMMITS WEBSITE.

The reactions came in almost as soon as people received the link via e-mail.

Here's what my 60-year-old brother-in-law, Praful Patel, who lives in England, had to say:

Hi Ramesh,

I can empathise with Gen-Y, so do agree with most of their comments.

The one that I would disagree with is the traffic behaviour. They do have  a choice of setting out earlier so that they can minimise risk to themselves along the way.  Yes — everyone is young once — but we all want to be able to look back and say that! 

***

And here's the response of a twentysomething management professional, Ankita Maurya, who lives in the U.S. (she is the daughter of a good friend):

You sure are tough on them! Millenials/Gen-Y are getting a really bad rap these days... in the US and in India, too, by the looks of it... a lot of the criticisms are true... but I just think our priorities are shifting... we have seen our parents go through the grind... we are now trying to figure out how to not do that and work smarter!

• Ankita also shared this link to a YouTube video:  

***

My 14-year-old nephew, Vinay Pai, with whom I play squash, echoed Ankita's sentiments. "Your accusations are too harsh," he told me. :-)

***

And senior media professional Pratibha Umashankar had this to say:

Absorbing read! Insightful, too!

***

AND THE COMMENTS KEPT COMING:

Hi Ramesh!

Well, you succeed in holding the interest of youngsters, which is fantastic!

About Point #1, the Internet has loads of stuff by people who mistakenly think they are journalists, and then you have impressionable minds (can’t generalise, though, because there are also the discerning), who take almost everything that’s published there as gospel. Sifting through is an important skill, but what is the baseline? Also, the Internet is filled with a mish-mash of opinion that is passed off as news.

B Surendar

Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

CPI Industry, Dubai

***

Great comebacks, except for No 13. Guilty as charged! Love your students.

I just might steal this idea; in fact, I am wondering if I can actually do that and give Commits the credit. Let me know. If yes, you will have to send the text in Word format.

Patrick Michael, Editor, Khaleej Times, Dubai

• AND ON SEPTEMBER 14 THE CHRONICLE COVER STORY WAS REPRODUCED IN KHALEEJ TIMES ON PAGE 12: 

***

I love it!! Both sides have made their point well. But I love the comeback in No. 4!!!! :))

Nadia Michael (Patrick Michael’s older daughter,

who also lives in Dubai)

***

Loved this! I'm a fan of # 1...!

Nastassia Michael (Patrick Michael’s younger daughter,

who lives in Toronto, Canada)

***

Hi Ramesh,

Fun feature! Who asked us to score higher than Lakshmi aunty's daughter, indeed! However, in solidarity with people of a certain age, I never asked my kids to match the scores of other kids so long as they were achieving their potential and I don't know any crusty journalism teacher. Do you??

Shagorika Easwar

Editor

Desi News

Canada's #1 South Asian Magazine

17th Well-Read Year

CanadaBound Immigrant

New Vision For Newcomers

***

Thanks! Interesting read. The Gen-Y answers do come across as a bit rude and cynical. I wonder if it's the Buddha himself because he or she seems to have understood everything of the human condition and world matters, not just of what relates to this generation, but even the previous ones. And not even one instance of "You're right, and I agree, and this is what we can do to co-operate to achieve betterment together." Which is a bit sad.

There is some cynical anger there, which is fine I guess. It does define this generation. Including me, as you can read ;)

Arjun Chauhan, a twentysomething TV

production professional who lives in Mumbai

***

COMMITS ALUMNI ALSO WEIGHED IN (NOT ALL COMMENTS WERE COMPLIMENTARY, THOUGH):

• From Shreya Dutt (Class of 2010)

Reading The Chronicle cover story I couldn't help but smile. It reminded me of how I used to think even a couple of years ago. But as you evolve in your career and your personal life you learn to distinguish between the idealist answer and what really works for you.

What struck me was the career-goal bit. You will be stretched at work, you will be pushed against the wall sometimes, and you will want to be in a position when you listened even half-heartedly to those who have more years to you on possible situations you will encounter along the way.

If you are to deliver a presentation at the end of the day, your boss will not be interested to know about all the ad hoc work you were given through the day. If you have a wide range of projects that don't hold your interest, complete those projects anyway. You never know when you will need to step up to do that same job you absolutely detested in college. And I assure you there will be many times like that.

The workplace of today is evolving at a rapid rate. Though there is value for people who have defined skill-sets, there is greater value for people who are equipped with multiple skills. If you want to be a copywriter, you should know how print, television, social media, and digital media function. This is applicable to all disciplines in media.

As for sucking it up, I groaned every time I heard the phrase. I groan even today. Only difference is, I know that it is a reality that isn't nice, but, a reality nonetheless. The world doesn't stop if you're unwell, or if you have suffered a personal tragedy. Neither does business.

And as for advice, I am all for learning the hard way, but a little flag-off from time to time never hurt. :)

*** 

• From Sushmita Chatterjee (Class of 2008)

Hahahaha...wow! I loved this. Great going, Ramesh Sir. :)

***

• From Tapasya Mitra Mazumder (Class of 2013)

I am wondering, how did you let that pass under your nose?

The copy's rudeness is quite appalling, but I'm sure your "accusations" won't change a bit in spite of all that rudeness.

What's the point then, may I ask?

***

• From Noyon Jyoti Parasara (Class of 2007)

Fun read, but I am not sure if I would have accepted this as the lead of The Chronicle.

This could be in another designated section. No?

About the answers to your accusations... the cycle goes on. Not all accusations are correct, neither are all answers!

***

• From Sherry-Mary Jacob (Class of 2007)

Wow! What a way to lighten my Tuesday brain. I have saved the link in my drafts folder. The next time my dad lashes out at us with his favourite emotional dialogue, I know where to fetch my answers from. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it, Ramesh Sir. :)

Thanks!

***

• Faye D'Souza (Class of 2004) shared a link to a Huffington Post article on my Facebook wall with this comment: "This answers a lot of the questions you've been asking."

After reading the piece, I commented on Facebook:

I was especially struck by the soundness of this comment:

"Gen Y has 'unrealistic expectations and a strong resistance toward accepting negative feedback,' and 'an inflated view of oneself.'

"[Paul Harvey, a University of New Hampshire professor] says that 'a great source of frustration for people with a strong sense of entitlement is unmet expectations. They often feel entitled to a level of respect and rewards that aren't in line with their actual ability and effort levels, and so they might not get the level of respect and rewards they are expecting."

And I also wrote that I agree 100% with the advice provided at the end of the article: 

1) Stay wildly ambitious. The current world is bubbling with opportunity for an ambitious person to find flowery, fulfilling success. The specific direction may be unclear, but it'll work itself out — just dive in somewhere. 

2) Stop thinking that you're special. The fact is, right now, you're not special. You're another completely inexperienced young person who doesn't have all that much to offer yet. You can become special by working really hard for a long time.

3) Ignore everyone else. Other people's grass seeming greener is no new concept, but in today's image crafting world, other people's grass looks like a glorious meadow. The truth is that everyone else is just as indecisive, self-doubting, and frustrated as you are, and if you just do your thing, you'll never have any reason to envy others. 

Afterwards, I wrote to some young people I know, asking them if they thought that this advice is helpful for those who are about to begin a career.

Here is the response I received from Ankita Maurya's younger sister, Shweta, who is a college student in the U.S.:

Ankita and I were just talking about this article a few days ago! I think the first two points are meaningful to me. Just because reality does not meet my expectations doesn't mean I should lessen my ambitions — I still want to aim high!

But the reality of not being as special as we think is important — I know that my friends and I have left school with inflated images of how unique each of us are. It's not just that we think we are unique, but we think that we can skip hard work and immediately obtain our dreams once the world learns about our uniqueness — as if these things will be handed to us because we are as special as we believe.

The second point is a good reminder that we must still earn our place in the world and at work and leads back to the first point: stay ambitious.

And there were comments by Commits students, too.

• From Sneha K. (Class of 2014)

That was some pretty awesome advice! Especially, "to dive in somewhere."
Just what I needed to hear today!

Thank you. As always. :)

• From Diyotima Sinha Roy (Class of 2014)

I agree with the second point. You are not special; you have to work and gain experience to be special! :)

A college newspaper professional journalists will be proud of

The second issue of The Chronicle, produced by the First Year students of Commits, arrived on the evening of October 16 — and what a brilliant issue it is!

Congratulations are in order to all who made such a HUGE effort to ensure there's something for every reader on every page. This eight-page issue (with a two-page "Commits Chronicle" section) not only looks good but also "reads good".

The First Years have raised the bar — again!

Three cheers — and two thumbs up — for the co-editors, writers, layout artists, photographers, illustrators, proofreaders... and everyone else who provided moral support and encouragement.

Hip-hip-hurray!

And now to take a closer look at the newspaper:

ON PAGE 1 (see below)
1. A must-read inspirational lead story by Second Year AVC student ANKITA SENGUPTA, an inspiration to women everywhere. I salute her courage in doing what she did and then agreeing to write about it. (I want to add here that her interview with Lesle Lewis in the previous issue of The Chronicle was something a professional journalist would have been proud of.)

2. A gutsy and thought-provoking piece by NATASHA REGO on "18 Again" and other so-called "woman empowerment" products.

3. SONAKSHI NANDY's personal take on sharing her Facebook password with her mother.



ON PAGE 2 (see below)
An unusual heart-felt feature by NINNITA SAHA on the advantages — and disadvantages — of being an only child. Plus, two stories continued from the front page.

ON PAGE 3 (see below)
Four intelligently written articles that combine wit, irony, and sarcasm. And the topic? Men and women and the gender wars. And the writers? ABHILASH PAUL, ANJALI SURESH, SONAKSHI NANDY, and RAJARSHI BHATTACHARJEE. And the accompanying illustration, which is the best I have had the privilege to publish in the college newspaper EVER, is by SNEHA SUKUMAR.

ON PAGES 4-5 (see below)
1. A report by ANKITA MITRA on the exciting quiz conducted at Commits by senior media professional and veteran quiz master Pratibha Umashankar.

2. The three co-editors — MAITREYA J.A., NATASHA REGO, and SONAKSHI NANDY — share their experience of working on their first issue of The Chronicle.

3. "Notable & Quotable" — interesting highlights of events and happenings, at Commits and in the lives of Commitscions.

ON PAGE 6 (see below)
1. "Aftertaste convinces you that power can blind any human being. Even a mother." POORVI KOTHARI reviews Namita Devidayal's best-selling novel.

2. Manga fan(atic) SAUMYA IYER gives us the lowdown on the Japanese comics that have gained popularity the world over.

3. RAJARSHI BHATTACHARJEE reviews How Will You Measure Your Life?, a book that will help you to "understand what counts".

4. The editors pick the books they love — and the books they don't. (They know how to stoke a controversy, don't they?)

ON PAGE 7 (see below)
1. Think seriously about playing Scrabble on Facebook and doing something useful on the social networking site — for a change. That's good advice from MAITREYA J.A., who elaborates on this theme in the lead piece.

2. The always popular "Horror-scope", written in limerick form this time by LEANNE PAIS and SAUMYA IYER. Read the dire "predictions" to understand why this column is called "Horror-scope".

3. Check out the Clueword, put together by MAITREYA J.A. — give your grey cells a light work-out.

ON PAGE 8 (see below)
1. Yes, girls love playing video games. And they love blowing up things, too, ANKITA BHATTACHARJEE and RISA MONICA KHARMUTEE tell us.

2. A first-hand report by SWATI GARG and LYNSIA PATRAO on why playing Laser Tag is "a lot of fun".

• YOU CAN ALSO READ THE CHRONICLE ON THE COMMITS WEBSITE HERE.

Now, back to ANKITA SENGUPTA's incredible Page 1 story and the many encouraging comments that have been pouring in. Here are a few of them:

Commitscion NEHA MEHTA KOTHARI (Class of 2010): Read Ankita's story and I must say hats off! Girls like her should be a big deterrent to those who misbehave with women. I'm so proud we have people like Ankita around. I hope all the Commitscions will take some inspiration from her and teach the "over-smart" guys a lesson.

VENKATESH BALIGA (Software professional): WOW! Very Happy to know that JHANSI KI RANI still exists.

SANJAY BHATT (Seattle Times journalist): Wow. She showed some guts to stand up to this and even more to share her story with the public. Thanks for sharing.

Commitscion MONIKA KHANGEMBAM (Class of 2012),  posted on Ankita Sengupta's Facebook wall: Sweetie, I just read your piece in The Chronicle and I must tell you I am so proud of you! What you did was exceptionally brave and trust me many of us cannot muster that courage. Be brave, strong and smart, as always. All the best. :)

SHAGORIKA EASWAR (Senior journalist and editor of two Toronto-based magazines): Oh, wow! Good for Ankita! There aren't too many young girls/women who would dare do what she did — for the reaction she provoked is all too common. The victim is made to feel dirty. We have all heard/read of the revictimisation that goes on and the initial reaction of the bystanders and cops sent shivers down my spine. But the spunky kid stood up to them all alone at that. It's easier to feel brave with a back-up. Give her a big high five from me!

CHANDRAN IYER (Senior journalist, former editor of Mid Day, Pune): Wonderful. India needs more such women.

SPUNK AND BITE: ANKITA SENGUPTA

MARIANNE DE NAZARETH (Senior journalist and Commits guest faculty): Good for you, girl! More power to your pen and to your empowering of women who would normally have backed off and kept quiet.

ASHISH SEN (Communications professional, theatre personality, and Commits guest faculty): Congratulations, Ankita! This IS inspiring. 

VASANTHI HARIPRAKASH (Independent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and media trainer): Damn good one! Here is a promising journo.

AMIT NAIK (Pharma professional): Atta Girl!

JESSU JOHN (Communications executive): Yes, atta girl. Very proud of you.

VIDYA NAYAK (Homemaker): God bless you Ankita. You have made all women proud!

Commitscion ANKITA BHATTACHERJEE (Class of 2014): This is one awe-inspiring article!

Commitscion ARPAN BHATTACHARYYA (Class of 2010): Good on you, Ankita. And I'm glad you didn't leave all the reprimanding to the police. A nail is a small price to pay.

RAJEEV GUPTE (Merchant navy captain): A girl full of guts and grit.

MAIMUNA MOTAFRAM (Homemaker):  Am so proud of Ankita. May other girls learn to emulate her in similar circumstances and stand up to such reprehensible behaviour with the same courage and guts.

• Along with pursuing her Master's at Commits, Ankita Sengupta has been working as a freelance journalist with Deccan Herald. Like the good professional she is, Ankita knows she has to deliver the goods; if her commissioning editor wants her to write about fashion trends, then that is what she will write about. So last month, Ankita turned in a piece about shrugs. This month, Deccan Herald published her feature on jeans; and she has just submitted, at the commissioning editor's request, an in-depth piece on how women can get ready for work in a jiffy. At the same time, she is hoping to publish her story about dragging the molester to the police in Tehelka's "Personal Histories" section. We wish you all success, Ankita!