This is sort of a continuation of my earlier post about my dislike to a caste based comment on the Tamil Talk show, Neeya Naana on the Star Vijay channel (read A Beautiful Girl, a Disgusting Comment). On that, I had ranted on how disgusting and offensive I found that comment made by that beautiful girl to be. While what that girl said was not becoming of decent human behavior, there was another young woman who drew my respect and admiration.
In a land where, in spite of its 'great progress', flouting tradition and custom is shunned like the plague, black, even when it is a matter of personal like/dislike and which does not have a bearing on any one or any thing else. And the few who dare to go ahead and do it anyway are treated as if they have the plague by a rather sizable section of this 'Progressive Society'. On national television, this wonderful woman has expressed her personal opinion, that was a public snob to a supposedly important aspect (I believe it is not that important) of an Indian Wedding ritual.
What the heck did she say ?
When the host of the show put forth a question, and the question was: If she had a choice, which one aspect of the Indian Wedding ritual would she not undergo ? And the young woman shot back curtly that, if she had a choice, she would refuse the Thaali (Mangalsutra) to be tied around her neck. She said it with such confidence and conviction that I believe this was not an attention seeking comment on television and that she will do exactly as she had proclaimed.
What do you think happened ?
What else could have happened? The other people on the show were shocked into silence, and the look on the face of the show's host looked like he did not know whether to be as shocked as everyone else, or to smile. It was literally as still as a graveyard for quite some time. No one knew how to respond while the lady who uttered this shock-inducing statement was sporting a knowing smile on her lips. And then the voices started squeaking, one by one.
As expected, the people in the parents side responded as if they were terribly offended. They said the girl was very disrespectful towards her religion and traditions and that they would never accept such a girl into their family. That bold young woman couldn't care less, and it was at that moment she seemed to me like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. If she actually does what she said on national television, she would have my eternal respect. If she does not, then I still admire her for being courageous enough to speak her mind in front of the whole nation.
We definitely need more people like her.
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