Women in India are once again caught in the contradiction that is India.
On one hand, we have a plethora of female Goddesses in Hinduism and on the other, we have rapes and gender based abortions in every Indian city.
On one hand, we laud the achievements of astronauts Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. On the other hand, women are considered a burden on a family and not worth giving and education.
On one hand, we celebrate and worship the Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi. On the other hand, we have a powerful General saying that women have no place in the army.
On one hand, we have the Shiv Sena rioting in the name of preserving Indian Culture and Indian Womanhood, and on the other hand, we have an antiquated tradition where women are considered dirty and not allowed in a temple.
And then we wonder why Indians find success, fame and fortune abroad that they could never find at home.
Because with attitudes that we still have in India, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams would have been limited to teaching science at a secondary school instead of reaching out to the stars.
