Deepika Padukone’s Twitter rage over Times Of India video is
disturbing. Not because she roared. Salutes to her! Well said!
It is so because it is making News. Social media is on
a roll… all and sundry slamming ToI, praising the actress’ courage and
discussing media ethics and women’s empowerment.
[I do not want to comment of media ethics or women’s
empowerment now, as they are grave topics that warranty isolated attention. I'm speaking only on social media and virtual users now]
Well, during these last few days, another woman has been on the
internet.
Dr Sunitha Krishnan – co-founder of Prajwala and an
anti-trafficking activist. She was gang raped as a teenager that has left her partially
handicapped. She not only survived the dark days but is living in style. A style
that defies glamour and hoopla. She has dedicated her life to ensure no other
girl suffers her fate!
Now she is selected as one of
the five finalists for the prestigious "Nelson Mandela - Graca Machel
Innovation Award 2014. The news is on the very same social media that’s
rallying for Ms Padukone. Dr Sunitha needs her countrymen’s and women’s votes
to win.
Her FB page [as of writing this] has just 3,401 likes. The link
I shared on my page requesting my virtual friends to vote has just 9 likes and
one re-share.
Am sure, Dr Sunitha wouldn’t care
about winning. But as a citizen and a woman, in particular, it hurts.
It hurts to see that
the nation rallies for a star’s cleavage rather than a laywoman’s courage!
Continuing on the social media clamour…I
happened to see another post comparing Mary Com and Priyanka Chopra, followed
by a plethora of comments on how “one is fake and the other original”; ‘Only fake sells in India”… [To those uninitiated:
Priyanka Chopra is an actress who essayed the role of Mary Com in her biopic].
This time around our virtual
friends are sympathizing with Mary Com – the sportswoman - and slamming Ms
Chopra. Here its money and fame that’s rubbing salt. Each single one of them
forgetting that both the women are just living their passion, their dream.
On the same note, let me mention
another woman-related social media News that made headlines last week. An IPS
trainee officer Merin Joseph went viral on the internet because of her beauty.
Following a rumour that she has taken over as the ACP of Kochi, virtual friends
confessed that they wouldn’t mind being arrested by her. Phew!
Her FB page [as of writing this] has 48,437 likes already…and
counting!
I am NOT concluding this article... simply because it’s going
up on the very same social media...
Just one reminder: The social media reactions to the above
women were not all male-exclusive!
PS: Meanwhile, as bloggers let’s do our bit… Here’s the link
where you can cast your vote for Dr Sunitha Krishnan. Voting closes on September
25. http://www.civicus.org/awards/#/home