Mother's love rolls out 50 parathas!

I just came across a post on a popular website in a response to this question:

"What are some of the things peculiar to India?"

Amidst a truckload of India-bashing, this post was a simple one. It showed a picture of steaming hot parathas with the byline: Mother making 50 parathas for the entire family and still not complaining about the pain in her wrists.

I know, most of you, including I, would delve into a "I love you mom" saga, proclaiming how we miss "home-cooked" food. Yes, I do! I absolutely adore what my mom manages to whip up on the fire and I can match up to only 70% of that taste, doing myself some exaggerated justice with the percentage. No, people, that isn't the point at all. If you don't want to understand the real picture, please do us all a favor and read no further.

This picture of an "Indian mom", something we would all agree in unison with, is by no means comparable with the status of mothers/women all around the world or probably even in more liberated households in India. "Making 50 parathas without complaining" isn't an achievement. It is a shame! It is disgusting to note that while the woman slogged in the kitchen, the rest of the family was just doing whatever, and my bet is, it's nothing productive for the household. The complaint about the pain in her wrists is secondary! The feeling of working too hard without having any quality time for yourself, your health, your entertainment or anything remotely associated with yourself is a violation of basic human rights.

We have to remind ourselves that for every luxury we have availed in the comfort of our homes, our mom was sacrificing her basic rights as a human being. No, please don't shower "I respect mom" here. Instead promise yourself that you will never let this happen again to any woman you know, including yourself.

This picture of an "Indian mom" is mostly upheld not for making us understand her troubles, but so that we can show and persuade the present and future generations of women to live life the same pathetic way. The people who boast proudly about this "Indian mom" are the very people who down those 50 parathas with a loud burp and watch TV thereafter, while the poor woman cleans up all by herself and eats whatever is left.

This picture of an "Indian mom" is the restrictive sexist mentality we have fostered for eras together. This is the quintessential Indian woman. There is no other way for a respectable Indian woman to live. Oh sorry, it isn't the Indian woman alone, it is for any woman. Women from other countries are a curse upon this planet because they don't live this way. She may be the CEO of Microsoft or the founder of Biocon but unless she can make 50 parathas or more without a whimper of a complaint, she is no woman. Oh yes, those 50 parathas are a testimony to her character and her benchmark for respectability. Admiration? Maybe, but that's rare. Odds are, one of those 50 parathas got slightly singed-- there goes "admiration" down the drain.

This picture of an "Indian mom" shows our hypocrisy and self-assured ego for possessing the finest culture, family women in the world. An American mom can hardly match up, even if she singlehandedly cooks up 50-60 pancakes along with other dishes for her kid's birthday party, handles a 9-5 job, and is single. Maybe an Italian mother may bake 50 pizzas, run her bakery and still feed her children. This doesn't make the cut. It's because most of these "foreign" women usually give back the shit they take from others. The very lack of this quality is what makes Indian women special to many patriarchs today. The "Indian woman" submissively nods to everything she is told to.

This picture of an "Indian mom" explains why Indian women are the best in the universe. No other mom from any other country can actually match up to her. Apparently, foreign moms don't cook---like a man actually claimed beneath the post. I am surprised how dishes like Mousse au chocolat, Sandwiches, Pizzas, Pastas, Risotto, Sushi etc. came to exist if there was no Indian mom to cook them. Of course, foreign children and husbands survive on thin air, don't they? Much as we love our Indian cuisine, anything Indian is grossly overrated, including Indian moms.

Can't a woman love her family without cooking and cleaning for them? Can't she live a life that is more self-fulfilling than being the epitome of selfless sacrifice? Can't the average Indian woman's wrists ache due to endless typing, ploughing or doing whatever than rolling out 50 parathas? Can't we put aside our liberties for once and try to repaint this picture of the "Indian mom"? It really isn't asking for much. It is simply giving back to your mom what you took from her.

A letter for job rejection

I had attended an interview once, for a "Life Science Fresher" requirement. The agency putting up this notice was a recruitment agency which was trying to fill up vacancies for a famous hospital in Chennai. After going all the way to the agency, through an interview, acing the aptitude test and making innumerable phone calls to the agency, I ended up getting told that the hospital needed people with experience. Please note, this was a "Fresher" notice and those agency people had received my CV before they called me for an interview. Regardless, they still made me come all the way.

Naturally, I was fuming. Deciding not to be let down so unceremoniously, I decided to give it back to them. Here is a copy of my e-mail to the hospital head which was also cc'd to the agency heads and executives.

Dear sir,

I am a postgraduate in Forensic Science with a specialization in Toxicology and Chemistry. I had applied to your institution via XYZ agency, with regard to the advertisement they put up on SITE. I am posting the url here for your kind consideration and perusal.

URL

I attended an interview for the same, wrote the aptitude test and was duly asked to submit my resume. Later, after two days I am told that the post requires an experience of at least 1-3 years. The advertisement above clearly states "LIFE SCIENCE FRESHER" 0-2 yrs. Unless there is a different definition of what a fresher is, I suppose it is someone who has just finished college and has NO EXPERIENCE. If putting up this advertisement was justified, the consultancy you hired for your purpose could have clarified the fine print of this respectable post when I called them, not once or twice but several times.

After attending this interview and while their staff maintained their amicable silence over the real state of affairs, I was told to e-mail my CV to ABC which I immediately did. I was told to call on a phone number immediately after that, which by the way, is forever not-reachable. I made the mistake of assuming that when one runs a company, one must make sure that their gadgets WORK.

When by hook or crook, I somehow was able to reach their highly respectable staff, I was told that I would be e-mailed my interview feedback. To date I have received no such e-mail. What more, an excuse of this highly tedious and life-threatening work was carried out via an SMS, telling me to call immediately at some given numbers. I am sure that nobody encourages their employees to keep scouring their personal phones for text messages from unknown numbers when there is plenty of work at hand.

When finally, I was able to reach them yesterday, I am told that this job requires 1-3 years of experience. I and several other young people like me would be immensely glad if the next time your respectable hospital put up any vacancies in a consultancy, they kindly indicate clearly whether they need FRESHERS or experienced personnel. With this precious "mistake" it has wasted my time, money and put my current employment in jeopardy. It is not much that I ask. It is one of the very basic humanitarian acts. There are others who sweat and toil in the sun and come all the way, only to be told after several grueling formalities later that they cannot have that job. They lead a tougher life. They may not be this persevering.

I understand that this mail is not of much consequence, considering the fact that I may never be able to get a position anywhere in any hospital, since it is demanded that we have years of relevant experience. I like many other youth of this country, have wasted my life trying to study hard and well, only never to get a job, because a job requires experience and to my ill-luck for experience I need a relevant job first.

Whether it was the same on the other end, I know not, but it was a pleasure e-mailing you, sir.

Yours sincerely and crushed,
Poorvisha Ravi

Needless to say I never got a reply ever.