Is our India really changing ? क्या हमारा भारत बदल रहा है ?

1. Wheels of Empowerment

To ensure that women travel safe after dark, the Kerala government has launched a popular initiative — She Taxis, a unique cab service for women and by women.

2. Padmini Prakash (31) from Coimbatore, becomes the first ever transgender NEWS anchor in India! 

Grew up in RS Puram in Coimbatore, was a first-year BCom student when she cut off all ties with her family and dropped out of college because she could no longer take the stigma and pressure.

She travelled across the state and beyond and later returned to Tamil Nadu and became a Bharathanatyam dance instructor. Padmini, who now stays with her partner in Vellakinar in the suburbs of Coimbatore, also participated in and won several transgender beauty contests.

3. Sangita Awhale, a woman from Saikheda village in Washim district, sold her mangalasutra to build toilet in village.

 “Toilet is a basic necessity, compared to ornaments. I sold my ornaments and decided to build the toilet,” Sangita told reporters at Munde’s office here.

Her feat earned admiration from not only her family but the villagers, and as the news spread through local media, from people across Maharashtra. For, ‘mangalsutra’ is not a mere chain and a pendant, but dearest to a married Maharashtrian woman as it symbolizes her wedlock.

4. Prithika Yashini,India’s first Transgender Sub-inspector is among 21 sub-inspectors to receive orders from Salem police commissioner, Sumit Charan, to join the region’s local service.

Initially, her application had been turned down because the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board did not recognize transgender people.

After a long legal battle, the Madras High Court ordered the board to recognize the 25-year-old as a third gender and process her application.

5. I recently came across a news report on Eco-Feminism

In India’s north-western state Rajasthan now parents are turning on their backs on female foeticide which was once deeply rooted in the cultural tradition. This is a novel solution that the elderly people has come up with, the parents now celebrate the birth of the girl child by planting a fruit tree to secure the future of every female child. 

They believe the fruit and trees can be sold later, generating income for the girl’s education and marriage.

6. Indeed politics is also changing.We did not have hope from politicians in the past but she is showing hope amidst darkness.Responding to a tweet,

Sushma Swaraj helps a son perform his father’s last rites by getting the embassy opened on a holiday.

7. A Malayali Muslim bride demanded 50 books as part of a custom in Muslim weddings, only that the custom has mostly seen woman’s family demanding gold or money.

Nechiyil decided to demand 50 books from her fiancé as mehr, a mandatory payment in the form of money or possessions paid or promised to be paid by the groom to the bride at the time of marriage. She asked for books as mehr because of two reasons. “One, because according to the religious texts, a girl can demand anything she wants and the groom cannot disagree. And second, because I wanted to show the Malappuram Muslims that a wedding can take place without obsessing over the amount of gold transacted between both parties,” she said.

Some of the honorable mentions from our true citizens : 

But then we have examples like these which makes us think is this change a positive one or negative. Salman Khan got acquitted in a hit and run case. #twitter is going berserk. I am not only sad about the verdict but also about the time it took just to ascertain that he was not guilty. 13 years, seriously, 13 years. Is it a joke? Are you kidding me?

And not only this, the former telecom minister A. Raja also got bail and don’t know when he would face the same – “Acquittal”.

I think change is in our hands and its up to us how we can mold it for a better future. But the most important thing of all is to open our minds and be optimistic.

Jai Hind !!