It is about a week to go before we celebrate Women's Day but Amitabh
Bachchan -- arguably India's biggest star -- has already made the most
important statement for gender equality. The actor on Thursday tweeted
an image which says, "When I die, the assets I shall leave behind, shall
be shared equally between my daughter and my son #genderequality
#WeAreEqual." He captioned the picture as, "#WeAreEqual .. and
#genderequality ... the picture says it all !!"
The move has a lot of relevance in India where traditionally a father
bequeaths his all to his sons. Despite courts coming to the aid of
beleaguered daughters, the tradition continues as is. Big B has two
children -- actor Abhishek Bachchan and daughter Shweta Nanda.
The
actor is considered a changemaker in the country and his action is
expected to at least get a discussion started. Women's Day will be
celebrated on March 8.
Amitabh is a big proponent of gender equality and has been in the
news this year for his film Pink. The film is about how
patriarchy-driven India looks at women and expects them to live by a
regressive code. Amitabh played a lawyer in the courtroom drama.
Before
the release of the film, the actor had written a letter to his
granddaughters Aradhya Bachchan and Navya Naveli Nanda. Exhorting them
to follow their hearts, the letter asked them not to bend their will to
social conventions. Here is the text of Amitabh's letter to his
granddaughters...
My very dearest Navya & Aaradhya
You both carry a very valuable legacy on your tender shoulders –
Aaradhya, the legacy of your pardadaji , Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan…and
Navya, the legacy of your pardadaji , Shri H P Nanda….
Both your pardadaji ‘ s gave your present surnames celebrated fame, dignity and recognition !
Both of you may be a Nanda or a Bachchan, but you are also girls…women !
And because you are women people will force their thinking, their boundaries on you.
They will tell you how to dress, how to behave, who you can meet and where you can go.
Don’t live in the shadows of people’s judgement. Make your own choices in the light of your own wisdom.
Don’t let anyone make you believe that the length of your skirt is a measure of your character.
Don’t let anyone’s opinion of who you should be friends with, dictate who you will be friends with.
Don’t get married for any other reason other than you want to get married.
People will talk. They shall say some terrible things. But that
doesn’t mean you have to listen to everyone. Never ever worry about –
log kya kahenge.
At the end of the day, you are the only one who
will face the consequences of your actions, so don’t let other people
make your decisions for you.
Navya – the privilege your name, your
surname offers you, will not protect you from the difficulties you will
face because you’re a woman.
Aaradhya – by the time you see and
understand this, I may well not be around. But I think what I am saying
today shall still be relevant.
This may be a difficult, difficult world to be a woman. But I believe that it is women like you that will change that.
It may not be easy, setting your own boundaries, making your own choices, rising above people ‘s
judgement. But YOU !…you can set an example for women everywhere.
Do
this and you would have done more than I have ever done, and it will be
my honor to be known not as
Amitabh Bachchan, but as your grandfather
!!
With all my love
Your ….Dadaji ….your Nana.
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