Mridu Khullar

In the years I’ve been writing about women’s rights, I’ve routinely come across people who think feminism is a big joke, and that writing about these issues just makes me one of those women who think all men are scumbags. Not true.

Depending on a person’s background, I may forgive this interpretation. But if you live in the developing world, just by virtue of existing in some societies, you will see human rights abuses, gender discrimination, and violent acts against women that are supported by a whole society and culture.

This article was in the news a couple of days ago. I just read it this morning.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20080828/804/tnl-no-licence-to-rape-a-woman-who-appea.html

Look at this paragraph: “Though the trial court had convicted the accused Munshi and another person for the rape of a 17-year old woman, the High Court acquitted the accused persons on the ground that victim was promiscuous in her sexual behavior and had already lost her virginity.”

Why do I write about women’s rights? How can I not?

I have been way busier than I’d originally anticipated, and so I’m going to be erratic in postings over the next two weeks as I get settled into my new home, school, and way of life.

So far, America has been fun. My friend Jon, a native of California, drove all the way up from southern California, came to pick me up at the airport and showed me all around the Bay Area. In the six days I’ve been here, I’ve been to a steampunk party, a barbecue, had the quintessential tourist photo taken with the Golden Gate bridge in the background, and driven all over Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and little tourist towns on the way.

I’ve been productive too. Apart from the usual trying to figure out of the coolest bookstores, bars, and restaurants in town (in that order), I’ve managed to make a few new friends, have coffee with one of the faculty members (who also happens to be one of India’s top journalists), get some advice on my for-love-or-money conflict, chalk out a plan for the next semester (so many courses, so little time), set goals for the year (pay off debt!), meet an important deadline, and spend three days deciding on a phone plan.

Now I have five deadlines in the next five days, a dinner date, several hours of classes to attend, and a lot more discovering to do. This is going to be interesting.

(I’m also really behind on e-mails. If you’ve written to me in the last week, I will respond. Just not as quickly as I typically do. Sorry!)

Couples in India are finally figuring out that hours of horoscope-matching sessions followed by measures to correct planetary positions make not a good marriage. Urban educated twenty-somethings of today are ditching the priest’s grass mat and heading to the counselor’s leather couch.

Full piece:
http://thewip.net/contributors/2008/08/indian_couples_seek_security_i.html

Also, a blast from the past that just went online:
http://www.beliefnet.com/nllp/ChickenSoupSoul.aspx?date=8-17-2008&WT.mc_id=NL49