Women In India: 2003 In Review

[Guest guest]

NEW DELHI - 2003 was an year of pain and triumph for women in India

with the former dominating in every way.

 

The gang rape of a 17-year old college student in broad daylight at

Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi shook the entire nation after four

soldiers of the elite Presidential Guards were charged for the crime.

 

Within ten days of the early October incident, a 36-year old Swiss

diplomat was raped and an Indian woman film-maker attacked in the

parking lot of Siri Fort Auditorium, the venue of the 34th

International Film Festival of India. Earlier in September, a doctor

was accused of raping a 13-year old girl in his chamber at a city

hospital.

 

Other than the rising graph of crimes against women, the dowry issue

also grabbed headlines after Delhi girl Nisha Sharma sent her groom

behind bars for demanding more dowry just minutes before their

wedding.

 

On the positive side women took over the reins of power in three

states of the heartland in year 2003, but on the other hand a series

of crimes against women in the national capital raised questions

about their empowerment.

 

Indian women excelled in various fields, with major highlights of the

year being Aishwarya Rai's nomination as a jury member in Cannes Film

Festival, Anju George's moment of glory at World Athletics

Championship and India-born astronaut Kalpana Chawla's second trip to

space, which though ended tragically.

 

Women power triumphed in the assembly polls held in five states

towards the end of the year, with Sheila Dikshit of Congress

retaining power in Delhi, while Bharatiya Janata Party's Uma Bharti

and Vasundhara Raje stormed to power in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

 

While Dikshit, riding on the plank of development, became the first

Chief Minister to get a second successive term to rule Delhi, Raje,

the princess-turned politician, created history by being the first

woman chief minister of the desert state securing an uprecedented

majority for BJP. Firebrand Uma Bharti upstaged Congress veteran

Digvijay Singh on the issue of governance to be the first woman chief

minister of Madhya Pradesh.

 

Though these three appeared as perfect poster-girls for woman's

empowerment, some women in politics also faced flak during the year.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati had to quit as chief minister of

Uttar Pradesh after her government was rocked by the Taj corridor

scam.

 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who got appreciation from the

Supreme Court for her tough stand in handling the strike by state

government employees, received a setback when the apex Court stayed

the arrest of six senior journalists of 'The Hindu' and 'Murasoli'

who were sentenced to 15 days simple imprisonment by the state

assembly on a breach of privilege case.

 

Indian women had their share of success and honour in many fields in

2003.

 

Towards the beginning of 2003, tragedy struck the second space

mission of Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman in space. The whole

nation mourned when US space shuttle Columbia broke up in flames over

Texas minutes before touchdown, killing Kalpana and six other

astronauts.

 

The world could not ignore the contribution of Indian women in

corporate world too. Two women from India - Naina Lal Kidwai of

Morgan Stanley and Vidya Chhabria of Jumbo group were picked up by

the Fortune magazine in their list of international top 50

businesswomen, while Indian-American Indra Nooyi, Pepsico President,

featured on its 'America's Power 50' list.

 

Noted child rights activist Shantha Sinha received the Ramon

Magsaysay Award and writer and social worker Mahasweta Devi got the

second highest civilian award of France - 'Officier Des Arts et Des

Lettrea' (Officer of Arts and Literature) - were recognition of

Indian women's effort to bring about a better social order.

 

The year also saw sitar maestro Ravi Shankar's daughter Norah Jones

walking away with top honours of the music industry bagging five

personal Grammys, including the best album of the year "Come away

with me" at the awards' 45th annual edition.

 

Anju Bobby George created history by winning a medal at the World

Athletics Championship in Paris, the first Indian to do so. Anju's

bronze in women's long jump came with an effort of 6.70 metres.

 

Meanwhile in tennis, Sania Mirza became the first Indian girl to win

a Grand Slam title when she won juniors doubles girls title

partnering Russia's Alisa Kleybanova at Wimbledon. Sania also struck

four golds at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games, which saw Indian women

winning the hockey gold too.

 

The coveted 'Khel Ratna', country's highest sports award, was shared

by two women this year - athlete K M Beenamol and shooter Anjali

Vedpathak Bhagwat.

 

In glamour world, Aishwarya Rai became the first Indian actress to

get nominated as a jury member for the Cannes Film Festival. The

former Miss World also featured on the cover of 'Time' magazine,

Asian edition, on a story on the changing face of Bollywood.

 

Noted film-maker Aparna Sen got the national award for Best Director

for 'Mr and Mrs Iyer', which also bagged the prize for Best Asian

Film at the Locarno Film Festival.

 

The year offered another cause for celebration to India when Mother

Teresa was beatified by the Pope at Vatican, recognising the work

done for the poor by the Albanian nun who made India her home.

 

Source: The Times of India, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2003 09:18:32 AM

© Bennett, Coleman and Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/385739.cms