One of the things women are yet to learn is that no one gives you greatness... you've got to
take it.
I read the above quote in an email I received from TGMC today.... and it made me think. Well
this post is intended to make you do just the same. You needn't agree, you may partially
agree but for goodness sake think.
The Acheivers
After the disastrous session last friday with EEE, almost all of the IT boys were talking
about how well behaved we were compared to them. Our batch is one of the best IT batches
ever in VLB. Don't agree? Well look at our academic performance, consider the number of
co-curricular events being conducted, we have half the VLB's cricket team in one single
class, most of our classmates have something to boast of when you speak of syposiums in
other colleges (Intermission, Techsem, ImagineCup, lots of other colleges' symposiums too).
We are one band of acheivers who leave every one who dares to compete with us eat the dust.
We are the set of students who do things for the first time for others to follow in our
footsteps (the first batch to take DIP, start the tech club, now these groups under lect
Surendren).
Well this post is not supposed to self congratulatory or one bragging crap. I just want to
come to the hard part.... how about the first girl secretary???
Before the how.... I want to answer the why.
Why?
As I noted before we are the batch(note the 'the') who set new trends. But this is not about
a new fashionable trend. Its about making history... Its about a revolution... Its about
setting wrong things right... Its about giving girls their due.
For everyone who asks 'why?' I ask why not? We have some girls with enviable leadership
skills. We have girls who have the potential. Anyone who has attended placement training
would vouch for Vishnu's skills. I can add Kirpha, Sanjeetha, Preethi, and many others to
the list (no space to add everyone kindly excuse). They are not lacking in anything that
other boys have.
I have gently raised the topic with a few boys and girls and was shocked by some answers and
disturbed by others.... Why is it that no girls has so far become a Secretary of a
department? Because no one dared..... cause of the unwritten rules.... cause of the glass
ceiling Hillary Clinton spoke of.
We can easily be the batch who break those unwritten rules, break that glass ceiling, send
it shattered to the floor never to block anyone becoming a Secretary just because they are
of one sex instead of another.
The arguements against
No one has become one so far in vlb... This is one stupid arguement. Someone has to be the
first. Why can't we be the ones who make that tryst with destiny... create footprints in
untrodden areas, so that no one else can make this arguement in the future.
Obey a girl??? ... This is one obnoxious arguement. I am ashamed to be a classmate of all
those who raise this arguement. Perverted male chauvinists. I can't name those guys, but I
was shocked to find even those who flirt openly to be in that abominable list. Why will you
obey any other boy, for that matter. A secretary does not and should not act independantly.
Every decision has to be and will be democratic in the year 2009 - 2010, whether its a boy
or a girl. I cant argue further.... every one who asks this question ... go to hell.
Other dept boys will mock us.... Being ashamed of the words of idiots and fools is utterly
foolish and makes us one of them. Well I'm not asking anyone to have my don't care attitude,
but we have to be deaf to barking dogs to progress in life. There is nothing wrong in having
a girl as a leader. One diplomat described Indira Gandhi as the only man in the cabinet
(that's sexist, but hope you get the point) and mind you... the only war India has won
against any nation in its WHOLE ENTIRE history was when a lady was its head.
Vote problem.... girls as a single voting bloc have a solid start and even few votes from
some boys will easily make simple majority. Just do a simple amth and see.
Next year.... Next year, girls have an easy majority and so even if one of them makes
history it won't be that glorious. It'll be just because they had the plain numbers. But,
for us girls alone don't have the numbers... this alone will crystallize our footprints in
the sands of time.
Its a boys job.... Utter nonsense. Girls have brains. Secretaries dont go about doing the
decoration. Everyone who raises this arguement invariably did the decorations last year. A
basic subject in management will teach anyone that people higher in the heirarchy take the
decisions, lower folks do the job. So being a girls being secretary doesnt affect one single
job. Boys can still do their job, OK??? and let me add decoration and hall arranging is not
the only thing!!!
If you have a different arguement, tell me... or we can have one debate in the class
Well certain girls think that if they stand it will affect their current friendship... I
want to ask you, DO YOU REALLY WANT SUCH A FRIENDSHIP? I was pleasantly surprised, no
horribly shocked is the word, to find even true lovers have damning opinions... I pity the
girls, no wonder love marraiges have a poor success rate in India. Girls are oftem shocked
to find boys who treat them equally during their affair, change so quickly after marraige.
That's because the true face emerges.... the opinions hidden behind smiling faces and
bloated wallets burst out in the open.
Now for the girls who think standing for the position isn't worth the risk, writing this
post is one hell of a risk. I'll be called a womanizer, accused of having a different motive
other than the one expressed here. But I just want to inspire someone to make history and
hell I dont care what idiots say.
Think. I know you have a million thoughts in your mind right now. I understand. But if you
stand up for that post, some other boy needn't write such an article and some other girl
neddn't have the same thoughts again cause she'll have a precedent.
Now some boy can become the secretary, but we'll be no different from others...
Lives of great men (women too),
All remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
Departing leave behind,
Footprints in the sands of time....
Think again, discuss, debate but don't walk away without making history.
Those who don't make history are slaves of history.
Nowhere else would you get the chance of breaking the glass ceiling so easily. So easy, so
near yet so far....
Don't wait for an auspicious time.... This is YOUR time!!!
I can almost hear the footseps of Lect Jameer Baasha outside, oh what will you do???
