I would like to thank the two- wheeler industry of India for bringing equality subtly into the mainstream. Are you with me?
Look out on to the roads of any city today, even if they are pitted with potholes, what do you see?
Yes, yes, a sea of people creating traffic jams… but look deeper!
That’s right… behind those superman like cloaks, wrapped around the face (a dupatta actually) are women riders. My home town Ahmedabad has always boasted of more women drivers since ages. And I now see it in most cities I have travelled- statistically the women riders have increased on the road. Now before you bring on your PJs don’t you think its remarkable?
The house helps who would earlier reach their workplaces, on foot, sometimes walking miles and miles, to pinch a penny, are unabashedly arriving on their two wheelers. I was glad to notice them coming on bicycles but this transition to scooters and mopeds is a giant leap. Some are glamorously dropped off by their significant other with a gracious wave of their hand, a la Deepika of the Padukone fame. Imagine the change in their homes and the change in their lifestyle!
While traveling beyond my city and cruising on the smooth new roads which have mushroomed across the country, I noticed the increase in motorcycles plying on these roads. By their attire, the bags loaded along with women pillion riders, who mostly sat cross-legged, it was clear they were going about routine business rather than an exotic holiday.
These motorcycles navigate the not so smooth roads between smaller towns and villages efficiently. Thus, there are more people who can effectively reach their goals and destinations much more smoothly than ever before. The fuel efficiency is a dream come true.
Being lighter, we see more girls and women using a motorbike too. Well if that does not qualify for equality… you have a think coming. The heavy motorcycles of yester years required muscle power to handle the bikes when not being ridden, leading to the much popular image of a macho man wheeling and riding such a model. But now we have women also nurturing such dreamlike entries. A slow-motion video of a roaring bike with a ‘Dhurandhar rider’ their long hair flying in gay abandon, dark glasses perched on their nose, riding free!
Its great to see bike riders in the remotest part of our country. But what is heartening, is to see a couple of women riders in the group, roughing it along with the men.
For me that is society being just at the grass roots. And its only going to permeate into all other fields slowly but surreptitiously! What do you think?
This post is a part of ‘Echoes of Equality Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters blog hop series.
