A Good Indian Girl

A good Indian girl, in an Indian society. A thought pattern that I believe drives a part of today’s Indian society.

The society today that puts women doing housework on a pedestal-when this should be a common sense skill. A society that creates timelines & expectations for women ( & men) and how they should live their lives. Who create avatars of perfection with high expectations for people to fit in these avatars, without holding themselves to the same expectation. Who don’t know how to deal with differences of people.

A “Good Indian Girl” in today’s society, is the a thought process and behavioral pattern that is celebrated. Women are celebrated for not having their own identity, assimilating the core, not thinking independently, or too out of the box. Good Indian girls in an Indian society are celebrated for being one unit who must replicate one another. Independent thinking and individualism can be seen as a threat.

“If you are different you are a threat to, because you show what I/they could have become.”

This can lead to many of us living a lie, trying to be someone we are not. Trying to impress others to be just like them so we can impress them. To forget ourselves-because that is celebrated when you forget yourself and serve the world. When you have no identity of your own and you exist to serve-you are celebrated. Your identity is merged behind your husband, father or brother.

You are told that you are joy in the house for all and you are the center of attention because you as one human, are expected to give joy to the whole house. All the expectations are laid upon your shoulders to help everyone escape their misery because they can’t do it themselves.

There are many women today, who feel compelled to become the definition of the ‘good Indian girl’ because they feel that the undercurrent of expectation of them. They feel guilty being who they really are, they feel guilty loving themselves, it’s almost like they feel trapped in their own bodies.

Because the Indian girl who questions everything, who thinks for herself, who stands up for her beliefs, who does what she feels is right-is a rebel. The woman who steps out of her comfort zone and stretches herself, who thinks independently, who no longer needs validation of herself, because she is comfortable in her skin being exactly who she is. Is not celebrated. That becomes a trigger for the believers of” Good Indian Girl”

When we normalize the rebel girls as our new good, we’ll see a change in society.

I hope that as time comes, we can celebrate the rebels. We can celebrate women who choose to be the best version of themselves. We can celebrate free women who have the choice to be exactly who they want to be.

Sincerely

“The Indian Girl”

Follow me: @ A_Panth_Vision