There is something about Mary

There is something about Mary! Mary had a little lamb, Mary Mary quite contrary, and has course the iconic Mother Mary.

All these have another Mary to their list, forget the nursery rhymes, forget Cameron Diaz as Mary we have our own homegrown Mary Kom, a pint size diminutive boxer who won the hearts of billions by winning us a medal. She further did something, which has made her a permanent resident in our hearts. She apologized to the nation for not winning the Gold.

Did she need to do this? Did she have to play, practice spar for hours, hours? The passion, the grit and resilience to pick herself up again and again only makes wonder. She commands respect and more respect, for picking herself singlehandedly out of penury to play.

Life for a woman is not at all roses in this country. We are conditioned to ease ourselves into roles like studying (little bit) be fully versed in house hold chores, rear children, be a mother, wife, sister, daughter, daughter in-law and in some cases be a servant, a multi –tasker all her life. To think of playing, is waste of time. In fact, girls who were boxers were asked to sere tea and wash up afterwards in a function. Do we come with an invisible sign on our forehead which blinks to the world saying, this is our forte’, please let us do this.

Why this inequality and segregation?

Mary Kom proved her grit, her talent, her killer instinct not once but five times in a row, like a Borg or Fed-ex. Did we adulate then? Give her a special diet, no, give her extra benefits, no.

And now we all want a piece of her. Yes, she is ours, a one woman army whose killer instinct, and the ability to not get puzzled and to face the opponent squarely has made her the next pin-up poster girl. How many other Mary Kom’s live quietly with no say, squashed under the voice of tradition, moral strictures that bind us with invisible ties, tethering us to the yoke of these boundaries which in recent times are getting stricter. Let us live, I say.

Mary Kom’s energy, her sparring, her footwork and her lunges are a treat to watch. India, a country full of ignorance, more than half of us would be hard pressed to finger Manipur on the map, a state near the Myanmar border. A state wrongly tweeted by Big B himself. A state that has the largest all women markets in south Asia. A state which has Irom sharmila protesting against the atrocities committed by the Indian Army against the women of her state. A state, which had women fighters fighting against the Britishers in 1904, and 1939.

Look at the state on the map, and remember it and then embrace her as an Indian! I would also ask everyone to be sensitive in their racist remarks, to all of our Northeastern n brethren. Trust me, they do eat, live breath like yes and us, and also sing the same national anthem. Give her respect and remember to salute this gritty women who won by her own individual efforts playing a sport like the million dollar baby remembering the woman in her (painting her nails and wearing fluorescent laces)!

Respect, is all we can give her. Salute these sportsmen and support the corner girl who has a Mary Kom in her too.