Srishti Bakshi walked from Kanyakumari to Srinagar to start a conversation about women’s safety and empowerment in India, finds Nikita Sawant
As a teenager, Srishti Bakshi dreamt of someday becoming the CEO of a company. When she moved to Hong Kong for work, she was well on her way to achieving her dream. A few years later, however, she took an unexpected U-turn. Coming from an army background, India was always close to Bakshi’s heart. It was a harsh wakeup call when she realised that the country she so loved didn’t hold much consequence for outsiders.
“When I was living in Hong Kong, I got the opportunity to meet people from various parts of the world. Over casual dinner conversations with friends and colleagues, I was reminded time and again that I came from a place that these people would not choose as a holiday destination. A typical conversation would go like, ‘Wow, you’re from India, how nice.’ My automatic reaction to this would be, ‘Why don’t you visit? If you want to plan a trip, I could help you.’ And that would be met with an incredulous, ‘Oh, India would be the last country I would travel to.’ The discussion would always veer towards how unsafe India was for women,” she recalls.
Bakshi found herself feeling distressed about India being mentioned in such a light. Then two years ago, she read about the Bulandshahr case, where a mother and her teenage daughter were gang-raped in front of the father and brother. She says, “I felt like the entire system had failed me. When I spoke to people back home, they told me nothing would change or to not talk to them about it as it upset them. I realised that people weren’t recognising it as a social crisis. That’s when I decided to do something about it, to bring energy to the same discussion in a different way.”
Denne historien er fra July 9, 2018-utgaven av Femina.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 9, 2018-utgaven av Femina.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE GOODNESS OF GHEE
What: The Pure Cow Ghee range for babies with sensitive skin from Himalaya Babycare
Hello Hyderabad!
The Kaftan Company makes its debut in Hyderabad with a physical store
A COSMIC CULINARY JOURNEY
Located in the vibrant heart of Kolkata, That Place Bowl & Bar aims to be something out of the ordinary
BIG ON THE SCREEN
Writer-director INDIRA DHAR is no newcomer to international film festivals, but a standing ovation at Cannes for her latest film was an unforgettable experience. She talks to Shraddha Kamdar about the inspiration, her love for films and more
COMMAND RESPECT EFFORTLESSLY
Try these strategies if you hate not being taken seriously.
FIND CALM IN CHAOS
Deal with difficult situations using the principles of stoicism.
GREENER IN THE CUP
Samiksha Bhowmik details why a cup of matcha needs to be part of your diet
THE BEST OF TWO VIBRANT WORLDS
LYLA, in Mumbai's BKC, seamlessly blends Central American vibrancy with Californian flair
A Melange Of the Middle East & Indian Spices
Bringing contemporary twists to tradition, MERCHANT & ME is a youthful urban space for cuisine and cocktails in Pune
10 REASONS WHY SEYCHELLES COULD BE YOUR DREAM DESTINATION
Seychelles hits all the high notes on the romance roster whether you're on honeymoon or a love break.