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Little Girl Lost ?

India. Snake charmers. A billion people. Spices. But there is more to the India of the 21st century. Here is a different face of India, the face of the urban, elite, privileged youth. See what they are thinking, the kind of problems they face, their ambitions etc....

Nida Ansari was sitting on the steps of one of Delhi's most happening places: a movie theatre where hoards of young people collect everyday to watch movies and give McDonalds and Subway business worth thousands of rupees. With a loose t-shirt, baggy worn-out jeans, and cap and sunglasses she fit right into the sea of people walking up and down the area.

She stubbed out her cigarette and began to talk. Nida is 18. She was born to a Hindu mother and Muslim father. In India these two religions have hard a time getting along. Her parents both came from extremely liberal backgrounds and therefore little Nida never had a very sheltered life. ''We are not a very religious family. My parents never forced their religions on me. I was allowed to do as i pleased, so as a young child I began reading the Namaz. I still do it from time to time. I was always given the freedom to choose my own path.''

Nida studies humanities in school and aspires to find a place in the world as an artist. She is fond of music and plays the guitar. She also writes poetry and idolises Jim Morisson (of The Doors fame). She is also wearing his face on her t-shirt. She confesses to being a party lover. But she says that it is not possible to go out as often as she might want to. When asked why, she sighs. ''In Delhi in particular and in India in general, safety for women is a big issue. Women can’t go out night or even during the day actually. Women get raped every second day and it's not because they wear provocative clothes (sometimes jeans and a t-shirt are enough), it is because this is how the society in India is. They are stared at, eve-teased etc. It is not safe to walk around Delhi. In fact it’s a bit scary. You never know when, who or what you might encounter.'' So isn't there a way out it? Another sigh: ''It will take a lot of time. Changing the mindsets of a billion people is not an easy job.'' Nida feels that that women in the West have a better life, more freedom, more independence. In India, she says, this is just not possible. Women's lives are dependent on the thinking of the masses, she says, and until that changes a better situation for women is a far-fetched dream. So isn't there any way out of this problem? '' Women need to be a more productive part of this society and they need to be more aware and better informed about their rights and issues such as health. Education for women is the only tool which can help them overcome centuries of subordination.''

Nida comes from a fairly liberal background and has the freedom to do most anything she wants to. But there are hurdles: ''There are conflicts in every relationship. Growing up is never easy, especially in a city like Delhi. I have my freedom but there are disagreements over certain issues. As you grow up, you start lying to your parents because they might not accept certain things you do, the people you hang out with, your boyfriends etc. I like to think my parents fight with me because they are concerned about me and I try to understand their concerns about my safety and well being, but it's not always possible. Usually they seem like a hindrance to my fun and an invasion of my privacy. To deal with these conflicts I sometimes attempt to reason with my parents, explain my point of view to them, but there are times I don’t bother and do as I please because they would never understand certain things, let alone approve of them.'' Is this because of what people call a generation gap ? ''Well no, I don’t see a generation gap as such. There are differences but only because we are different people. My parents have raised me differently from the way they were raised and some of our problems exist because of this simple fact: different upbringings. I am closer to my father and relate more to him because we have more in common. My mother, on the other hand, comes from a relatively conservative background, which is not something I can identify with.''

When asked about what she thought about the western shows that have become such a rage with the young indians today, she replied, ''some peple are of the opinion that these shows are corrupting the youth but I disagree. They just show the lives of people in the West. There is nothing wrong with that. These days even the Hindi films deal with a number of issues that used to be taboo earlier and there is plenty of explicit content in them too. These shows just help broaden our mindsets. But then again, like I said I'm from a liberal background; things that are acceptable to me might not be so acceptable to others who come from a more conservative background.'' Are the Indian shows better then, more identifiable? She vehemently shakes her head in disagreement: ''These shows are regressive and their portrayals are extreme. Firstly ,the women are all immaculately dressed in saris and have sindoor (vermillion) on their heads. Who does these things anymore?? Secondly, they always show women to be these virtuous human beings who can do no wrong. I wish they gave a more balanced picture of what an Indian woman is. She is no longer just a housewife; there are different faces to her now, but these soap operas don’t acknowledge that.'' So you identify more with the Western shows? ''Definitely the Western ones, not because they are Western and therefore ‘cool’ but because they are more real, hence easier to identify with. The women in the Western shows deal with their problems in ways you and I would. They also compromise, adjust and sacrifice. Not like in the Indian soaps where the woman has no identity away from her husband, where she is helpless and all she does is trample all over her dreams and aspirations so that she can be the perfect mother, wife and daughter-in-law. There is way too much drama in the Indian soaps. Also, this belief that you can only be a good Indian woman if you wear a sari is all wrong.''

The floor now is littered with numerous cigarette butts and it's time for Nida's movie.

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