Advertisment

The true Iron Lady...Jaya Ho!

author-image
roopa1123
New Update
Jayalalithaa by BBC

With tributes pouring in from all over the world, Jayalalitha seems to have risen even in her death. When speculations were rife on her deteriorating status this Monday there were hardly anyone extolling her virtues or in awe of her indomitable spirit. It's sad that it was her death that finally opened the floodgates of admiration that many women had for her.

Advertisment
Politicians rarely evoke such emotions unless there is a carrot or a stick hanging nearby. But Jayalalitha was different, she seemed to be the equivalent of Iron Man, Batman, Supergirl and whatever superhero we have out there combined into one, in short the AdiShakti (Apologies for the hackneyed comparison, no intention whatsoever of turning her into a Goddess).

An actor becoming a politician is by no means a giant leap but what is astonishing is her journey. It's like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and changing course and transforming into a lion! Achieving total dominance in a South Indian state at a time where girls were seen and not heard, when feminism was not yet fashionable and patriarchal politics was the norm is nothing short of miraculous! The horror story of her attack in the assembly will send chills down any woman's back but her story of not cowing down and returning with a crushing blow is the stuff legends are made of!

 From the silver screen to prison to the throne of power, her life compares to a sine wave with increasing amplitude till finally the grim reaper straightened it out. Politics aside, she was an inspiration to women of her generation showing that power can be handled unapologetically and a damsel in distress needs no rescuing, she just picks herself up, acquires a core of steel and powers on. One just hopes that she found some happiness along the way.....
Views reflected are those of the author, not of SheThePeople.TV. The author is solely responsible for the content published in this article.

 

Indian women politicians she the people Women Achievers jayalalithaa
Advertisment