COFFEE & CONVERSATION

1. What does your name ANUPAMA means?

I think Anupama is quite a vintage Hindu name dating back to decades or even centuries before. I was told by my grandmother that my mother loved the name & was very insistent to naming me so even before I was born. The name carries a beautiful definition to it. In Sanskrit, Anupama means beautifully unique, incomparable excellence… Now, considering the ruckus I’ve turned out to be, given the opportunity ,I think my mom might consider changing had she known it was me she bore in her womb… Hahaha..

2. "Womanhood is a blessing"

- what has been your inspiring journey being a woman?

Womanhood is indeed a blessing. Travelling down time tunnel, back to centuries old, women have grown & evolved in more ways than we can ever imagine… Elizabeth Blackwell, Raymond ade Laroche, Enheduanna, Laura Bassi, Anandi Doshi, Kalpana Chawla, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, Maya Angelou, Mother Theresa, Sushmitha Sen, Nadeera Vasu, Dagmar Nissen Munn, Malala, Muniba Mazari, Chef Fatima Ali are amongst many pioneers & Sheroes who broke the weight bearing handcuffs of gender deterministic streams starting way back before B.C till this day…

Coming from a family lineage of strong women myself, lead by my Amumma, my Mom, my Cheru & my sisters & equally brought up by men like my Dad, my Apuppa, my Mama & Papa who respected women as equals rather than subordinates, it was easier for me to understand the importance & impact of women in this multifaceted era. Furthermore, the opportunity to work as a UN ambassador & apart gender focal representative, it served as a platform that substantiated the empowering role of women in peace keeping globally. Watching their struggles & working hand in hand with them in field & community, each one taught me the fragility of life & how love & courage is all we have to carry after. It made me stumble & fall often times, but also helped me emerge stronger on the other side. Having to juggle the multiple roles life throws in at her, women are the living proof of quintessential exuberance & keen observation of life. Carrying the very womb of life in softness, she simultaneously stands tall in her self made armour & shield facing daily hurdles & challenges in the battlefield of life with such agility. Despite the number of times she hits hard rock bottom, she poses these scars of valour with such poignancy & grace. A woman is an enigmatic emblem of life, a true balance between delicate fragility & tough agility…Every story is a spark to another enraging flame, both inspiring & aspiring. She is the very force of nature, a force to be reckoned with… So , yes it is a gift of penance to be born as a woman.

3. How do you wish to inspire the Woman Community?

For me an inspiration is someone we look up to being aspired in true awe, love & gratitude . In my case, I’d say every Shero of my life have inspired me in their very own authenticity & uniqueness. Having my Amumma, Mom, Cheru, sisters, Kutty mom & veliamas imbibing core values within me, they are the pioneer women who inspired me. In their own small or big way, these unsung heroes were the ones who taught me what it means to embrace womanhood as a whole. However, I always believe that I’m also a reflection of every other person who have been in my journey of life. So starting right up from my preschool bus driver aunty, helping hands of cleaners & cafeteria aunties, neighbours, right up to teachers, friends, professors, unknown strangers & many more have all been unsung heroes to me. I carry a small part of them within me, projecting them out when time need be. My deepest gratitude & thank you to them all. I hope to inspire someone just that way too, regardless in silence or loud proclamation, I wish I’d be able to change the life of at least one little girl. I hope to be able to break the nomenclatures that dictate the lines of success for every woman out there. Be it through my medical profession, writing, painting or even by just being me, I earnestly hope to aspire them to dream, love & fight with every breath & every beat they live. It’s alright if you are different, don’t give up ur authenticity for acceptance & normalcy.

5. What does the word SHEROES means to you?

I believe that Sheroes are an abbreviation of She is hero. They are the living proof of Mother Nature & an absolute force to be reckoned with. Being the quintessential exuberance of life, women are the true emblem of progression & empowerment of any empire. Not forgetting our roots & legacy, it is prideful knowing we come from a lineage of strong women who have broken gender deterministic streamlines dating back to centuries BC. They have already paved the pathway for us, taking the many roads not taken & creating new avenues. Women are the true faces of unsung heroes. Being maternal instinctively & a natural provider, we often forget that we deserve love & appreciation as well. Always remember, you are the balance between agility & fragility. Carrying the womb of life with such softness, you are also the very same warrior who fights her own battles wearing scars of valour with pride. Carrying the various hues of life & shades of its numerous challenges, you are the shero of your own life.

6. What has been your biggest obstacle being a Woman?

It is my humble two cents, that accepting the commonly associated weakness & women is the biggest obstacle we face. Time after time, there is a set of preordained dogmas & normas that society has invisibly imbibed into our minds. No matter how high we reach for the sky, women are naturally portrayed as the damsel in distress looking up to chauvinism disguised male chivalry to save their day. Despite living in the millennia, the subtlety of this scenario still seeps upto surface & boils over in daily practice. So what if the tire gets punctured in the middle of nowhere, can’t a woman change it? If there maybe a technical breakdown to the electrical circuit, wouldn’t a lady be able to rectify it? Don’t travel alone at night unless you have a male companion to safeguard the woman. Carrying weights are unacceptable as it taints the fragile femininity we carry… I’m sure these are common things we encounter daily & have fallen prey to believe & further carry down to our children. I’ve been one of them many a times. Femininity need not be associated with strength & courage as it surpasses them way & beyond. I think the only solution to this problem is women ourselves. Only when we decide to say no, only when we break these binding chains of societal norm & only liberate ourselves from their fixed cage of normalcy, we can wade through any stride or obstacle.

7. Include a story/paragraph of Womanhood which would inspire your readers while reading your interview.

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8. Is it easy being a Woman? Or we need to face partiality in terms of uplifting our profession/passion.

I would say that being a woman has it’s fair share of ups & downs as much as a man faces day in & out. However, our share of turbulence & obstacles differ from what men see. Although our world now revolves on its axis of futurism & modernity, yet we still lag behind in wiping out gender deterministic stereotypes. It is admirable that the awareness of gender equality & equity is improving , but there is still a lot of accomplished there. Be it in the professional world or the roofs of our humble abode, the odour of gender discrimination still reeks our society. I believe working together hand in hand, as humans rather than men & women, this will be eradicated in no time. It is the extremes of pressure that produces the rarest of gems on the face of earth & woman you are precious!

As literary scriptures dating centuries tell us tales of ancestors, it is undeniable that women have been the identity to many legacy filled empires. To quote again, Elizabeth Blackwell, Raymond ade Laroche, Enheduanna, Laura Bassi, Anandi Doshi, Kalpana Chawla, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, Maya Angelou, Mother Theresa, Sushmitha Sen, Nadeera Vasu, Dagmar Nissen Munn, Malala, Muniba Mazari, Chef Fatima Ali & beloved ladies of our very own kin & kith are amongst many pioneers & current sheroes who have taught us to dream beyond the skies. Hence if I were to quote any specific woman in particular, it would never suffice. Instead, I’d like to tell you a story of the mirror. For that, I’d humbly request for you to stand up in front of your mirror… Yup, you, the one reading this right now. Don’t bother the make up or dressing etc.. Just do me a favour & walk up to your nearest mirror & stand there for a few seconds. Do you see the reflection on this prism ? That is the story I’d love to narrate and relate to. Your story is not only your legacy, but it is our inspiration & tomorrow’s aspiration. You are a mirror of a multifaceted diamond carrying apart of each of us within you. You are the true image of paradigmatic progression & empowerment. You are important, you are seen & you are always heard. Be it being a homemaker or a professional, you are regal & you are the queen. So go out there and do whatever it takes to achieve your dreams. You matter and ur very existence is an imprint that makes a whole lot of difference in this vast cosmic existence. Always remember, your voice resonates beyond peaks & deeper than seas. You are unique and never let anyone else say otherwise. Hail queens!!!

MAY-JUN2023

9. How do you feel being the Cover Star of SHEROES? Write a inspiring Quote which every woman can connect with.

To be honest, I’d say exciting & humbling. First of all , I’d like to congratulate & thank the organisers for their noble pursue of reaching out & creating platforms for many out there. Despite being nations apart , it is an honour to be accepted & acknowledged as one and united by roots & womanhood. I am privileged to be standing along side so many beautiful people of such diverse paths of life, being nominated & chosen. This acknowledgment isn’t just a self recognition but a dedication to loved ones & a collective recognition. to voices of many girls out there , resonating echoes of power of dream & women.

Hence to every baby, every girl, every teenager & every woman, never forget you are the living proof of life force & nature at its rawest. Your destiny is entirely yours to write & don’t let anyone else say otherwise… Dream high & give it ur best fight You are an epitome of a beauty & a warrior, agile within the shell of fragility, enigmatic & poignant with love & courage. There is nothing that you cannot achieve once you put your mind to it…

To the wonderful women of my life , mom Madam Prema Nair, Amumma Madam Sankari Menon, Cheru Mrs Sugunna Krishnan, Kutty mom Madam Visa Nair, veliamas Madam Easwari, Madam Saraswathy Nair, Mrs Sathi Devi, cheriamas Mrs Shailaja Rajendrakumar, Chechis Vithya Rajan Nair,Liva Sreedharan, Savitha Sanathanan,Priya Sri, little sisters & best friend Anitha Menon,Anisha, Ashwani Nesarajah Dheevya Vijayakumar & many more. This is a homage to you. Thank you for paving pathways amidst many roads not taken for me & the future generations … Thank you for being my Sheroes.