[She was till now a perfect image of a stereotypical "Indian wife" - suffering in silence all the indignities and gross negligence heaped upon her by her yet adored husband and praying all the time for his welfare, a replica of Sita, so to speak. (Reproducing below, at sl. no. I, a lesser known fable depicting an ideal Hindu - these days we're being repeatedly told that "Hindu" and "Indian" are just synonymous, wife. Pretty much instructive, no doubt.) But it looks that, alas, the days are a-changing. Even the meekest one may refuse to be treated as a doormat for ever.]
I/III. Sheelavathi and Ugrathapas students and inmates at the hermitage of sage Athri fall in love. They get married after they complete their Vedic lessons. Ugrathapas establishes his own Vedic school. The couple leads a happy family life. Lord Shiva and Parvathi subject Sheelavathi to a test of character. Ugrathapas contracts leprosy. He tortures Sheelavathi for no fault of hers. The chaste and dutiful wife, Sheelavathi, runs the household by begging, makes no complaint and nurses her husband sincerely. One day Ugrathapas orders his wife to take him to the mansion of the courtesan. While carrying her husband in a basket on her head Ugrathapas's leg strikes Sage Mandavya's head. The sage curses Ugrathapas saying that he will die at the next sunrise. To save her husband's life, Sheelavathi starts a penance. She pleads to the Sun not to rise the next morning and it does not. This is the power that the dutiful and chaste acquires in the story. She is now able to control the natural forces. The sun does not rise; the universe comes to a halt. Anasuya, the consort of Sage Athri appears before Sheelavathi and requests her to withdraw her penance. And she does so. Ugrathapas dies only to be brought back to life by the blessings of the Trinity. Sheelavathi's character is proved beyond doubt. [Source: <http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/oldisgold/article2407250.ece>.] II/III. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/narendra-modis-wife-files-rti-request-in-gujarat-what-services-security-am-i-entitled-to/99/ Narendra Modi's wife files RTI request in Gujarat: What services, security am I entitled to? 51 Comments Email Print In her RTI plea, Jashodaben has sought a reply in the next 48 hours, with relevant documents, stating that the issues concern her "life and death". In her RTI plea, Jashodaben has sought a reply in the next 48 hours, with relevant documents, stating that the issues concern her "life and death". Express News Service | Ahmedabad | Posted: November 24, 2014 9:29 pm | Updated: November 25, 2014 12:12 pm Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife, Jashodaben Modi, on Monday filed an application under the Right To Information Act, seeking details of the official order under which she has been provided security cover and what other "services" she is entitled to among other things. One of the grounds cited for her concern is former prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by her personal security guards. In her RTI plea dated November 24, sent to the Superintendent of Police, Mehsana, Jashodaben, 62, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Unjha town of Mehsana district, has listed 12 queries. Some of these are: * "India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was attacked and killed by her personal bodyguards, because of which we are very afraid of our bodyguards. So we want the complete information on the guards protecting us, and if they have a copy of the order under which they are deployed here. If they don't have it, then on whose orders they don't have it. We need a certified copy of that order with all these details". * "I have been given protection as per protocol. Please do elaborate what other kind of services can I get as per the protocol, and I also appeal for an elaborate definition of this protocol." * "When I am travelling by public transport, the security personnel protecting me travel by government vehicles. Under whose orders do they use government vehicles, kindly furnish the certified copies of the same urgently... under which law is this covered?" * Another question reiterates how she used public transport while her guards used government vehicles. "Do let me know if I am eligible under this protocol or not." * "The security personnel who are deployed to work for ensuring my protection have told us that we should treat them like guests, so if the protocol could be explained and a copy of the same furnished. While we have repeatedly asked the security commandos to show us the order by which they are assigned to protect us and whose authority does this come under, they have failed to do so." Most of her questions begin with, "Amo arajdar vada pradhanna patni Jashodaben Modi Chhiye..."(I, the petitioner who is the Prime Minister's wife Jashodaben Modi...). In her RTI plea, Jashodaben has sought a reply in the next 48 hours, with relevant documents, stating that the issues concern her "life and death". Confirming that she had filed the RTI plea, Jashodaben's younger brother, Ashok Modi, with whom she lives, said: "How would it feel for a PM's wife to move about on an Activa (two wheeler)? After all she is the first lady, so why not give her adequate transport facilities to move around. While we have never asked for this security cover and are, in fact, tired of it, we have not been shown the order authorising this security cover. Also, since she has VVIP status, why not give her an identity card for the same. These SPG commandos who protect her are in plainclothes and not in uniform." According to Ashok Modi, about 10 SPG commandos, in two shifts, have been deployed for her security. "Vada pradhan na patni ne shu malvu joiye? Je prem emne malvu joiye, e nathi maltu. (What necessary facilities should a a PM's wife be getting, the love that she should be getting is not being given to her," he said. III. http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/pm-modis-wife-jashodaben-says-she-wants-to-live-with-him_1502606.html PM Modi's 'wife' Jashodaben says she wants to live with him Last Updated: Sunday, November 23, 2014 - 09:06 Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben on Friday broke her silence on her desire to live with her husband and said that she wants to live with him if he is ready too. While speaking exclusively to Zee Media, she said, "agar wo lene aayen to main taiyar hoon (I am ready to go with him if he comes to take me)." Modi acknowledged the 62-year-old as his wife for the first time at the time of filing his nomination for Vadodara Lok Sabha seat earlier this year. She has also been provided with SPG security cover, which is given to the PM and members of immediate family. Modi married her in 1968 when they were teenagers. She has retired as a school teacher and lives a quiet life with her two brothers in Ishwarwada village in Mehsana district of north Gujarat. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
