When I was a kid I watched a serial on Doordarshan called “UDAAN” and was so fascinated to see a Girl in Police uniform and beating the hell out of goons :-) . My Grandpa was a Circle Inspector (today’s Town Inspector) in Police and he was also avid watcher of this program. He told me first that this serial is inspired by real life story of maverick Kiran Bedi. It was all the more intriguing for me to know, what I was seeing on television actually there is someone who is having this kick a*s persona . I used to ask whereabouts of Kiran to my Grandpa he told me all the gallant stories about her. How she promoted 1600 officers in one day, which were due for ages and files were rotting in government cupboards. How she withstood of wrong doing from her senior officers and made their life miserable. Owing all these, this well decorum officer has been more often than not given positions which were being considered rather less impactful, like Traffic Policing and she shown the world that leadership is not about positions but about actions. Can you even imagine in your wildest dream an Indian cop booking PM car for violating the traffic rule? Goodness gracious Kiran has done that in style and created havoc in government corridors.

As I grew up I heard more stories about Kiran and her distasteful relation with Indian bureaucracy and society. Today when I see around one thing which kept bothering me is why and when we as a society developed prejudice for path breakers, for the people who probe systems, who wants to see under the carpet. Despite we all know what is correct, rather helping them out our socio-system single them out and instead of encouraging or supporting them, we have started punishing them. We have become society of mediocrity, if you will go too fast you will be single out. Kiran has immense contribution to Indian society by breaking the myth that women can’t be in Police or Army or such nature jobs. She has inspired the generation of the other gender in this country to be part of the forces and make her own way in male dominant socio culture.

Throughout her career she kept fighting the system and cross over all the hurdles and hazards. When she deserved to be a Delhi Commissioner she has been asked to be at helm of affairs for Tihar Jail. And rest is just history; she has taken path breaking decisions to channelize the energy behind the bar which can contribute to society in constructive manner. Today BPO is been run from Tihar Jail and generates the revenue as well. Her model is been imbibed by various international governments today. Her patients call it a day when 2nd time in row she has been denied well deserve top job of Delhi Police. If anybody has lost in this error of judgement or rather filthy politics are the Delhites. She is contributing great deal and working with lot of NGO’s to spread awareness in women who are in last row.

Her story has two facets to it; one that women can fight all odds make her own identity even in unexplored and not for women categorized fields. Kiran inspire me more because she continued empowering herself with knowledge and did her LLB and PHd midst of her battle against societal prejudice. There is huge debate going on today about lack of opportunity for women resulting into dismal diversity % in Indian Inc. But didn’t Kiran and others like her have had similar situation? In my opinion still most of the women in our society has sentiment that she is deprived because she belongs to other gender and that is the crux of the issue not lack of opportunities. Today a woman is everywhere right from Sarpanch to President thus society is changing, it’s high time you should change yourself and be a Kiran and pave the way for many more future Kiran’s…….