Ideal Mother

By Ranjita Biswas

I have an aunt, who, now in her 80s, is receiving an award this week bestowed by a well-known women writers’ group in Assam in recognition of her being an “Ideal Mother” (adarsha matri). Ideal? For what, perhaps you would wonder. Devoting her life to bringing up her children , looking after her husband and in-laws in an extended family- never bothering to look after herself or her needs et al? After all society, even today, admires all these ‘self sacrifices’ in a woman.