My grandfather sold 
Some cattle and gold 
My mother had no choice 
And no more voice

I&#39;m inside, the screen tells 
Alive and well 
My mother cries 
My dad yells

His mother&rsquo;s eyes swell 
His sisters tell 
The father blares and 
The brother stares

I am lucky 
I get born 
More tears greet 
More heads forlorn

Rampant sex determination 
Laws for Tribal protection 
Abortion a sensation 
I watch in isolation

It is rarely his 
Mom&rsquo;s get cut 
Or recanalized 
Or easily replaced

Eggs he gets 
While I wait 
He gets a bat 
And I, a pot

I get a uniform 
He gets one too 
Mine becomes a pad 
His for the next grade- A norm

He gets a bike 
Also a doctor 
If I can walk 
I should survive

My father sold 
Some cattle and gold 
I have no choice 
The master&rsquo;s voice

&nbsp;

<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfxVgfe5F8bgHOliJU2Gm5A9ZESrilggOuO3n3dBL442lxS_MMFsJGqqaGEHFBRCx_bEu7AaaR-bo_6VU-4y81-I6z7RHH1Op5Z9dkw5WTCd79teozl35TM9lhmO4zZ2AG9_XamVmS0eFq2ooH_QyYWZo5h?key=jhglBMjfL0cBusbLgofHwQ" style="height:381px; width:624px" />

The photo is from Kalahandi, Odisha, 2019 March. 3 generations picking Mahua flowers. The blue uniform doing household and livelihood chores is a common scene across the country. One will see them carrying babies, pumping water at the hand pump, at wells, public taps and carrying it back AND forth, carrying wood, etc. And oft the brothers are playing in the same space. It is often the only or 1 out of 2 of the only dresses owned.&nbsp;

<hr />
Image by&nbsp;Janvi Bokoliya.

A poem on gender discrimination in India.

The Blue Uniform

Vasundhara Rangaswamy is a public health physician and a microbiologist who spends most of her time in rural India.

Vasundhara Rangaswamy is a public health physician and a microbiologist who spends most of her time in rural India.

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Vasundhara Rangaswamy

Vasundhara Rangaswamy

The Blue Uniform

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