Emma Watson Has Written a Moving Letter to Indian-Origin Woman Who Died After Being Denied Abortion
Ireland: In the Harry Potter series, Hermione Granger was the champion of elf-rights and stood up to class discrimination. Perhaps drawing parallels from the fictional character, Emma Watson, who was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, has been a vocal advocate of education, gender equality, violence against women, and women's participation in politics.
Recently, writing for Net-A-Porter magazine, Emma wrote a letter in honour of Indian-born dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died following a septic miscarriage in 2012. Halappanavar's untimely but preventable death acted as an impetus to Ireland’s abortion referendum where over 65 per cent people voted to legalize abortion.
Watson, who had tweeted in support of the historic vote in May, had urged that any support for the movement was a “vote for women’s rights and equality.”
In the letter, Watson, addressing Halappanavar, wrote that she (Halappanavar) "didn't want to become the face of a movement," she only wanted an abortion which could have saved her life. Although her tragic death was a result of social injustice and continues to be mourned globally, it symbolised "structural inequality" and the historic referendum was a historic victory for women's rights and "reproductive justice".
It was a great honour to be asked by @PORTERmagazine to pay the deepest respect to the legacy of Dr Savita Halappanavar, whose death powered the determination of activists to change Irish abortion laws & fight for reproductive justice all over the world. https://t.co/KZWRpp7btO pic.twitter.com/yLDXgcHKyh
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) September 29, 2018
Crying whilst watching videos of Halappanavar dancing in parades or her bright smile, Watson wrote that she was "moved to tears," adding that the activists in Ireland's abortion movement owed much to her and her family.
Concluding with the current state of affairs, Watson wrote that while countries like Argentina and Poland whose anti-abortion laws endanger lives of women, Ireland's vote marked an important victory in the fight for a woman's reproductive rights.
Several people thanked the actress for supporting the movement.
It was a great honour to be asked by @PORTERmagazine to pay the deepest respect to the legacy of Dr Savita Halappanavar, whose death powered the determination of activists to change Irish abortion laws & fight for reproductive justice all over the world. https://t.co/KZWRpp7btO pic.twitter.com/yLDXgcHKyh
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) September 29, 2018
I find it saddening that these amazing women have to die to receive help or recognition for that matter. This has to stop.
— WritersFengShui (@WritersFengShui) September 30, 2018
Absolutely touching! Savita was truly a champion, and you’re also doing so much to make sure that every woman’s voice is heard, and that they don’t have to struggle for such basic rights. Keep going strong!
— Anchit Mishra (@anchitmishra_) September 29, 2018
Thank you Emma for honouring such an amazing woman who should still be alive. I was pregnant in Ireland with my son when she died and always felt her loss was heavy and show how badly change was needed.
— sonya (@sonya__h) September 30, 2018
It was a great honour to be asked by @PORTERmagazine to pay the deepest respect to the legacy of Dr Savita Halappanavar, whose death powered the determination of activists to change Irish abortion laws & fight for reproductive justice all over the world. https://t.co/KZWRpp7btO pic.twitter.com/yLDXgcHKyh
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) September 29, 2018
Courtesy: www.news18.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India backs 'Myanmar-led, Myanmar-owned' peace process: EAM Jaishankar
New Delhi (PTI): India supports a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process that can deliver lasting peace and development for all in the Southeast Asian country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
The external affairs minister also highlighted the importance India attaches to its ties with Myanmar saying the country lies at the confluence of New Delhi's three key foreign policy priorities: 'Neighbourhood First', 'Act East', and MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).
Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-kilometer-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.
The country has been witnessing widespread violent protests after the military seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021. The military-backed party secured a victory in Myanmar's recent general election.
Jaishankar was speaking virtually at the inauguration of the Sarsobeikman Literary Centre building in the heart of Yangon. The building has been constructed with New Delhi's assistance.
"As the world's largest democracy with 1.4 billon people living together in peace and harmony, India has regularly shared its experiences in federalism and constitutionalism with stakeholders in Myanmar," he said.
"We support an inclusive, Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process, that can deliver lasting peace and development for all in Myanmar," he added.
Jaishankar said the Sarsobeikman Centre will support the conservation and study of classical and folk literatures of Myanmar, as well as translation, archival work, creative writing, and scholarly exchanges.
"Myanmar lies at the confluence of our three key foreign policy priorities - Neighbourhood First, Act East, and MAHASAGAR including the Indo-Pacific," he said.
"Our multifaceted engagement, includes political, trade, security and cultural cooperation. When it comes to development cooperation, our engagement with Myanmar has been people-centric and demand-driven, aimed towards strengthening local economies and improving lives," the minister said.
Jaishankar said India and Myanmar have been bound together for centuries by spirituality, kinship and geography, as well as by language and literature.
"As Buddhism and Pali language and literature travelled across South Asia, they carried with them ideas, texts, and a shared intellectual heritage," he said.
