An ode to women of Hyderabad

Divas of Deccan celebrates the indomitable spirit of being a women by portraying the journey of 33 Hyderabadi women who have displayed courage and determination to achieve their goals. Written by Nalini Shivkumar, head of department, History and Reema Mahalingam, head of department, English at the St. Ann’s College for Women, with an aim to tell the world their stories, reflect the achievements Indian woman globally and the tough times they had to go through. Talking a little more about the book, Nalini Shivkumar, “It took us one and a half year to complete the whole book. Our main aim was to focus on young girls who ran that extra mile to achieve their goals and have now become role models for so many women.” Some of the women who were featured in the book include actor Jayasudha, Chandana Khan, Anju Poddar, Sangeetha Reddy, Lalitha and Haripriya, Aparajita Sinha, Dinaz Vervatwala, P Anuradha Reddy. Sharing her experiences was actor Jayasudha, who said, “In every role I play, I want to put my stamp of individuality. I never knew I would develop a flair for acting, because as a child I was a real tomboy with a passion for cricket, probably because we lived opposite the Chepauk Grounds.”Tejdeep Kaur Menon, additional DGP, Andhra Pradesh said, “Born to two refugees from Pakistan, I am proud to say that I have an address and I am a diva of the Deccan.” Another diva of the book, Anju Poddar, an art lover says, “I live only for today and I strongly believe in positive thinking and my will power. Never leave a task to be done tomorrow. ” Adding to it were Sangitha Reddy and Shobana Kameneni, the Apollo Scions. “We wanted to work towards translating their father’s dream into a reality that could change the face of health care industry. These were many women who have impressed us by their hard work for their family, society and India. Their inspiration drives us.”  Karuna Gopal, another diva who is the president of Foundation for Future Cities said, “Ten years ago 180 countries had come together with an agenda of attaining the millennium goals. India stands poorly in this regard. All goals can be achieved by addressing the problems of women.”