SOCIAL FORCES ARE very powerful. Struggling to be a beautiful woman, trying to be taken seriously and trying to take yourself seriously is indeed a tall order. The messages constantly coming from the media, advertising and fashion industry are that it is important not to be natural. Or that there is something wrong in looking natural!That natural is merely ordinary. The beauty industry would have us pursue glamour. It would like us to believe that to be glamourous is to be desirable and that to wear make-up is to wear an attitude and, thus, ensnare us in the beauty myth.

But the second sex has begun to explore, question and explode this myth. Women now are ready to throw away the shackles of consumerism and patriarchal expectation and walk towards the freedom of being ones self. The journey inward has begun.

Vipasha Thukral, office manager, Canadian High Commission, Chandigarh does not use make-up except occasionally and that too a lipstick alone. In her opinion: "It is the inner beauty that counts. The inner beauty reflects on your face and no amount of make-up can serve as an effective camou-flage for the inner your. The sham shows."

Make-up cannot give you confidence as the fashion divas would have us believe. It is the qualities that you have imbibed and nurtured that lend you self-esteem and a persona that attracts others to you and make you an attractive person."

If make-up alone could give you confidence, then all people with made-up faces would be confident. But often that is not the case. Many models and actresses when interviewed come across as unsure persons. The exercise to look good has to be inwards."

Geetinder Garewal feels the dilemma of wearing make-up or going without is not about make-up at all, though it may appear one of feminine fraility per se. At a deeper level, she says, it is a matter of social persona versus true self.

"Here we cut across the gender divide. Men are as vulnerable as women to the upkeep of social facades. See the ubiquitous dark formal suits. Where one is on the make-up or no make-up continuum is revealed by a cursor called courage. One wears make up to look good according to the prevalent social aesthetic norms. But the time, effort and money spent to look good "with it" are the downside of the entire exercise."

Personally speaking , my awareness of the issue has been deepening in the past few years. I first felt the immense lightness of being that comes from saying no to all artifice at a meditation retreat in Dharamsala. Ever since, I repeat the experience whenever I go trekking by myself or when on a retreat. Yet back in the city I can't help enjoying being a painter that I had been once under a master of immense talent. Only new the canvas is my face."

On a serious note, I am consciously striving towards minimalism and simplicity. I have resolved to let go of make-up eventually. For now, I am happy to be aware of this conflict.''

Dr Feroza Sharma used to apply all kinds of make-up during her college days, not to beautify herself but to project a character or personality on stage as she was active in dramatics. However, she says: ''In everyday life I have never felt the need for make-up. It has no place in my life and I have never given it a thought. I don't think make-up makes a difference to the individual. A woman with make-up does not become more attractive,or one without any less beautiful.

In my profession, make-up is redundant. It is not how good you look but how well you interact with your patients that matters. Frankly, make-up is such a waste of time.'' But Neelu Grewal, a beautician, does not agree with the contention that make-up is artifice. She passionately believes in the pursuit of beauty, even outward. "The first impact that an individual makes on the other is essentially visual. To look good is to feel good. Make-up is a tool to enhance your looks, even personality. Of course, it should amalgamate with the whole of you — the way you walk, the attitude you wear and the way you conduct yourself in company. The make-up should not be contrary to your personality.

"Make-up application should not be seen as a mere act of vanity , but an exercise in aesthetics. You beautify your home, garden, your vicinity. What is wrong in beautifying your self?", she questions.

Have you ever witnessed a lone woman walking with a bunch of kids — one nestling in her arms, the other tugging at her sari and a few more just chugging along with her. Was her brood of children a conscious decision? Hardly possible. Hers is an existence by default. Choice, decision and conscious effort may be chewy words but for her they are meaningless.

"To bear and rear children is a woman’s karma and dharma. One cannot escape it. I did not have a child for the first three years of my marriage. My ma-in-law used to say that bi.....are better. At least, they are able to conceive," said Renu, a young Bihari woman wryly.

It is not that only women in the lower strata who lack the right over their body. This problem (though an unacknowledged one) cuts across the class. A typical male reaction to eve-teasing is more about family honour and less about a woman’s dignity and choice "A male member of a family behaves like an enraged bull the moment he finds another male challenging his jurisdiction over his woman. Affection, care and concern may play some part in the ‘male protection’ syndrome, but the adrenaline rush is more of possession-driven", feels Sasha, a student of computer science.

Interestingly, there is a certain uneasiness about a woman’s body, that pervades the Indian psyche. "A woman’s body is regarded as a passive receptacle and a tempting tool at the same time. This schizophrenic perception lies at the root of many a malady. Add to this the typical patriarchal character of our society. "The result is a blatantly distorted picture of womanhood," says a counselling psychologist.

The crimes against women lose their enormity the moment "poor Vishvamitra tempted by seductress Maneka" reasoning comes into play. The line between the victim and the aggressor blurs to the point of role reversal. Often in rape and molestation cases, strictures are passed on the victim. "She ensnared him with her sultry looks and suggestive dress." In a single stroke, the blame is shifted to the woman and the onus is on her to prove her innocence, even though the law might support her.

Women themselves have a warped perception about their bodies. The sense of ownership that should have been present naturally and unselfconsciously is missing. Perhaps, the reason could be that a part of our tradition enjoins upon women to think about themselves only in relation to their menfolk. A married woman adorns her body with jewels and ornaments to symbolise her allegiance to her husband. It is true that some unmarried women are encroaching upon this territory, but then again, it’s the story of look-the-best-for-your-boyfriend.