Often we hear the stereotype that India is a conservative society. We are seeped in traditions, which at times may seem dyed in the wool. In a country as stratified as ours, there are sections which live without questioning the merits and even ethics of the clichéd social behavior, while there are also those who cringe at the ossified attitudes prevalent from generations.

The progress of any civilization is dependent on the approach and mindset of its people. Are we probing, are we imaginative or are we happy to kowtow the trodden path? Do we aspire to disrupt the clichés and break the shackles for in inquiry lies the fount of all innovation? Well the India we know has for thousands of years been a forward-looking, plural society. A country with a scientific temper where dogmas are frowned upon and nature is respected. Gender equality has been an integral part of our culture. Women are revered and have always enjoyed exulted status. With this background, one is hard pressed to accept certain social norms, which are flagrantly discriminatory. Why should women be conscious of something as natural and fundamental as menstrual cycle? Isn't it ordained by nature? How can a biological phenomena induce disconcert?