India, July 22 -- The great Indian feminism circus has run its full circle, or so it appears.

It was a strange scenario.

At a recent seminar held to highlight the problems faced by women in performing their duties in the police and paramilitary forces, while the senior officers on the dais appeared genuinely concerned, if not condescending, towards their problems, almost every single woman from the Police, BSF and Forensic Science Department among the audience was saying, "Thanks, but no thanks."

This was not a sarcastic response but was said with full sincerity and a sort of apprehension among these women about the fallout of all the concessions and talk of reservations for women.

It takes me back to a similar programme I had attende...