US, March 9 -- In the story of the development of human civilization, if any force has contributed the most to creation, it is the power of women. She is the giver of life, the bearer of culture, and the sensitive soul of society. Indian tradition has never confined women merely to a social role; rather, it has given them the highest reverence in the form of a "mother." From the sacred expression "Matru Devo Bhava" (Mother is divine) to the declaration "Janani Janmabhoomishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi" (Mother and motherland are greater than heaven), our culture reflects a unique reverence for women. This is why in India even the earth, the cow, and the motherland are addressed as "mother." Yet, the irony is that the very society which has ele...