C. B. Muthamma: A Woman Who Dared To Dream; Image Source: Kodava Clan

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With the coming of the concept of feminism and equal rights, India has seen an upsurge in women’s participation in the workforce. Be it, entrepreneurs or diplomats, be it, ambassadors or bureaucrats, women have made our country proud by not only working in their nation but also holding important positions in many other countries as well.

One such woman whose tough stance and unflappable poise during and after her years of service remain undisputed till date, whose unbeatable determination not only scared her family but also the ones sitting on high chairs, and last but not the least, whose struggle is worth narrating, she is none other than Chonira Belliappa Muthamma.

> In an era when women did not have the courage of defying their family and stepping out of their house, this gutsy Kodava woman not only qualified for the second toughest exam of the world against everyone’s wishes but fought her way through the patriarchal society, stood firm on her decision and emerged as India’s first female ambassador.

Hailing from the powerful clan of Kodavas (specialized in agriculture and martial arts), Muthamma lost her daddy dearest at the tender age of nine. But there’s nothing that a mother cannot handle. Muthamma’s mother took the pledge of raising her four children single-handedly and providing them with the best education possible. After seeing the fire of determination and courage in her mother’s eyes, nothing could stop Chonira from proving to her mother that she was also brave enough to go out of her way and make a place in society.

> Completing her schooling from St. Joseph’s Girls School in Madikeri, she went ahead to complete her graduation from Women’s Christian College in Chennai and bagged a triple gold medal.

While completing her post-graduation from Presidency College in Chennai, an idea struck her mind. Muthamma wanted to sit for the world’s second-toughest exam and India’s first toughest exam- UPSC. In an era when even the men were in no position to dream about cracking this exam, Belliappa not only cleared the exam with flying colors but also gained the title of the first Indian woman who was able to clear UPSC.

> When she went for her interview, the board that interviewed her not only discouraged her from joining the Indian Foreign Services but also deemed that this job was not suitable for a woman.

But guess what, our wonder woman was not going to take a no for an answer. Arguing her case through sensible statements, she stuck to her decision and finally joined the IFS services but not before signing an absurd contract that stated that if she gets married, she would have to resign from her post. Serving for the next few decades with all her sincerity in Europe, Asia, and Africa, Muthamma also had to fight all through her diplomatic career against gender biases. Despite giving so many years of her life to the country’s welfare, she was not considered during her posting as an ambassador. This encouraged her to file a petition against the government stating that the rules that were laid down for the women employees were outrightly discriminatory and absurd.

Here came Solicitor General Soli Sorabjee’s undeniably stupid explanation where he said that if a female ambassador is married, then there might be chances of leakage of confidential information. Identifying his prejudice against women, the court asked him whether he could explain the reason why leakage of information won’t happen if a male ambassador gets married.

> This question finally brought a new revolution when finally, the Government of India realised “the need to overhaul all service rules to remove the stains of sex discrimination, without waiting for ad-hoc inspiration from writ petitions or gender charity.”

After this amazing decision, Chonira was finally appointed as India’s ambassador to Hungary on this very day. Becoming the first-ever Indian woman to step into this position of authority, Muthamma broke the South Block’s glass ceiling for women who joined many such respectable positions following her trail.

A newspaper featuring Muthamma's "Die-hard spirit"; Image Source: Kodava Clan

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Serving as an Indian Ambassador in countries like Hungary, Ghana, and the Netherlands, Belliappa finally retired in 1982 after 32 years of exemplary service.

> Even her retirement and old age could not stop her from achieving something that she was passionate about and that passion of hers was writing. She authored a wide range of books starting from a cookbook on Kodava cuisine to a collection of scholarly articles named “Slain by the System: India’s Real Crisis”.

Personalities like her are indeed those rarest of rare rubies that come up to the surface only when the storm challenges them. Living a life that she always dreamt of and not the way that was always demanded from her, Muthamma fought the battle against sexism and won it with grace and wit.

Feminism is a belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. Well, what most of us don’t understand is that being equal and being the same are two different concepts. Fighting her way through the arguments of being equal and not the same, a woman made it to the top ranks with her intelligence and simplicity.