Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closelyand consider this the great opportunity of my life…

Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? We are the first in milk production. We are number one in Remote sensing satellites. We are the second largest producer of wheat and rice. Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transformed the tribal village intoa self-sustaining, self driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed with failures and disasters…

My name is Maya. I was born 14 years ago in a poor peasant family. There were already many children, so when I was born no one was happy.

When I was still very little, I learned to help my mother and elder sisters with the domestic chores. I swept floors, washed clothes, and carried water and fire-wood. Some of my friends played outside, but I could not join them.

I was very happy when I was allowed to go to school. I made new friends there. I learned to read and write. But when I reached the fourth grade, my parents stopped my education. My father said there was no money to pay the fees. Also, I was needed at home tohelp my mother and the others.

If I were a boy, my parents would have let me complete school. My elder brother finished school and now works in an office in the capital. Two of my younger brothers go to school. Maybe they, too, will finish.

I know I shall have to spend long hours working either at home or in the field. And then I'll be married. I have seen my mother working from early dawn to late at night. My life will not be much different.

If I were given the choice of being born again, I would prefer to be a boy.