Breaking the stencil | Devika Sajeev | TEDxFISAT

A stencil is a thin sheet of card, plastic, or metal with patterns or letters cut out of it, used to produce the cut design on the surface below by the application of ink or paint through the holes. The society works with a stencil in hand. I am a Feminist because I see the stencil breaking dreams, clipping wings, and taking lives. Devika V grew up listening to stories and her stories grew up with her. As a little girl, she looked on with fascination as her maternal grandfather pored over books, the subtle smile that played on his lips and the twinkle in his eyes telling he was in another world. This was passed on to her mother who, reading book after book, laughed out loud, cried silently or exhaled peacefully. When she became a part of this world, the first thing she did was to open the book to a page, bring it close to her nose and inhale deeply. They walked her into the world of books and asked her to find her own way. Then, Literature became the most natural path to choose, currently in the second year of post-graduation. Having participated in a number of speaking competitions since early years of schooling, speaking became an integral part of her personal and public existence. Devika has been a Feminist since the day she realized that was what she believed in and fought for was called. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx