New York, Feb. 26 -- Dr. Kirti Shekhawat

Bamboo tree and empowerment?

Yes! Surprisingly, a perfect combination for March, the spring season.

The Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus), due to its remarkable growth, is the tallest bamboo in the world. Once planted in the soil, the seed remains dormant for four years, while the farmer nurtures it patiently, watering it, sowing other crops over it, but never giving up. In the fifth year (hold your breath) the seed surfaces, breaking the soil and grows nearly forty six inches daily and in one and a half months duration, is eighty/ninety feet tall. This growth is a long process.

Empowerment too is a process, similar to the growth of the giant bamboo tree. The end result is not achieved ove...