So this was a busy weekend for women. Worldwide they marched for basic fundamental rights like right to abortion, right to go out at night, wear what they want and all that shit (Yeah, that’s 2017 for you!). On New Year’s Eve, women were molested publicly in Bangalore and Delhi and the next two days #NotAllMen trended on Twitter (oh no! many just stood there and watched! They didn’t do anything to get a bad name!); as soon as Trump became President, he signed a global gag order on abortion (his team didn’t have any uterus to mess things up); Gladys Berejiklian was asked why she was unmarried and childless 15 minutes after being elected unopposed as leader of the parliamentary NSW Liberal Party (Purpose of uterus, duh!). So all in all, it was business as usual.
There was another protest happening in the meantime. That was for Jallikatttu, a traditional sport in Tamil Nadu involving Bos indicus, an indigenous breed of bull that is released into the crowds and the human participants try to grab the hump with both arms and hang on to it for more than 30 seconds while the bull attempts to escape. Now, while there is a debate going on about animal cruelty during the sports and treatment of the bull, another argument is for saving a traditional sport that has been practiced since 400-100 BC. No, I am not going to weigh in on that as I am not informed enough to say what’s right. But another news made headline during the weeklong peaceful protests in Marina Beach of TN where thousands of men and women of all age has gathered to protest the ban on the sport. That was about how safe women were during that time staying all night at the beach and not a single untoward incident being reported. I saw that and scrolled through. This was not something that made any lasting impression on me or affected me in any way. But on a hindsight, it should have.
I get vocal (on social media though. Yes, I am guilty of armchair activism and not very proud of it) when any crime against women take place. Before you ask, YES I am a feminist and NO, I don’t believe all men are same. Why would I even stereotype when I have met women more misogynist than men! But being an educated person, I should present both side of the argument ‘coz that is the full truth, right? Right! But when something as big as the Jalikattu protest happened, I didn’t hail the women safety during it. (Wait! Before you say anything, I am NOT making this about women. Jallikattu is ONLY about Tamil tradition and identity, and may also be about animal cruelty but no way about women). I would not have either because I didn’t think it was a news. Would my breathing become a news? Then why does my going out at 12 in the night becomes one? Would it be the same for a guy? He can’t get any attention no matter what he does! And that’s the tragedy!
When we talk so much about equality, why can’t we practice that? Going out half naked is perfectly normal for a guy but not for a girl. Why? Because she has breasts? And what about the manboobs she has to endure? There are no excuses even for that! Whenever anything bad happens, it is easily blamed on western culture and girls blindly following that. Why do you send your children to English medium schools then? Why do you feel proud when your kids speak fluent English? Those are from Western culture too! We want our women in saris and men conveniently wear shirts and pants. They don’t get raped, groped or molested left, right and centre! No, this is not about clothes, this is about decency and self-control. Either you have it or you don’t!
I guess I got deviated from the topic. Well this argument about clothes always fires me up! Anyways, back to the wonderful display of women safety in TN. Do I appreciate it? Yes. But no, I still am not going to applaud it because nothing exemplary happened in TN! This is not the kindergarten where everyone wins a prize for participating. Women have as much right to come out and protest without feeling threatened as men! And that’s the tragedy! What should be normal becomes exemplary! Women protesting overnight along with men becomes headlines! Are we that regressive? Are we moving backwards now? May be we are. I don’t underestimate the progress that TN showed and neither do I condemn making it headlines. Because, definitely the rest of the country needs to see and learn. And THAT exactly is the problem! How many men will feel unsafe attending a women’s march? How many men are scared of unknown women in the streets late at night? How many guys get scared asking lift late at night for the same reason a woman does? I, as a woman, cannot be proud of the state the country is in. It is good spreading the good examples but at the same time it should be emphasized that it should be the norm. But I guess we are still in that stage that we need to celebrate such acts. So umm…Thank You guys??
My words got all jumbled writing this. So in case I was not clear, I appreciate women’s safety during the Jallikattu protests but I also think this it is something that should be normal and not an example. The fact that it became one shows how regressive we are and as a nation how far we have to go!
Nothing expresses my feelings right now better that this sign held during the Women’s March.
