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Dragged from the car and threatened, this Pune woman abused for wearing a short dress refuses to take it lying down.
Dragged from the car, threatened and abused. This was what a 22 year old, Pune based woman, encountered when travelling in the car with her two male friends.
She was returning home after a Sangeet rehearsal, in the early parts of the morning.
“How can you wear such a short dress and roam with two males at such a time ? In Pune, this is not allowed”. These are the words spoken by the accused. Isn’t it horrifying to know that even in these modern times, women are targeted for dressing in a short skirt and roaming with male friends in a cosmopolitan city like Pune. Astonishing.
Turning to the police for help was the wisest decision to make. However, it came to light that the police took a week to register the case. When such incidents take place, we turn to the police for support. But when action is not taken fast enough, it’s truly disappointing. We tend to lose our faith in the the system.
Can a woman not dress as she desires, in a modern city like Pune? She was hanging out with two male friends. Was that such a grave crime in a country where we seem to be constantly discussing about gender equality and feminism?
We are well aware that Pune is known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. It’s also a major educational hub where students from several parts of India and the world come to study. It’s popular for its arts, music and theatre. It has a high percentage of educated people. But incidents like these, only goes to prove that only education is not sufficient, to stop crimes against women.
It’s obvious that these men have wrong mindsets and archaic notions about women. Probably they were not taught to respect women in their own homes. They were probably taught that women have to dress in a certain way whereas men can dress as they desire. Education should not only mean attaining high degrees. Teaching boys to respect women must be the goal of every parent. It all begins at home.
Take the example of Reuben and Keenan’s case. They fought the local thugs to protect their women friends. Unfortunately, they fought the battle all alone as no one intervened. They were real heroes who were brought up with proper moral values.
Fortunately this woman’s life was saved because of the intervention of her male friends. Like Keenan and Reuben, they proved to be real heroes. It was commendable of the woman to file an FIR. She didn’t buckle under the fear of the influential perpetrators. Will that help? If history is anything to go by, we are in for a long wait.
Image from a women’s rights/slutwalk protest courtesy msmornington used under a creative commons license
Diana has worked as an Editor/Writer and Content Manager for various digital platforms and hopes that each word written in this space supports, motivates and inspires her readers in India or across seas. Besides read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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