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The recent act of actor and MP Paresh Rawal, tweeting violently against writer Arundhati Roy, has made news and forced us think about the repercussions that such comments have.
Since a few years, now, we have seen a pattern emerge in the social spheres. Whenever somebody states their opinion publicly, which may not necessarily be in sync with the ‘collective conscience’, there emerges a toxic mass of hateful comments which makes a person doubt their decision to ask questions and speak freely. And this doubt is what leads to defeating the purpose of a democracy.
Hate comments online are now accepted as a normal way to express disagreement (which is appalling but has now become usual), but what about the times when these comments cross the levels of lewdness and become extremely violent in language? We personally attack people, instead of disagreeing with their opinion like a civilised human being. And when people, who are supposed to be the ideals and upholders of the law, participate in such acts, does it not make you question the people we put our faith in?
There is no excuse for hate comments, but whenever a woman is involved in the scene, the violence just seems to surpass itself to an even higher plane. Rape threats, body shaming, obscene comments are just the surface of the minds of the absolutely vile people who do this.
The most recent proof of this is the actor and MP Paresh Rawal, tweeting that Arundhati Roy should be used as a human shield to army jeeps when she, apparently, made statements about the army issues in Kashmir. Special emphasis on the word apparently because according to a recent report by the Wire – she never made any such comments. The amount of reaction that her supposed comments got is totally absurd. Why is it that we have to respond in such an extreme way to any piece of news we hear, without even checking its credibility? The mentioned tweet by Paresh Rawal has been removed by twitter but it seems that people do not realise the damage it has done, and it is sad to say that he doesn’t seem to have learnt a lesson. It is sickening to see and read the whole tweet thread, and honestly, I do not understand how all those people find the humour in these words.
This is not one unique instance. Does the name Gurmeher Kaur ring a bell? The girl who lost her father to war and posted against it, was very conveniently labelled as an anti-national and sent rape threats. She had to eventually leave Delhi due the amount of threats she was getting. It is okay to not agree with what one says, but is this really the way, where we try to shut them up with threats? How is it that we do not see the wrong in all this?
It makes me sad to see the amount of hate people have bottled up in them, which is spewed onto strangers who had the courage to speak their mind while these people just sit behind screens and reduce what could be constructive argument to pure venom in less that a hundred and forty characters.
Top image via Wikipedia
New Delhi, India I like to read, write, and talk. A feminist through and through, with a soft spot for chocolate. read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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