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Noted feminist Kamla Bhasin gives us a rousing and concise view of what the #meToo movement means for so many of us. Listen!
I am a woman. And I can tell you that being a woman is not easy. In fact, any woman can tell you that. We plan excessively about our every move of ours. In fact, we have to plan our actions meticulously so that this patriarchal society does not strangulate us. We have 101 things to keep in mind, whether it is what clothes to wear, what time of the day to go out, or whether or not to use public transport. This is the gift of our patriarchal society.
The #meToo movement in India has cropped up as a platform for women to speak up about the atrocities they have faced at the hands of power-hungry men. The normalcy of sexual harassment had to break and finally, we can see some cracks in the societal structures.
Kamala Bhasin, the noted Indian feminist, poet, author and social scientist pens down her emotions about the me too movement in this poem:
Listening to Kamala Bhasin recite her poetry made me understand the importance of the movement. Her words show the kind of impact that the movement can have. It also made me realize the potential of the movement to bring about a change in society. For ages, women’s voices have been suppressed and finally, there is a movement where we can talk about our experiences.
In her poem, she talks about how women all this time were quiet about their experiences due to the prevalent taboo around the issue of sexual harassment. Now the hidden truth has come out and women are fighting for their rights.
She has compared the eruption of these voices to volcanic lava which is quite the symbolism for annihilation as it destroys everything that comes along its path. Me too is that movement which has the potential to help women find their lost voices. It is high time the people understand the meaning of personal space and importance of a woman’s ‘NO’.
It is due to the lack of understanding of these terms that men have done what they pleased without any repercussions. Men now need to be answerable for their actions – and #meToo is the movement we were all waiting for.
As Kamala Bhasin puts it, “Zurmi ko benakab kar bahar le ana hai Me too” (#meToo is about unmasking the culprits and revealing them for what they are).
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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 might have had a box office collection of 260 crores INR and entertained Indian audiences, but it's full of problematic stereotypes.
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 starts with a scene in which the protagonist, Ruhaan (played by Kartik Aaryan) finds an abandoned pink suitcase in a moving cable car and thinks there was a bomb inside it.
Just then, he sees an unknown person (Kiara Advani) wave and gesture at him to convey that the suitcase was theirs. Ruhaan, with the widest possible smile, says, “Bomb mai bag nahi hai, bomb ka bag hai,” (There isn’t a bomb in the bag, the bag belongs to a bomb).
Who even writes such dialogues in 2022?
Most of us dislike being called aunty because of the problematic meanings attached to it. But isn't it time we accept growing old with grace?
Recently, during one of those deep, thoughtful conversations with my 3 y.o, I ended a sentence with “…like those aunty types.” I quickly clicked my tongue. I changed the topic and did everything in my hands to make her forget those last few words.
I sat down with a cup of coffee and drilled myself about how the phrase ‘aunty-type’ entered my lingo. I have been hearing this word ‘aunty’ a lot these days, because people are addressing me so.
Almost a year ago, I was traveling in a heavily-crowded bus and a college girl asked me “Aunty, can you please hold my bag?” It was the first time and I was first shocked and later offended. Then I thought about why I felt so.