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The recent tragic attacks in Pulwama, Kashmir which took the lives of more than 40 CRPF jawans left the entire nation grieving. Noted journalist Barkha Dutt shared her nuanced piece on Twitter regarding these attacks; however soon she was horribly trolled.
Some of these trolls also managed to get her phone number and sent her menacing messages, one of which included the picture of a male genital with a crude message attached to it. All this in the name of ‘love for the nation’.
Who are these people? Those fearless men who feel that war is solution to all problems. Respond to bloodshed with more bloodshed. And no, they are not the ones that will go on the front to face the bullets. They are only comfortable making faceless treats to women in the name of patriotism.
This is not the first time a woman has been mercilessly trolled for expressing an opinion that is different. However, this woman is a senior journalist and a recipient of the Padma Shri. Does she not deserve more respect? She stood with our army at Kargil, covering an ongoing war, putting herself in jeopardy – if anyone does have a right to express an opinion on the current issue, it is her.
Barkha Dutt has decided to not take any of this lying down. She has made all the numbers that sent threats to her public. She also requested Twitter to take actions against what looked like a coordinated hate campaign against her. She was supported by several people and Delhi Police responded by saying that they will track down all the numbers and take action.
In 2017, when Gurmehar Kaur, a martyr’s daughter had condemned war, she had been trolled by similar bullies. Fearing her safety, she had to leave town for a few months.
Where online media is a great invention which allows news to travel across the globe in minutes, it has also become a weapon for bullies. Due to the anonymity it offers, many use it as a way to intimidate anyone with whose opinion they do not agree. Intimidating women is their favourite past time.
It is about time that Twitter took serious note of how its platform is becoming a hotspot for cyber bullies. There is no responsibility attached to the user who feels free to express their views, against anyone, in whatever abusive form they want.
Dear Barkha, this fight is not yours alone, but of all those women whose right to express their opinion is being threatened, all those who have been told to shut up or else, all those who have been told their views are not important enough. We are with you.
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What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
A new Gallup poll reveals that up to 40% of Indian women are angry compared to 27% of men. This is a change from 29% angry women and 28% angry men 10 years ago, in 2012.
Indian women are praised as ‘susheel’, virtuous and to be emulated when they are obedient, ready to serve others and when they put the wishes of others before their own. However, Indian women no longer seem content to be in the constrictive mould that the patriarchy has fashioned for them. A Gallup poll looked at the issue of women’s anger, their worry, stress, sadness and found that women consistently feel these emotions more than men, particularly in India.
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