One of the simplest definitions of eve teasing that I came across was an act done by men to arouse female attention. This definition sounds simple, however the problem certainly isn’t! Interestingly if you type the words “eve teasing” in any of the search engines, you would be surprised to find page after page of results are almost entirely Indian web pages. Does that mean it is more common in India, than other countries? I do not know for I have never traveled abroad but one thing is for sure, I have witnessed, heard and even experienced so many incidents that I can vouch that eve-teasing is certainly one national time pass, which many of this country’s men indulge in freely, unabashedly and shamelessly.
Try as I may it is very hard for me take a dispassionate view on the subject. For me it certainly is not an attention gathering technique! It erodes a girl’s pride and self-esteem and in some cases even drives her to extreme measures. Remember, Sarika Shah, the Chennai based girl who lost her life due to eve teasing. Certainly it is a deeper problem than our society gives it credit.
Some blame Bollywood for glorifying eve teasing. Doesn’t the hero always end up winning the heroine’s heart after some teasing ad chasing? Well, all I can say is that the Indian cinema portrays many other things too; try learning them for a change. Then there is the other section who feels that the women (the victim) must have provoked the action by her behavior or her dress…. if this section will open their eyes, they will notice that girls as young as ten years old or ladies as old as forty year old or more have been the victim. Please don’t tell me they dress provocatively!!
In any case no matter how hard a women tries to save her modesty by wearing a nine yards sari, jeans or anything, she is still leached at, pawed or even outright groped. And it is utterly humiliating. PERIOD!!
A wise person once said that nature gave women so much power that law never bothered to give her the same. So true…what we need is stronger laws and legislations because at the end of the day eve teasing is not just an attention garnering technique but a criminal offence.
And while we are talking of attention garnering…Guys, try manner, etiquettes, class or even poetry because chivalry is not dead.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Uffffffffffffff PDAs
Have you ever come across couples who are too obviously in love and don’t spare a single moment to proclaim and show their love. I agree that love is in the air and one should never miss a chance to show their love to their beloved. But call me old fashioned, if you want, I certainly feel that certain things are best-told and done in privacy. That’s why excessive Public Display of Affection does not go well with me. And for the first time my sympathies and vote go to our society’s self appointed moral police.
While I find charging and arresting couples for just holding hands and walking, borders on frenzy and is completely barbaric, there are instances when certain people needs to be told, “ look guys you are not the only ones who are in love.” And when words and warnings don’t work, we need something stronger.
Each day I come across so many couples for whom the road, the lanes, the malls, the station and even the rickshaw is…well…a room! Reminds me of a funny incident, once while I and my kid sis had gone to catch a movie, a couple came and sat next to me. Soon this we-can’t-get-our-hands-off each other couple started doing what young, in-love people do best; forcing me shut my ears and provoking me (a girl blessed with amazing tolerance level) to say, “Get a room!!”
Yes guys excessive public display of affection is a turn off and such people should learn a lesson or two from Punjab-da-putter singer Mika and the charismatic Richard Gere who have learnt the hard way that kissing (and other forms of PDAs) in India is injurious to both health and wealth.
While I find charging and arresting couples for just holding hands and walking, borders on frenzy and is completely barbaric, there are instances when certain people needs to be told, “ look guys you are not the only ones who are in love.” And when words and warnings don’t work, we need something stronger.
Each day I come across so many couples for whom the road, the lanes, the malls, the station and even the rickshaw is…well…a room! Reminds me of a funny incident, once while I and my kid sis had gone to catch a movie, a couple came and sat next to me. Soon this we-can’t-get-our-hands-off each other couple started doing what young, in-love people do best; forcing me shut my ears and provoking me (a girl blessed with amazing tolerance level) to say, “Get a room!!”
Yes guys excessive public display of affection is a turn off and such people should learn a lesson or two from Punjab-da-putter singer Mika and the charismatic Richard Gere who have learnt the hard way that kissing (and other forms of PDAs) in India is injurious to both health and wealth.
Trust me Trust Me is worth a read (my thoughts on Trust Me, a novel by Rajshree)
What attracted me first towards this book was its bright, colorful and comic cover page and while the cliché don’t judge a book by its cover goes; I purchased it nevertheless hoping it wont let me down. Trust Me by Rajshree is the story of small town girl Parvati who comes to the city of dreams in the hope of becoming an art director in the glamorous mad ad world. She falls for hi-fi choreographer Karan and takes his dishonorable intentions as love; ultimately the poor girl suffers heartbreak and an abortion. Taking advantage of her vulnerability her boss makes a move on her. The incident teaches her a very important lesson “All men are bastards.” Her friends who know more about men and their philandering ways support her through her heartbreak.
Soon she starts working for a film production unit and a young actor Rahul proclaims his love for her in true Bollywood style.
The plot is simple with no major twists and turns perhaps even predictable but the characters are realistic. Any girl who has been in a relation where lust overtakes love will be able to relate with Parvati. The book also throws light on a woman’s complex and undeciding nature. If you are expecting a cinematic and dramatic plot, the book might disappoint you. The story is real and the characters are everyday characters you can find anywhere. That’s the strong point of the book. Also there are many funny instances and twists, which guarantee a good laugh. Not a bad debut over all.
So trust me guys (or more likely girls) get a warm cuppa of coffee, curl up and enjoy this chic-lit.
Soon she starts working for a film production unit and a young actor Rahul proclaims his love for her in true Bollywood style.
The plot is simple with no major twists and turns perhaps even predictable but the characters are realistic. Any girl who has been in a relation where lust overtakes love will be able to relate with Parvati. The book also throws light on a woman’s complex and undeciding nature. If you are expecting a cinematic and dramatic plot, the book might disappoint you. The story is real and the characters are everyday characters you can find anywhere. That’s the strong point of the book. Also there are many funny instances and twists, which guarantee a good laugh. Not a bad debut over all.
So trust me guys (or more likely girls) get a warm cuppa of coffee, curl up and enjoy this chic-lit.
Of birds, bees and moral policing (an ode to Sigmund Freud)
The moral police have done it again. Now they have a problem with a legitimate concept of sex education at schools. Ideally, parents should impart sex education, but our society has a long way to go before sex education becomes a part of conversation between parents and children. The next best option thus is schools and teachers. Those who do not get guidance from these sources are likely to turn to pornography, blue films and other such illegitimate means. Needless to say, they will then have concocted theories about sex.
Before making sweeping statements like, “Sex education is a western illness,” the moral police of this country should get a reality check. India is the second most populated country, where AIDS and sexual offences are on the rise (remember the brutal Nithari killings). Children who are aware are less likely to fall prey to sexual offences because when you know better, you do better.
Lastly I wonder what Mr.Sigmund Freud; the man who introduced us to concept of Id, Ego and Super Ego might be feeling?? He probably must be cringing in his grave that why the land which gave Kamasutra to the world is not promoting sex education and safe sex among its younger clan.
Before making sweeping statements like, “Sex education is a western illness,” the moral police of this country should get a reality check. India is the second most populated country, where AIDS and sexual offences are on the rise (remember the brutal Nithari killings). Children who are aware are less likely to fall prey to sexual offences because when you know better, you do better.
Lastly I wonder what Mr.Sigmund Freud; the man who introduced us to concept of Id, Ego and Super Ego might be feeling?? He probably must be cringing in his grave that why the land which gave Kamasutra to the world is not promoting sex education and safe sex among its younger clan.
Nation’s obsession or plain Media hype
· Aishwarya’s mehndi ceremony held with élan.
· Abhi’s wedding dress designed by so and so.
· SRK and Rani Mukherjee not invited.
If I have missed any other details, my heartfelt apologies but turn into any newspaper or switch on any news channel and you will get all the dope. After all it is the wedding of the century and we all need to know the nitty-gritty’s of the Ash-Abhishek wedding. So what half of the country is more worried about the soaring temperature and an even soaring inflation rate or the over crowded trains and jam-packed roads. The media has taken up the responsibility to tell us everything about this major issue gripping the country.
Agreed this is India- the land where films and cricket are the two main religions and considering our Men in blue gave a very dismal performance in the World Cup, the next best news making area is the films. And when you are talking about Hindi films, how can you forget the Bachchans, whatever they do have to become news. This is no small feat; it is the wedding of Hindi film industry’s most eligible bachelor to one of the most beautiful women of the world. Surely it has to be told, repeated and made into a huge tamasha!!
Harmless voyeurism aside, is the nation actually obsessing over the wedding?? The answer is a big, bold “NO”. If the media people will go out and interact with the junta, they will get a much needed reality check. Nobody really cares how Vivek Oberoi is feeling or what is going on in the other big filmi khandaan-the Kapoor family. We have enough problems of our own to give two hoots to their issues. So again I ask the unanswered question, why create such a hue and cry over a normal and simple thing like a wedding. After all everybody one day has it. As if things were not enough we also had a lovelorn, ditched young starlet giving her sob story to every news channel about how she was dumped by the small B. Media, being media gave it the same importance as it gave the Virginia University shootout story. Every time I switched on a news channel I could see a fresh twist to Jhanvi’s story.
Newsprint and other technologies do not come cheap and costs heavenly, if the present media cannot utilize these costs judiciously, give the reins to us younger generation we’ll do something better. Lastly I feel what the other newly weds Arun-Liz who got married last month (or was it before that) are feeling; perhaps reminiscing fondly about their fifteen minutes of fame.
· Abhi’s wedding dress designed by so and so.
· SRK and Rani Mukherjee not invited.
If I have missed any other details, my heartfelt apologies but turn into any newspaper or switch on any news channel and you will get all the dope. After all it is the wedding of the century and we all need to know the nitty-gritty’s of the Ash-Abhishek wedding. So what half of the country is more worried about the soaring temperature and an even soaring inflation rate or the over crowded trains and jam-packed roads. The media has taken up the responsibility to tell us everything about this major issue gripping the country.
Agreed this is India- the land where films and cricket are the two main religions and considering our Men in blue gave a very dismal performance in the World Cup, the next best news making area is the films. And when you are talking about Hindi films, how can you forget the Bachchans, whatever they do have to become news. This is no small feat; it is the wedding of Hindi film industry’s most eligible bachelor to one of the most beautiful women of the world. Surely it has to be told, repeated and made into a huge tamasha!!
Harmless voyeurism aside, is the nation actually obsessing over the wedding?? The answer is a big, bold “NO”. If the media people will go out and interact with the junta, they will get a much needed reality check. Nobody really cares how Vivek Oberoi is feeling or what is going on in the other big filmi khandaan-the Kapoor family. We have enough problems of our own to give two hoots to their issues. So again I ask the unanswered question, why create such a hue and cry over a normal and simple thing like a wedding. After all everybody one day has it. As if things were not enough we also had a lovelorn, ditched young starlet giving her sob story to every news channel about how she was dumped by the small B. Media, being media gave it the same importance as it gave the Virginia University shootout story. Every time I switched on a news channel I could see a fresh twist to Jhanvi’s story.
Newsprint and other technologies do not come cheap and costs heavenly, if the present media cannot utilize these costs judiciously, give the reins to us younger generation we’ll do something better. Lastly I feel what the other newly weds Arun-Liz who got married last month (or was it before that) are feeling; perhaps reminiscing fondly about their fifteen minutes of fame.
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