The Pink Chaddi Campaign...

Its so good to see this campaign by The Consortium of Pubgoing, Loose and Forward Women being mentioned all around. It sure has worked. :)
Initially like many others even I thought it was a little over the top.

But this post by Indyeah is an answer to all our questions. Afterall its a symbol. A colour considered feminine.... she compares it to choodis or bangles...She says "....When in rural India women send a man a bunch of 'choodis'(bangles)to a man they detest,it is a symbolic protest.They are aware that bangles are not docile or feminine,they know that they, the women have strength unlike any man....and yet they send the choodis to the man to make him feel humiliated to make him feel inferior.Chudiyaan ,they symbolize the ultimate humiliation for a man in India and question his err...manhood....He is as good as called an impotent.That is the message sent by rural women."

Read this article on Times of India: Mangalore Mayor serves legal notice to Renuka Chowdhury

What Ms. Chowdhury was so absolutely right!!
WTF.... Ram sena has been given the "RIGHT" to trample over all the rights of All WOMEN. And the only political leader who has the guts (or shouldi say B***s which others lack) to criticise is being served a legal notice. This is the most ridiculous thing.

Also read this article -Girl commits suicide after alleged humiliation.
And I am surprised that no case has been booked against the Sangh parivar activists. Rather have not read any news that.
You know till a few months back i was living in world of wonderland, thinking thatwomen have come a long way. But I see all this and ask" Have We? " or are we going backwards in time..
How many more such battles do we have to fight. And all on our own. Feels like the words "Law & Order" have completely lost their meaning in the hands of politicians.

Wish that there were Special courts for handling cases involving politicans and a specific timeline within which the verdict shall be given. Afterall its our tax money right.

An incident recollected..- A father's gift

There was this uncle me and my mom met last year when I was in India and we were traveling to Bhopal . Uncle was going to Delhi.

And my mom has this habit of sleeping for hours at a stretch in the train. She gets up only for meals. And I just put a blanket around her and began to read a magazine.

Uncle notices this and says "Only a daughter does this."
But I didn't quite agree as I knew that if dad was traveling with us, he would have done the same. In fact then, I would have been asleep too. :)
And he says " No- I am only comparing a daughter and a son. Not talking about how a father or a husband would have acted"
Another passenger who was listening to our conversation chips in and says " Yes ! I have a daughter and son, and I can say you are right"

"Well, there are exceptions" - I say thinking about one or two guys I knew whom I could imagine acting precisely like the way I did.

1st uncle:" I am not talking about exceptions "
(I just wanted to agree with him and end the conversation and get back to my magazine )
I smile and turn back to read.

"Do you have a brother ? "
Me: "No, a sister"

Uncle smiles "I have 2 daughters too, and I have taught them and my wife self defense. They can operate a gun. I have two licensed pistols "
(And, by now I have put my magazine aside )
I look at him wondering how much of this conversation do i discount.

He says " I am a retired army man you see.." (well- he actually didn't say armyman. He mentioned his rank, which I dont quite recall. My apologies for not remembering )

"...and i was posted at all different locations. They stayed back for studies. I just wanted them to be able to take care of themselves"

"Oh !" I smile impressed

And I think what a stark contrast. There are two army men I encountered en route on a train at different points in time and such a drastic difference. Will talk about the other army guy some other time though. (Afterall, this is this uncle's story)

I was so totally impressed with uncles way of thinking and in awe :)

My only self defense (back when i was in college) when I saw some guys following & eve-teasing on the roads, was to go via the police station route. Everyone just vanished before the last turn :)
But today I guess a formal self defense training, or a pepper spray is what we need to ward off people who pose threat to our freedom.

We need people to empower their daughters to take on this world. We need many more such uncles.

Tagged....

Indyeah Tagged a few of us to tell more about ourselves with the help of Pics :)
So here goes...

1.Your age on your next birthday
hmmm...the cake refused to take any more candles long ago :)

2. A place you’d like to travel to
has to be Kashmir, went there as a kid. Would like to go again

3. Your Favorite place
Nothing Beats home, does it? :)

4. Your favorite food/drink


Dosa
&

Samosas

&


& Chai, chai , chai, Chaiiiyyaaa.. Garma garam Chaiya..
As they sell it on railway station :)

5. Your favorite pet
Hmmm... favourite pet ??

haha.. Not too fond of pets..

6. Your favorite color combination

7. Your favorite piece of clothing

Comfy Jeans :)

8. Your all time favorite song

Jab koi baat...

9. Your favorite TV show:


Hey Indyeah, even I Love Dr. House
his way of deducing a diagnosis is so unique..

I also like NCIS

10. Full name of your significant other
Well, does it matter? Afterall a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet ;)

11. The town in which you live

Currently..Middle of nowhere !!

12. Your screen name/nickname:

13. Your first job

14. Your Dream Job

15: Bad Habit you have

16. Your fear:

Heights & Rides !!

17. The one thing you would like to do before you die

Confess, I guess :(

18. The first thing you’ll buy if you get $1,000,000

Yipppeee, Vacation...........

19.Your favourite credo in life.:)

"Dont take life seriously because you cant come out of it alive" - Warren Miller

And now whoever reads this is tagged :)

yesterday v/s today

This post by Alankrita is so true..

Yesterday : It irritated me when these people came from US for a vacation and cribbed about everything...I just couldn't stand them. would glare at them and ask why did you come here for a vacation?
Today: Sadly, I wonder if I would be one among them

Yesterday: One of the first things i wanted to check with my then prospective husband was "hopefully you are not planning to settle in US" And his response was no, Of course not - But I plan on working there for a while...
Today: My question: How long is a while?

Yesterday: One year of struggle with myself for the choices ' I ' made.. Well, It was my choice to leave it all back there and come here, rather than stay apart for a while. So I had no one else to blame.
Today: The frustrations have kinda died thankfully, and I am more open to embrace a life different from the one I had planned but nevertheless good.

Yesterday: I saw kids here ( in early teens) and thought that they have lost their childhood too soon. and I always wanted to raise kids in India
Today: I see all these politicians and think we have lost our freedom too soon.

Shiv sena/ MNS curbing our freedom to live in any part of India, telling us that UPites are different from Maharashtrians, telling us how to brand our business in a way that pleases them..
I see Ram sena telling us what to wear, not only that - forcing us in a way so pervert, it fills me with disgust.
I read about a man beating his wife in public for wearing jeans - for something that he does everyday!!!

I dont say women are not beaten here, sure they are- but atleast the cops dont hush it up as a family matter..

I see all this and think- Am i prepared to have my wings clipped? Am I prepared to be treated like dirt by some a** h***s defining for me what 'my' culture is...