An act of defiance

 

 

Mallika Sarabhai

Women Activist Every morning I am faced with the half naked body of some woman or the other, displaying, usually, a huge cleavage, close to the banner headline on the front page of my newspapers. Now I am not talking of starting my day with a yellow rag. My  morning starts with purportedly the two leading English language papers of the country. But in the midst of screaming banner headlines about nuclear deals or Pratibha Patil’s ascent as President of India, they still feel the necessity of anonymous breasts next to their mastheads.

I often wonder at this. Is this supposed to titillate me as I have my morning chai? Does it titillate or excite or ‘make ready for the day ahead’ the male of the species?

This photo is followed closely by at least one other half naked woman on the business pages – often showing off the latest techno gadget. More energy boosts for male readers who dream of both the gadget and the woman? 

And then suddenly one day I am confronted with a totally different kind of half naked figure on the front pages – a shy but defiant woman, in her bra and panty, holding a bat, walking down the street of conservative Rajkot to protest torture at the hands of her husband and in laws.  

Now whatever the recently strident moral brigade of this country might have us believe, nakedness is not new. Think of the naked sadhus you see on the street. In all my years I have never been sure where one is decently supposed to look when they stalk past you. Media happily broadcasts semi-naked and naked sadhus live from the ghats of Allahabad. Perhaps I am just not spiritual enough. 

Or take the pictures of all the naked women, mostly Dalit, that our gram Panchayats regularly parade through the villages for some minor offence of their men folk. No-one seems the least bit shocked or sexually excited by them. Or for that matter the nudity on our temple walls. We have examples of cave-temples such as Elephanta, Ellora and Khajuraho among others. Why then such a tumult about Pooja Chauhan? For a minute think of the modern Indian woman in our cities or towns. She is surrounded by the booming economy, with all the riches offered through shops and the media. Her role models, for want of others, are the  women shown draped over goods or men in ads, or on TV shows. Yet she lives still in a society so hypocritical that she is crushed to death by the weight of keeping up the family maryada whatever be the circumstances. Her parents are also caught in the same grind, where they feel that once married, they have fulfilled their duty of getting rid of her, and then it is her karma whether she sinks or swims. She is entirely left on her own to bear the brunt of medieval mentality. She is supposed to bear all the tortures inflicted by her in-laws, pour kerosene over her and keep mum for ever.

And then one woman decided enough is enough. And protests the only way she can, throwing caution aside, knowing that this act of defiance will cost her every relationship she has. That the defiance can never lead to a calmer life, for society will close ranks around her and make her the temptress, the whore, the shameless one. Think hard of the desperation that must have pushed her into doing what she did.  

Yet what are the repercussions? Instead of rushing to her side to protect her from the immense torture meted out to her, the police and civil society decides that she has shamed “Indian morality”! Even women’s groups decide to “look into the matter” to see whether there is more to it than meets the eye. And her husband yells that she has been married before and is therefore a “loose character”.  

To Pooja I say, bravo! Bravo for the courage to protest in a way that must have caused you a thousand deaths, for there are few courageous people who will jeopardize their everything for justice. And to those other tormented women in India who need to protest I say, do it. For even if you think no change will be brought, it will.

It is time that the victimized throw the fear of societal disapproval to the winds, and take do or die steps. For one day, soon, the tide must turn. And the victory will be sweet only if the victims have engineered it with fearlessness and courage, thinking of ever unique means of protest. Gandhiji would have been proud of your defiance. March on.