Sunday, September 25, 2016

Letters to the state 4

Dear Punjab,


There comes a time, when some times we have brilliant movies that move and shake our psyche and our mindset. Pink is one of them, its set closer home, in Delhi and could actually mirror any small or large city in Punjab. An influential young man and his cronies are having a good time, and invite a bunch of girls for dinner and the fact that they are drinking and wearing western outfits makes them available to sex.
The movie raises brilliant questions and asks that just because one is wearing a skirt, or is from the Northeast they are available for sex?
Where is it written or unwritten in the manual code of Manu that this means that they would go all the way?
Why do our men think that if the girl is laughing is smiling and she is drinking with them it means her morals are missing? Does it not hold true for men? Why are men allowed to get away with smiling, laughing and drinking and their morals are intact while a woman is leading and tempting them to commit a sin?
Isn’t it interesting that it is women who tempt them by wearing clothes, laughing, touching while talking and even sharing an alcoholic drink? Why are men not taught when they are growing up to respect a woman’s choice and her answer?
There is a line where Amitabh (kudos to him, love his bi-polar layer acting who sets a manual code for girls) says we should teach our boys and save them to save the girls. He says, no in itself is a complete sentence. No explanation needed nor should be given.
Why is that the time, the length of the skirt and the fact that they are roaming outside the car can slow down and approach the girl?
And, the hard hitting embarrassing yet truthful dialogs all hit home. Some, people at the theatre kept on saying (in spite of watching the movie) till what level should the girls be taught? What should be the level of education? I am wondering whether we should be gau mata or should we be the embodiment of Shakti /Kali/ Durga as shown by the scriptures?
Why do we threaten? Women are liked and acceptable as long as we are in the boundaries made to suit man.
By the way, this is not a feminist rant nor is it a jhola wearing bra- burning stand, it is just a reflection of our times, where a woman is still questioned and frowned if she reaches the grand old senile age of 30, that how come she is not married? She must have had broken engagements or something must be wrong in her kundli! Or the age-old stigma she must be dark and not fair and lovely!
How I wish this movie is shown to everyone; a done is made to realize that a woman has a right to say No, and even so a wife.
Till we in totality do not treat our women, girls with respect due to them , we cannot be a developed nation. Do not get bogged down by outer clothing , or lay down a moral policing code and for heaven’s do not shame yourself by thinking the northeast girls are easier.
She is not a complex arithmetical code that she is easy or tough . And, the hackneyed arguments of the Indian male so need to change ! The Bhartiya nari changed and is changing, let her soar and fly !


Yours ,
A happy , impressed viewer .

Ps: woman viewer .

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