29.9.06

Night Action in Vasant Vihar!




1] Sparse attendance was, er, an under-statement. However, thinking back to the evening, I realise that sparse attendance was not the problem, given our agenda - of putting up posters and stencilling. Vasant Vihar the Priya complex esp, is a place where most women do feel safe. There isn't much groping etc. But even within safe areas, there are pockets of discomfort. For instance, there are benches and sort-of squares/round platforms (?) where young people sit. Girls will sit there in groups or with male friends but never alone.

My thought - do we want to tackle this sort of discomfort, as opposed to active eve-teasing/harassment, at this stage?

2] Once outside the complex, the roads were completely deserted, from a feminine perspective. We did not attract that much unwanted attention because we were three women accompanied by four men. But there was no other woman out on the roads at that time, though this is a residential area, more or less, and it was only 10 pm. We did talk to people who came up to ask what we were upto. (Since there was a BBC radio guy there, with a mike in his hand, that led to a different kind of conversation.

Abigail adds: having someone from BBC with a microphone led to a somewhat different interaction--but it was interesting as during these actions we often do not engage with the public. A few men on the street were interviewed regarding their views on eve-teasing, whether they thought the way we were approaching the problem was correct, etc.

One of the men said that in his 23 years he has never eve-teased a girl. When asked how he would react the next time a woman was teased in front of him, if he would speak up, he said he could--but what can one person say or do? He can speak up but it won't change the fact that everyone else is still taking part in it or still silently watching. He also mentioned cases of violence against those who spoke out against harassment when it happened with the women in their family.

Another man was of the opinion that men will not eve-tease in a public place, that the presence of the public will stop them. But "agar by chance" it happens all the woman has to do is say something and they will come to her aid.

The comments made I thought were generally positive, even if they tended to be of the nature, "I've heard it happens" or "occasionally it happens...").




Back to Annie:
3] Good moment - a car full of drunk young men slowed down near us while we were stencilling near a bus-stop. One young chap got down to talk to me. I read out some of the testimonials we were painting on the roads. He asked to be allowed to spray-paint (and did a good job). His friends in the car were acting dismissing and tittering. He turned around and told them "It happened to my sister too." That, rather effectively, shut them up.



4] Unpleasant moment - one of the stops where we put posters turned out to be a sort of hangout place for another bunch of teenaged boys - this is where they hid their cache of booze, we think. They were already somewhat drunk, perhaps, or perhaps were annoyed with us for being in their way... they passed some comments, after reading the poster. Like, "Oh, so you are not allowed to touch, to look, to whistle... make sure you don't whistle, yaar, but what you should do is go up to the girl, tell her to make friendship; that's what you should do." This was not, strictly speaking,a wrong thing to say, but was said with a smirk and with deliberate sarcasm.
How is one to deal with responses like that? Should we deal with them at all?




5] I think we need to work out different strategies for different areas of action. We need to think of doing more than just putting up posters or stencils or testimonials at night. Maybe build up an idea (and material) bank. Anybody who has new ideas could mail Jasmeen and let's see if something workable works out.



These are: Annie Zaidi and Abigail Crisman's thoughts, Melissa Zuroff's photos.
Email us at:blurtblanknoise@gmail.com


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NIGHT ACTION!

(Please note: this is the new plan)
Time: 9 pm, Friday, 29th Sept.
Meeting at: Barista, Priya complex, Vasant Vihar.

This time we tackle Vasant Vihar, some parts of which should be fairly crowded on a Friday night, but curiously, the 'safe' zone ends immediately outside Priya theatre complex. The plan is to meet at this complex and then take a walk round to another market nearby, and back to the Priya complex, with posters, stencils, paint, Blank Noise etc.

(If you're media we'd appreciate that you call us, talk to participants and understand where we're coming from rather than show up, misunderstand, factually distort and misrepresent. But hey, you already know that!)

Hope to see you all there!

20.9.06

Night Action Plan. 2


Calling Action Heroes

Blank Noise Project, Delhi calls you to engage in our 'Night Action Plan 2'

Where: Lajpat Nagar Market

Date: Friday, Sept 29th


Time: 9 pm


criteria: wear something you always wanted to but could not.

Walk includes some talk. food. drink and 'action'

warning: (Action might require people to sprint, hide, run)

We will arrange for taxis to get home. Blank Noise will be grateful if people lend their cars for public service.

( Last Friday's Night Action Plan was between Dilli Haat and Sarojini Nagar Market.
Over the course of 2 months we propose to have testimonials of street sexual harassment all over Delhi with a new location every week.)

18.9.06

T SHIRTS FOR AUTOS!


DEDICATED TO ALL THE LADIES IN INDIA WHO HAVE TRAVELLED BY AUTOS AND HAVE HAD AUTO WALLAS ADJUSTING THEIR REARVIEW MIRRORS. GIVE IT BACK LADIES! KYA DEKH RAHE HO?


BLANK NOISE T SHIRTS ARE AVAILIABLE IN SMALL, MEDIUM, + LARGE. THEY ARE BOTH SLEEVELESS AND WITH SLEEVE. MAIL US AND WE WILL HAVE IT SENT TO YOU. THANKYOU!
The ts maybe dedicated to women in india but are for any/every woman. ( In future, the t will also be in SOME regional languages- kannada, telegu, tamil...respond and you will hear from us)

Buy a set of 3 for Rs. 300 and gift it to your friends!

Each Shirt costs Rs. 160/

To buy a t shirt email us at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com and we will get back to you. Thankyou!

T'S were created at a public art residency in KHOJ, Delhi.

16.9.06

SOME MORE NOISE- calling volunteers

REMINDER- SUNDAY/ SOUTH EX SUBWAY-'SOME MORE NOISE'
CALLING VOLUNTEERS!


COMING UP: BLANK NOISE Ts for AUTO RIDES

NIGHT ACTION PLAN 1- DELHI





ACTION HEROES: ANNIE ZAIDI. MONICA MODY. LEZLEY. DEEPA. SOMINI SENGUPTA. ABIGAIL CRISMAN. SAUMYA AGARWAL.LAMAT. +1, SUJATA SARKAR, SAMVEDNA, PRIYA, ASTHA, SUSANLink, EKTA JATWANI, DEEPTI, NILANJANA ROY, AKSHARA.....

THANKYOU MANOJ, RAHUL BHATTACHARYA, , SIDDARTH KARARWAL, ARUN, HEMANT, RAMESH, KHOJ STUDIOS.........

The news media was present.
video: watch the CNNIBN coverage!
print: The Hindu / Delhi News Online

14.9.06

SOME MORE NOISE- calling volunteers

SOME MORE NOISE - is a sound and performance intervention scheduled for Sept 17th at South Ex Subway, New Delhi

Blank Noise calls for volunteers, both male and female !

To participate please call 98734 85284 immediately!


The show will be put together with the Blank Noise Team, Delhi. Thanking Raj Shekhar for working on the audio interviews.
Supported by Khoj Public Art Residency and Ashoka Foundation

13.9.06

Night Action Plan




Blank Noise Project, Delhi calls you to engage in our 'Night Action Plan'

where: Our Friday Night Action Plan begins from Delhi Haat at 9 pm------girl's hostel------towards Sarojini Nagar Market.

criteria:
wear something you always wanted to but could not.

Walk includes some talk. food. drink and 'action'

warning: (Action might require people to sprint, hide, run)

Confirm by calling Blank Noise Delhi at 98734 85284

We will arrange for taxis to get home. Blank Noise will be grateful if people lend their cars for public service.



11.9.06

South Ex Subway- NEW DELHI






photos taken by Abhishek Baxi.

Participants include: Priyanka Varma. Annie Zaidi. Nidhi. Saumya Agarwal. Naveena. Abhishek Baxi. Shravya. Mona. Abigail Crisman.

COMING SOON!

7.9.06

SUNDAY MEET- (DELHI)

DELHI MEETING ON SUNDAY, SEPT 10 AT SOUTH EX PART 1- barista ,4 30 PM. THE MEETING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF SMALL ACTIONS IN THE SUBWAY. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH BLANK NOISE AT 98734 85284 AND CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION.

Dear Stranger in Delhi






Location: Saket PVR. New Delhi

Participants: Abby Crisman. Sveta Venkatraman. Saumya Agarwal.
Svetha Venkatraman, Melisa, Naveena, Megha Rawat, Shreya

Documentation: video-Takahiro

Most of the participants met for the first time. The group participants dispersed testimonials of 'eve teasing'/ street sexual harassment in the form of letters to people (both men and women) present there- Sometimes the testimonials were read out as well.

The testimonials in the letters were of bloggers who participated in the Blank Noise Blogathon earlier this year. Their posts were addressed to strangers signed off as ‘sincerely, just another girl.” Some posts were re written in Hindi. Thanking all bloggers who participated.

Responses: curiousity- defense- surprise- silence- denial
Some listened. Some argued back

A group of young men who had been given the letters walked up to us and wanted to return them.

Sound byte in brief:

Man1 : “ what is this?”

Man 2: “ why have you given this to us? You should give it to men that are doing this.”

Participant's experiences coming up...

The next meeting is scheduled for sunday at 4 30, south ex 1 and will be followed by a small action. To participate contact me at 98734 85284