Created by Action Hero Viji Chari
in response to her experience with Meet To Sleep
" This was the second Meet To Sleep event I attended. Both time with my little daughter. And this time was really different from the first - here's how:
The first time I did it for myself and for my child. I couldn't sleep, I had a book and a sheet to feel safe. And i was very self conscious. The space was beautiful and I did end up dozing off in the winter sun but woke up to every sound.
The second time I did it for a larger cause. And my way of participating was to challenge myself. So no book, no sheet. I stared at the longest time at the lovely canopy and then fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
What really helped was Jasmeen's briefing at the start. Where the intent was communicated so well. And at the end, the sharing was longer and helped connect to the movement mot deeply. It was weird and yet so natural that a group of strangers felt a sense of safety in each others' presence.
When my 11-year old daughter was hearing the adults share, she kept whispering back to me, "what is the big deal about sleeping in a park". While she may be too young to understand this, my hope is that with movements such as these, she would continue to ask this question even as an adult woman living in India. "
We continue to work with full force towards building a large scale installation of garments to end victim blame. In 2016, we look forward to research, collaborations, workshops, talks , interventions, live action, fund raisers, new projects and much more. We look forward to working with you. Sign up to volunteer and or intern with Blank Noise in 2016.
Meet To Sleep Pune Bangalore Jaipur Delhi "I want to 'Meet To Sleep' because in three years, I've never been in a public space without being afraid for my safety. I want to reclaim this city and the places that are as much mine as they are anybody else's." - Action Hero Avani Tandon Vieira
"' Meet To Sleep' asks us to replace our fear with trust, and it's not an easy thing to do. It will be my first experiment with trust, and I'm excited to see how it goes."- Action Hero Kat Lieder Lahore Karachi Islamabad Bombay
" I must admit the thought of not being in control in a public park petrifies me and it is precisely because of that that I'd like to do this." - Action Hero Chryselle
Students, now 'Action Heroes' at Srishti Institute Of Art Design and Technology worked with Blank Noise through the Interim Semester in 2014. Action Heroes walked the Bangalore Pride, 2014 asking the question " What do you wish for? What do you dream of ? What do you ask for ?"
" Everyone is entitled to live a life of dignity. Humiliation is what we're fighting against.
Our demand before the parliament is that the law needs to be repealed. We need to ensure that the Union Of India moves to repeal this particular law. ..and when this law goes... a social attitude is transformed, and that is our objective. " - Arvind Narrain.
* Siddarth Narainexamines blame through the I Never Ask For It text series.
" For those who are lucky to have supportive family, liberal peer groups, exposure to support
groups, or LGBT communities, the feeling of guilt is gradually replaced with that
of pride, pride in being different.
Coming to terms with one’s sexuality and the norms and practices of one’s community is a life long project. Part of this process is to recognize and deal with the phenomenon of victim-blame. I.e. the impulse to blame oneself, or someone from one’s own “community” for being at the receiving end, violence or stigma. If we are not careful, this then becomes an easy narrative, hiding more structural
problems of discrimination. "
*
Send a garment you wore when you experienced any form of sexual or gender based violence/ discrimination. Be a force to end victim blame. I Never Ask For It.
Action Hero Abhishek New Delhi, India
Once, while walking out of the college, a group of men followed me till the Metro station. They all were whispering but their giggles let out insulting gestures and they seemed 'amused' by me. One of them followed me till the inside and then I knew, it was enough.
I turned back to the perpetrator, something that we are ingrained to dodge and asked what his 'problem' was. I didn't seem very entertaining to him after that.
"I like dressing in colours, in different styles that could are often dubbed as 'weird for a boy' or are seen as gender subversive but even when I do dress in the simplest gender conforming clothes, something as simple as a red and white checked shirt, things don't always change. I still often find myself in a web of stares and unsaid questions on the streets but I pledge not to loose my colours. They are here to stay and so am I.
Be a force to end victim blame. I Never Ask For It.
Moments Of A Long Pause was commissioned by theBronx Museum of Arts towards the exhibition, Street Art, Street Life in 2008.
Moments of a Long Pause is a two channel video installation based on interviews with men and women on the streets of 5 cities in India (Delhi, Agra, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Calcutta) . The video brings men and women in a conversation about dealing with sexual harassment, sexual violence, flirting, play, wooing, 'teasing'. The dialogue between the 2 monitors explores feelings of shame, blame, guilt, denial, fear ,resistance.
Video edit space supported by Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany.
Medium- 2 channel video. duration- 18 minutes loop Thank you : Annie Zaidi, Hemangini Gupta, Dana Roy, Gogol, Smriti Chanchani, Umang Bhattacharya, Nupur Mathur, Timo Boeker (edit).
The original two channel video has been edited to be viewed on one screen for youtube only. To screen Moments Of A Long Pause to a larger group :
( To view the version above)
i) Permission.
Write to us at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com, subject titled Moments Of A Long Pause.
Moments of a Long Pause is now online, and we encourage you to share
BUT but taking permission prior screening is good practice :)
We promise to be prompt in writing back.
ii) Documentation
Document the screening. Take photos. Videos.
Tweet #MomentsOfALongPause @blank_noise
Write a short report ( 250 words) .
Send it our way.
ii)Support
screening Moments Of A Long Pause, requests a screening fee and we encourage you to contribute generously. Email in for bank details.
If you would like to install Moments Of A Long Pause, as the two channel video installation ( 2 monitors facing each other with audience sat in between), write to us and we can send you the original files along with a tool kit for installation.
Photo from June 2013 Suzette Jordan walked a protest march organised by Maitree in Calcutta Suzette walked reclaiming self pride. Revealing her identity. Not my shame. Not my fault. I Never Ask For It
• September 30th. 2016. The prime accused Khader Khan was arrested in delhi along with his accomplice Ali Khan Source reference •
December 12th. 2015.
The government has removed the state public prosecutor Sarbani Roy from her job, because she requested and suggested minimum punishment for the three convicted. Law Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that it was " wrong of Sarbani Roy who was representing the state to seek minimum punishment when they have already been declared guilty by the judge". Source reference
•
December 11th. 2015.
Sumit Bajaj, Nasir Khan, Ruman Khan have been given the minimum sentence of ten years for gang rape by the Kolkata Sessions Court. The state lawyer Sarbani Roy did not request the maximum sentence. She told the judge that they were not the prime accused.
•
December 10th. 2015.
The three who went through trial, Sumit Bajaj, Nasir Khan, Ruman Khan have been convicted. Forty five witnesses were examined through the trial.
The sentence will be announced on December 11th, 2015.
Five were accused of gang rape. The two who have been missing are Qadir Khan (main accused) and Ali Khan.
Nasir and Ruman were charged with gangrape. threatening. beating her up.
Sumit Bajaj - was charged for gangrape
•
Suzette Jordan - Herstory
February 5. 2012
Suzette Jordan is gang raped by five men in a car.
On the night of February 5, Suzette Jordan was at a pub with her friends at Park Hotel, Park Street, Kolkata. Suzette’s friends left the pub over the course of the evening. Suzette had been waiting for a taxi to get back home. A man, Ruman who had befriended her at the bar, offered to drop Suzette home. Sumit drove a Honda city.
Suzette got in the car.
Sumit Bajaj and Ruman Khan were in the car.
Sumit Bajaj auto locked the car. Ali, Qadir and Nasir got in the vehicle.
Details: Suzette Jordan medical examination reports could not confirm rape, but doctors attributed this to the 9 days delay between her assault and her medical check-up.
Car and CCTV footage among other evidence is examined by Kolkata police
The white Honda Civic belonging to Sumit Bajaj, one of the accused, is sent for a forensic test and the CCTV footage of the nightclub was also sent to the cyber lab.
Mamata Banerjee accuses Suzette of fabricating the story to malign the government.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that the incident was “cooked up” to “malign the government”.
Trinamool Congress leader and Sports Minister Madan Mitra said that he not only did he question the morality of the woman but went on to say that the complaint was fabricated to extort money.
He then asked, “She has two children and so far as I know she is separated from her husband. What was she doing at a night club so late in the night?”
At the state secretariat, a government spokesman asked whether Suzette Jordan was involved with an escort service and referred to an old case of cheating against her father. Source reference
•
February 19th, 2012
Sumit Bajaj, Nasir Ali and Ruman Khan, three accused are arrested .
Qadir Khan ( the main accused ) and Ali escape from the state. Sources say they have left the country.
The perpetrators had fake identities at Park Hotel's club on February 5 where they had approached Suzettte Jordan.
Two Sub Inspectors of the Park Street Police Station Saikat Neogi and Manish Singh who had blamed Suzette Jordan when she went to the police station are removed from the post.
Suzette Jordan was instead offered a beer by the two sub inspectors, followed by the comment
" Just because things didn't go your way, you are accusing people of rape? "
It is reported (2015) that Saikat Neogi and Manish Singh are now back and promoted in Kolkata police station.
The Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police Damayanti Sen confirmed the gang rape of Suzette Jordan. Damayanti Sen confirmed the rape, in an environment where Mamata Banerjee , Chief Minister, Madan Mitra ( MP Trinamool Congress) , Kakoli Ghosh ( MP Trinamool Congress) were disbelieving and victim blaming Suzette.
Two days after confirming the gang rape, Damayanti Sen and Jawed Shamim , Joint Commissioner of Police had to rush to the state secretariat and 'clarify' their stand to Mamata Banerjee Chief Minister.
Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Damayanti Sen, leading Suzette Jordan's case is transferred to Barrackpore . Damayanti Sen is replaced by Joint Commissioner , Pallab Kanti Ghosh.
" More than the probe, my personal life has become important for the media, which I feel very disturbed about. I wanted to clarify this. " - Damayanti Sen
The investigators charge the accused persons Sumit Bajaj, Ruman Khan and Nasir Khanunder Section 376 (2) (g) of IPC (committing gang rape),Section 506 (criminal intimidation),Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a senior leader of Mamata Banerjee's party, said that the rape, "the incident was a misunderstanding between a woman and her 'client' .”
Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a senior leader of Mamata Banerjee's party, said that the Suzette Jordan case was not of case of sexual assault but a misunderstanding during a deal between a woman and her "client". Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is a member of parliament from the Trinamool Congress party.
Charges are framed against three accused. Two are missing.
The court framed charges of gang rape, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation against three of the accused namely Ruman Khan alias Tussie, Nasir Khan and Sumit Bajaj.
In camera trial of the case starts in Kolkata Sessions court .
Madhuchanda Bose, the judge of the fast track court, explained the decision of holding the trial in camera saying the incident was sensitive. The next hearing will take place on March 13-14.
After months of being discriminated and further stigmatised , Suzette has a job. Suzette begins to work with women who have experienced sexual violence and trauma. Suzette initiates a support group.
Suzette Jordan " I am Suzette Jordan, not just ' The Park Street Rape Victim".
Not My Shame. Not My Fault. I Never Ask For It.
" I am Suzette Jordan, not just ' The Park Street Rape Victim".
" Why should I hide my face when it wasn't my fault? " "I am tired of hiding my real identity. I am tired of this society's rules and regulations. I am tired of being made to feel ashamed. I am tired of feeling scared because I have been raped. Enough is enough!", Suzette to BBC
"I was made to feel like I was the one responsible for the assault. Because I had come out of the nightclub [with a man], I was made to feel that I invited rape."
"But I am trying. I am forcing myself to get over the fear. I can't stop living because I am a rape victim."
Don't distort my voice, don't blur my picture," - Suzette Jordan to journalists.
Film on the Suzette Jordan case is cleared for screening
A film based on the Park Street rape case, blocked by the censor board, has been given the go-ahead by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, its producer said Friday. The 107-minute Bengali film directed by Partha Mukherjee and produced by Debjani Roy was 'banned' from being screened by the regional office of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on grounds that Kolkata's Raj-era Park Street was shown in 'poor light' in the context of the rape incident.
Suzette Jordan is referred to as the " Park Street Rape Victim" andrefused entry into Ginger, a restaurant in Kolkata.
Suzette Jordan and a friend are out . Suzette visits Ginger Restaurant and is denied entry. The restaurant manager is questioned. He refers to Suzette as to as a "trouble maker" and " attention seeking ". Ginger authorities goes on to say that " she had an outstanding bill", " was drunk and making a commotion".
Blank Noise initiates a protest action in Kolkata after Suzette is denied entry to Ginger restaurant. Link
Blank Noise Action Heroes and Kolkata activists including Ratnaboli Ray, Anuradha Kapoor stand in solidarity with Suzette. #StandWithSuzette #INeverAskForIt
