Hot News Taaza Samachar

Hot News/ Taaza Samachar (fresh news)
is based on news paper rape reports from 2003




Rape reports Jan 2010:
2 men charged for rape in Goa
3 men charged for rape in Manchester
5 men get 8 year jail term for gang rape in Delhi
1 man slaps a grade 9 student in Bangladesh. Unable to bear the humiliation she commits suicide.


thank you for linking:
TokyoTrini Tumbles

TALK TO THE STATE :

There's some new news that requires you to take immediate thought and action:

A group of NGO's in Bangalore have gotten together to draft a people's manifesto for the city in context to the BBMP elections, addressing various issues like Health,
Transport, Environment, Rights of Transgenders, Public Education etc. The idea behind this manifesto is to create a debate around these issues
amongst people in the 198 wards of the city and to get political parties to take a stand on issues and demands raised by civil society and include
these issues in their own manifesto's.

If you were to ask the state for change / in context to street sexual violence and molestation what would you ask for ?

It could be big, it could be small, think of the state as YOURS and contribute to the people's manifesto. What do you want?

Add to the list in the comments section below or email us-blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com
subject titled " I WANT " (You can send in more than 1 want). Your email will be published on the blog. An edited document based on your response will form the people's manifesto.

You can also contribute by taking this idea outside of the internet- having a conversation or 2 with your neighbours about the same. Please do hurry with sending us your response- we're a little late in putting this message out! (sorry).

TALK TO THE STATE:

Ratna Apnender- I WANT- section 354, IPC to be publicized.

Jasmeen Patheja- I WANT- streets to be lit at night. lit streets make me feel safer. I want a pavement. The streets are for walking. I want a city I can walk in.

Zainab Bawa-I WANT- better street lighting to get over, to some extent, the perception of unsafe-ness that we can feel at night? Can we also ask for improved public transport for lesser mortals like us who don't drive, specifically more buses that ply longer routes than simply point A to majestic/Market/shivajinagar?

Rushitha Samaveda-I WANT-STREET LIGHTS IN PROPER WORKING CONDITIONS IN EACH AND EVERY STREET. Though I am not from Bangalore, I suggest the need of street lights in proper working conditions in each and every street. Though most of our streets have street lamps,do they function?With proper lights, a girl can work more confidently and be alert even if something happens and shot for help.

Paramita Dutta- I WANT- the state to make self defense or martial arts compulsory in all schools and especially in girls' schools as knowing how to defend oneself gives one great confidence and helps one protect oneself from street violence and molestation.

Uma Chandru- I WANT- safer side walks with ramps and special buses/vans for disabled people to get from place to place and ask them to stop evicting the poor children from increasingly gentrified public parks?

Jasmeen Patheja- I DON'T WANT- the state to 'CLEANSE' public parks by removing couples from there.

Rhea Daniel- I WANT-Since most if the street sexual harassment I experienced was as a school kid at a time when I was most vulnerable to it, I WANT compulsory education in schools that teach young girls their rights, improve their self-esteem and also tell them the best way to deal with common means of sexual harassment. Also educate parents not to ignore this problem and talk to their kids about it, and if something happens to them then LISTEN. I WANT other adults to step in when they see a little kid being harassed who doesn't know the difference and not just shake their heads and say --it happens.

Anonymous- I WANT- regarding ashutosh, I want more women officers everywhere! If we can't get more women officers, then get trained, uncorrupted, decent ppl(possibly from Blank noise) who will protect us. I want more women everywhere!! more female bus drivers, more female cab drivers, more female everywhere.. there are simply too many men out there.. we need to show these indecent men how to treat a women! Why do the women only need to be cleaning, why can't they be cab/bus drivers, more female cops.. n so forth.
sidewalks/pavement everywhere, even in private areas where there are only homes..i hate the pavements in blore, they are so hard to walk on.. why can't they just be simple enough for pedestrians to walk??
I want workshops where women are taught about their rights and how to defend themselves..
I want workshops in poor areas, where women are usually abused, they should learn to defend themselves & know their rights as a wife, mother, daughter or aunt or whatever. So they can teach their daughter how to defend themselves & teach their sons how to respect women.
I want the state to give harsher punishments to pedophiles, rapists, sexual assaulters. They should go through a course in jail about women, how they need to be respected and not be treated like a piece of shit!

Dianne Sharma Winter -I WANT- Decent lighting on the streets and suburbs so that women feel safe to walk. I want separate transport for women during rush hour.

I want women police officers who are trained in dealing with complaints of a sexual nature on every corner.I want male police officers to also receive training on how to deal with complaints of sexual abuse.

Chitra Badrinarayan -I WANT- Compulsory education in schools and homes on the right way to treat/talk to/behave with girls/women.

Jasmeen Patheja- I DON'T WANT- separate transport for women because in the long run it only furthers the divide. IT IS NOT A SOLUTION. I admit it makes me feel safer in an immediate sense but I don't want separate transport for women. Instead I WANT the public transport system to communicate that street sexual harassment is a serious offence according to section 354 IPC. I want more women bus conductors, women bus drivers. I WANT the state public transport system to communicate that it will support women who experience harassment regardless of who they are (sex workers or an 80 year old), what they are wearing or where they are. I want the state to take responsibility through communication and not segregation. Blank Noise would like to work on communication with the state.

Hemangini Gupta- I do not want prostitution banned/ more CCTV cameras.
I WANT a follow-up of the request that we made to the DGP during the Fearless Karnataka/Nirbhaya Karnataka protests which was to make police stations less hostile to women who were attempting to file FIRs, especially when these were related to sexual assaults. We had asked for a posting of a memo on all police stations across the state to serve as a constant reminder to police officers that their role was to provide women with accurate information about the process of filing an FIR and to provide them with all assistance, rather than to discourage them or further intimidate them. The context might have changed but I think that the points are still relevant:

17.04.09

Circular

Sub: Violence Against Women

Post the Mangalore pub incident on 24.01.09, when women were attacked, there have been the increasing cases of attacks against women in public spaces. These attacks are crimes against women. They are legal offences. They are neither isolated events nor trivial incidents of ‘eve-teasing’. They are part of a series of attacks inflicted on women in the name of ‘morality’ and religious intolerance, attacks that are escalating as women resist and fight back. Women have been targeted for what they have been wearing, the fact that they were on the road late at night or that they should not have been in a particular location. The motivation behind the attacks is to compel women to subscribe to a narrow definition of culture and modesty. Moral and cultural policing of this nature is undertaken to restrict the freedom of women to live full and meaningful lives.

What has come to our notice is that often when these attacks happen and some women go to the police station to register FIR's police are reluctant and dicourage the victims from filing FIR's. In some cases NCR's are registered under the guise of it being an FIR. When women do come to police stations, they are often subjected to questioning which can be personal, invasive, demeaning and disprepectful under the guise of obtaining information relevant to the filing of the FIR.

In the above outlined context your police officers are required to :

1. Treat the issue of violence against women as a serious human right issue and do not dismiss it as a case of 'mere eve teasing' or an issue which does not merit the attention of the police.

2. Recognize the fact that it is not easy for a woman to come to the police station to file an FIR and provide her all possible support to ensure that the FIR is filed.

3. Register an FIR under the relevant sections such as Sec 354, 504, 506 and 323, 324, among others.

4. Understand that if the victim is unable to describe the perpetrator or give details of the attack it could be becuase of shock or fear and not immediately jump to the conclusion that the complaint is concocted.

5. Do not make the victim feel responsible for the violence she has undergone by asking her personal demeaning questions pertaining to her dress, her friends or what she was doing on the street.

Chaitanya Krishnan- I WANT fast track courts to be "fast track".
I WANT auto drivers to remove the stupid mirrors they put inside their autos, so they can stare at the passengers.
I WANT police stations to register cases and take complaints regardless of jurisdictional boundaries.
I WANT policemen to be accomodating to people who do not speak the local language.

Aparajita Sharma -I want- a more responsive approach from the state legal department to punish people who commit such atrocities on innocent people.

1) This includes a non-bailable arrest warrant for people who take the law on to their hands, all in the name of "Bharatiya Sanskar". This is total hypocrisy because Indian customs and way of life is to respect Women, first and foremost and not raise one's hand on them.

2) Stricter enforcement on part of the State Police, as they turn a blind eye to these acts of violence, fearing political wrath or some similar ridiculous notions in executing their duties. No one is above the Law. In this country we have High ranking judges and ministers arrested for corruption and mis-demeanor. What gives the political party members and the deranged youths to behave the way they do and get away scot-free because of their affiliation to some corrupted nut who thinks he is God to the State.

3) Social awareness amongst the people to realise that what is socially acceptable behaviour and decorum in public places, which all fall under the ambit of the legal machinery of our country.

4) Bangalore is an international destination and called the Silicon Valley of India. It is party to international businessmen and tourists. This image that it has created of late for itself sends out very wrong signals for business and What India stands for a hospitable country, which not only respects women but also upholds the dignity of the citizen of India. Public flogging if possible for people who commit these acts of violence and harassment, and full coverage by the Press should create the awareness that what they did was wrong as well as this kind of negative publicity will make each offender think twice or (hopefully) never again to do what they think is fun and a kick to their machochism or so called 'mardangi'.

5) Discounted training classes for women to learn

Avni Patel - I WANT- Severe Punishment for the eve-teasers.. Just a mere fine of 1000 bucks is not enough to stop these losers from eve-teasing.. A serious punishment is necessary to teach them a lesson and to scare them from doing anything of that sort again!

Hasina Hasan I WANT-

1) There is not adequate lighting at night on church St, Rest House Road etc etc. Some street lamps are on and some aren't. Low maintenance of this basic facility of street lighting has allowed for many trangressions to occur viz. eve teasing to me personally as well as men beating up women in cars parked on these dark spots. Needless to say even the patrolling cops wont be able to notice such acts due to the bad lighting. The poorly lit areas allow for such misdemeanors and hinder even the police from being able to do their job of securing the city well.

I WANT proper lighting at night on every street in my city.

2) Not all of us can afford private vehicles due to budget restraints. I have no budget restraints but choose to travel by public transport. My aim is to reduce pollution and traffic by travelling via public local buses and carpooling.

But there is list at bus stands that tells us the bus numbers that frequent the particular stand. There is no clarity and that allows for buses to come late or not turn up and we are forced to either goto main bus stands and start from scratch or catch autos (out of budget for some) or stand waiting for buses that are hours late. It is unfair to us who leave home an hour early to reach our destinations on time. When we can respect others time then the govt. should too and they hopefully will not allow for such laxity on Buses/drivers/etc by clearly listing maps/routes/times/bus numbers - all of that or a combination of that at every bus stand.

I WANT the public transport authorities to facilitate us with proper public transport.

3) Streets and parks are lit up at night but run on electricity. Of late some parks' nameboards have been replaced with lighted boards. While that is a brilliant idea and in keeping with the times, does all that run on electricity? Could we not aim for lighting that runs on solar power/alternate energy for park name boards? While this is a shot in the dark and is definitely something long term. It most definitely in the long run will lead to energy conservation from everysense viz solar powered energy will eventually lead to reduced costs, save energy etc.

I WANT solar powered energy saving technology to be used for Street lights and Park name boards etc.

YAMINI DEEN-I WANT-
1) I want early awareness workshops in schools encouraging frank , open discussions among kids, thier parents and teachers about sexual harassment.
2) I want real consequences for violating IPC 354
3) I want the police to be accountable for crimes against women who have to or want to stay out at night instead of saying ''Madam go home '' or ''Madam, walking at night not allowed''.

DHRUVA GHOSH- I WANT-
Decreased censorship.

Repression almost always has unhealthy ways of getting back at the society. Street sexual harassment is one such.

BN Meet Dec 13. Calcutta

Calcutta Action Heroes include: Insiya , Mandy, Dana, Sunayana, Saptarshi.
Saptarshi will be sharing the report.
photos by Saptarshi/meeting script prepared in collaboration with Saptarshi.
To read the meeting details visit here

Dec 13 SCRIPT

Action Heroes got together across cities in India on Dec 13 with a common script. One Action Hero per city had access to the script for the meeting. We thought of sharing the script to give you a sense of what the meet- up was about! Please note that some of the dates mentioned below have extended until further annoucement. To get involved towards actualizing any of the ideas mentioned below- shout out at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com


SCRIPT

Dec 13 2009

Location: Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Dehradun, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Pune

(read out)

Objective of the meeting

1. to meet volunteers from the city- and form a team

2. to discuss street sexual harassment in your city

3. to focus on the next 4 months and propose strategies for next the plan of action

4. to assign duties and responsibility towards the next 4 months. month by month

Please give this to the person sitting on your right and ask him her to read out the next 5 lines in bold:

Warning: This script may make you feel a bit like being in a reality tv show.

You are requested to put your phone on silent.

We need to identify the following people in our group today

photo documenter- (add name)

time keeper-

person who writes minutes of the meeting-

person to write a report after the meet-

Each of you should identify a stranger outside of this bn meet, sharing your immediate public environment and maintain eye contact with the person.

Smile after you make eye contact and when you're done let's start this meeting!

(questions to read out- who did you smile at? why did you chose that person? was the person smiling back? was the person comfortable? was it an exchange? was it seen as threatening? did you smile at a child? did you

smile at a woman/ if you're female? or male if you're male? did you feel comfortable doing so? did you feel uncomfortable?) time keeper- 7 minutes

Please return the script to the person who arrived with it.

(read out) Hello!

We are never too sure of how many people actually turn up,

but we should be able to conduct this meeting with a minimum of 2 persons.

Any number is a good start!

The person reading the script has volunteered to do so. There is no one definite BN representative here, nor

is there one word or one definition to describe Blank Noise. Ofcourse there are long time members and action heroes

who have built the collective, therefore contributed in varying capacities. Yet Blank Noise is interpreted by each of us in different ways;

and we hope to arrive on that over this meet.

It may help to think of it this way " I am not here to see what BN is doing in this city, but rather what can I do? How can I be involved?

How can I make it happen? How can we work collectively? What can I commit? How can I commit to actualizing some of the ideas I propose?"

But before jumping at how you can 'get involved it would be important to answer:

Person with script has to answer question first and then identify another person

in the group to answer the question next.

Who are you? and What brings you here? What makes you want to address 'eve teasing?'

Please make this as personal as possible

please add if this is your first bn meet or if you're an existing action hero?

( about 5 minutes per person)

What are the words that come to your mind when we say street sexual harassment/ violence/ teasing/ intimidation?

(group spends 7.5 minutes in total)

2. About Blank Noise:

a. What does Blank Noise mean to you/ what are the words that come to your mind when we you say Blank Noise?

One person should write down list of words mentioned. Each person at the meet to answer-

(group spends 7.5 minutes in total)

This segment will be discussed and blogged about further- thank you for adding the words.

(read out)

b. Blank Noise is also:

a volunteer led collective committed to addressing the issue of street sexual harassment/ street sexual bullying/ 'eve teasing'/ intimidation/ violence

b. our focus has been on generating public discourse to what was once seen as a non-issue i.e. 'eve teasing'

c. a large part of our work has been on seeking definition of street sexual harassment. is there a common definition when harassment for one

is flirting for another? or if in some cases stalking is seen as a way of flirting?

c. the collective is built on lived experiences. We collect testimonials and then disperse them back in the public through various forms- thereby generating public debate

d. every volunteer is an action hero. he/ she drives the project, gives it shape. the collective has been built on this person's enthusiasm and commitment.

there is an exchange- it's not so much about only doing something about 'those' victims/ survivors, but about understanding your own relationship with the issue and therefore with blank noise.

( older action heroes can share their experiences of volunteering- personal account)

e. at blank noise we are here to address the issue- and we don't we don't want to do so by attacking a group or a party. our approach is sometimes more investigative and about open spaces for

discussion rather than always concluding one stand.

f. bn approaches 'eve teasing' as an issue that concerns men as much as it concerns women. we need to address notions of masculinity and male behaviour to take any discussion forward.

Blank Noise is not:

is not anti men- atleast 50 % on bn is male. we have started archiving responses from men at blog.bnguy.org and will soon be announcing a call for project proposals.

is not only youth oriented- yes there are more youth linked with the project but that is because so far we have worked on the internet but we truly believe that 'eve teasing' and street sexual

violence is everyone's issue

is not about only one class of people- sometimes we get interpreted that way because of our choice of medium. our street actions and public interventions however break that idea

We are working towards a structure and hope to organize ourselves in a manner that allows us to work with volunteers from different communities and background and therefore kinds of media

appropriate to that community.

PLEASE GIVE THIS SHEET OF PAPER TO THE PERSON SITTING OPPOSITE YOU.

Hello person sitting opposite- please read the following out loud:

We need pen/ paper/ pencil for this

Please make a sketch of what you were wearing when you experienced street sexual harassment

for the guys- sketch a garment you think women would experience sexual harassment in.

unless you know someone who was wearing that particular garment- in which case sketch the garment you remember.

time (5 mins)

There are 4 letters in the group. 4 different people are to read them out loud.

12-15 minute discussion on the drawings each member has made and

group to share insights/ respond to each others drawings and experiences

suggested questions- What does it mean to say 'she asked for it'?

give the paper to the person sitting on your left.

please read out loud the text below

About I NEVER ASK FOR IT campaign:

'I never ask for it', will bring together garments worn by women when they experienced sexual harassment or were 'teased' via a public

installation. We intend to use the final installation to challenge the popular assumption that women 'ask for it' because of the clothes they wear.

The campaign seeks to address the notion of blame, shame and guilt that women experience besides being violated.

Over the next 3 months starting Jan every fortnight we will working towards a clothes collection drive.

We would like a clothes collection drive on Jan 9 ( date changed. will be announced soon)

Proposed plan of Action

Jan 9 : I NEVER ASK FOR IT clothes collection drive

who will collect clothes- everyone

how will each of you collect clothes?( ask friends/ family / develop your own strategies)

how will you collectively collect clothes? ( choose a location/ community/ college/ office)

decide on 2 venues- where you will collect clothes at for the next month

letters- i never ask for it- the letters you read out nee to be translated to the local language.

permissions etc

PLEASE PROPOSE / BUILD ON THIS PLAN OF ACTION/ SUGGEST STRATEGIES/

Please appoint the following persons-

event co ordinator:

event co ordinating team:

things to prepare at our end

kit- posters/ info

Please give the paper back to the person who arrived with the script:

Another immediate Plan of Action- 15 minutes

One of our all time fave actions involves being idle women.

Jan 2nd - (date changed. will be announced soon)

street action- on being idlestreet action- on being idle

This intervention is created simultaneously across cities in India. It based on the simple premise of being idle and 'without purpose' on the street. The event is announced on the blog and any one can participate, thereby becoming an Action Hero. The Action Hero challenges her comfort level and establishes herself as someone who belongs to city without apology. At some interventions Action Heroes are asked to come wearing clothes they have always wanted to wear but not worn because they felt they might be 'asking for it'. It becomes challenging for both the Action Hero to be there and not look preoccupied or anxious, but instead leaning back and doing nothing. It becomes challenging for the street to witness women relaxed, looking back and doing 'nothing'. Testimonials are privately dispersed in the form of letters to the public via which the public is invited to participate. Reactions vary from families joining in, to people tearing up the letter, or a row of men waiting for something to happen often walking up to an Action Hero and asking her why she is standing, whether is she waiting for someone? or if she wants a cigarette?

if someone has been part of the intervention before please share about the event

May we propose this action for Jan 2nd? It would kickstart a series of events for 2010 and would be an important event before the first clothes collection drive.

it is important that we try and have the events on the same day across the country. ofcourse smaller core team meets dont need to happen on the same day.

To build on the street action of being idle

1. name location + why

2. time + why

3. do not bring bags or anything you think 'protects' you

4. carry a whistle/ appoint one person to purchase whistle

why whistle? incase of emergency only.

5. letter- the team has to print letters/ photo copy letter and

6. TRANSLATE the letter to the local language/ languages of the city

The team should decide who will co ordinate the next event.

The co ordinator has to put together a team/ assign responsibilities towards materializing the next event

please note down all phone numbers

Before leaving the team should list all names. take each participants photos and make a list of skills people think they can bring to the table.

Prepare a list of colleges, schools, possible allies in your city. Maintain a city specific directory.

5 minutes- recap/ reflection/ any thoughts/ insights?

*

Script was prepared by Saptarshi Chakrabarty- super Action Hero and Jasmeen.

Meeting reports + photos are shared on this blogsite. ( links with the cities named below)
Action Heroes on facebook have added the meet photos to the Blank Noise community group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2703755288&ref=ts

Fined for wearing a burkha?

Women wearing burkhas in France will be fined 750 euros.

Male members of their family could be fined double the amount for persuading them to wear it.

Reports say that the fine applies to anyone on the street whose face is entirely 'covered'.

links:

ndtv , telegraph , mirror ,

New Bill for Sexual Offence:

The proposed law makes it mandatory to end the trial of cases relating to sexual offences within a 6 month period.

The sexual offences (special courts) bill is almost finalised and is awaiting a Cabinet nod.

The new law proposes:

• Sexual abuse is defined to include not just physical but also mental harassment. Punishment for both to be similar.

• Sexual abuse to be treated on par as rape, which means punishment for both to be equally stringent. Until now, maximum punishment for sexual abuse is one year.

• Onus to prove that suicide was not due to sexual harassment lies with the accused.

• All cases of sexual harassment to be dealt with special courts and cleared within 6 months to a year.

Source: ibn-live

links:
toi,
dna

RUCHIKA

After 19 years and 450 hearings, though convicted for molesting Ruchika, a 14 year old school girl and a tennis player, SPS Rathore is still smiling. The victim drank poison 16 years ago and killed herself, when she lost all hope for justice.

The victim instead of finding support and sympathy, finds herself being ostracised by a peer group that does not understand what’s happening.

More from the Indian-Home-Maker

source: NDTV

With her story now the focus of a national debate, Ruchika's friends and family want you to help in their fight for justice. For her death anniversary this year, they have launched an online campaign at joinaradhna4ruchika@gmail.com

"I feel that Ruchika is still alive in every girl who is being molested, and violence against women. I request you to join us ... . I am launching a fight against molesters and against this system, also for fight for justice for my friend Ruchika" says Aradhana Parkash Gupta, who, as a teen, witness Ruchika being molested by a senior police officer in Haryana. Since then, Aradhana and her father have led a campaign to ensure that the policeman, SS Rathore, pays for assaulting a 14-year-old and then harassing her family, driving her to commit suicide.

more links:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fresh-FIRs-filed--new-law-coming-on-sex-offences/561321

9/9/2010:
Rathore denied bail:
http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/09/stories/2010010957410100.htm
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100109/jsp/nation/story_11963036.jsp

BN PUNE MEET. DEC 13

Pune Action Heroes include: Smitha,

BN HYDERABAD MEET DEC 13

Location: Lawns, Eat Street- Necklace Road
Hyderabad Action Heroes include- Samir, Ramya, Nandini
facilitator- Samir
report writer- Ramya
minutes of the meeting- Nandini

Ramya reports:

Slide show- With the help of a technically proficient person, a flash movie that creates awareness on staring/stalking/sexual harassment will be made. Prasad’s IMAX will be approached to screen the movie in the minutes preceding the movie shows. More theatres will be roped in later on
Women-centric organizations local to Hyderabad, such as Asmitha Foundation can be involved in setting up and a manning a helpline for counselling victims. Nandini will follow it up through the secretary of Asmitha Foundation.
To reach out to more women and document experiences, student communities in Hyderabad will be targeted. There is need to spread the word around educational institutions such as OU, NALSAR and others. This will be taken up as soon the political situation in AP improves
Sessions can be conducted in companies like Deloitte and others which have a significant number of female employees.

1. BITSAA, the BITS Pilani Alumni network can be utilized. Ramya will look into publishing a piece about Blank Noise in the next issue of the BITSAA newsletter.
2. Dr. Reddy’s Foundation will be contacted in order to figure out the best way to organize our activities, to get in touch with the right people and to obtain more support.
3. Samir will put in a word with Rotary Club for the same purpose.

The Hyderabad leg of Blank Noise meetings witnessed a lower-than-expected turnout with only three members getting together to chalk out an agenda for the city this year. While Nalini Nagarajan and Ramya Kumar were first-timers to Blank Noise, Samir Gandhi, who has been involved with the Hyderabad chapter for three years now gave the other two an idea of how far Blank Noise has gotten in Hyderabad.

Since there were only three members were present, the reading-aloud of scripts and enactment of role plays gave way to an informal exchange of views about sexual harassment. The focus was on the approach that Hyderabad would require, keeping in mind cultural nuances and local perspectives. A decent variety of ideas were thrown up and recorded faithfully. Owing to the proximity to Christmas vacation and the atmosphere of uncertainty prevailing in Hyderabad campuses, they will be carried forward January onwards.

BN DELHI MEET. DEC 13

report prepared by Prabhleen Tuteja:

The meting commenced with a ‘stranger’, Mr.Viral Tyagi, approaching one of the BN members, Ms. Purba, trying to advice her on what she was wearing. The conversation with him revealed that the person was drunk (at a public place) and his had no control of his senses. After arguing with him for sometime, the group decided to ignore him.

The meeting formally was initiated by Purba who shared the Agenda with the volunteers present. There was a formal introduction that each of the volunteers were asked for sharing their experience of eve-teasing and street sexual harassment in the place they hail from.

Ridhima, one of the volunteers had a similar experience to share as that of Prabhleen as both hail from Raipur, Chhattisgarh. They shared that the local transport in Raipur is individual based as most people have their bikes and two –wheelers to their disposal. So, eve teasing becomes common, as there are instances when one is followed throughout the way to just make a comment or make the other person uncomfortable in the manner possible. There have been instances when the cloth wrapped around by a girl on her face is pulled out to open, making it utterly traumatic for her.

Varsha from Nagpur added to the conversation, by articulating her experience of eve teasing in the city. It was noted by her that one has to change ones dressing sense to feel a part of the larger society. She shared that it was the mentality of the people that makes all the difference.

It was Neeraj, from Chandigarh, who claimed that it was not the city per se, but the basic amenities that one is exposed to and the infrastructure or the lack of it that affects the mentality of people.

But, Varsha, had a different story all together of her friend from Kerela, who moved out of traditional barriers laid by the society on her sense of dressing. So for her it is that the more the society tries to suppress some one, the more the number of cases that emerge.

Swati, from Ghaziyabad, shared her nightmares when she used to travel in buses to college and the comments she had to bear. She said she remembered this one time when she was asked by this person who ‘advised’ her not to wear cut sleeves to tuitions as it attracts wrong attention.

There was a sudden shift in the session, when the group conversation highlighted the fact that the degree of acceptability varied from society to society. For instance in Rajasthan, a woman’s attire is entirely different and what is considered to be ‘revealing. Also another such case was that of rural Bengal, where a woman is not required to war a blouse underneath.

But, in Tamanna, another volunteer’s case, it was embarrassing for her when she wore a sports skirt to a Basketball Match and was called name thereafter based on her outfit.

But it was agreed by the group that it was not the attire that can justify eve teasing. Swati shared that recently when she was traveling by Metro, she noticed a girl who was ‘decently’ dressed in a t-shirt and denims, slapping a guy who had been staring at her for long thus making it uncomfortable for her.

Chandrashekar added that one of his friends was actually found staring at a woman wearing a ‘burkha’ with a ‘hijab’, with no possible scope of admiring her beauty except her eyes.

Tamanna said that she no longer smiles at people with the fear of being mistaken by them and has now been only seen frowning at others. In fact, even if someone appreciates your beauty, you really don’t know to take it positive or not.

It was to this that Ridhima added that genuine conversations are not possible these days.

The session thereafter proceeded to its next part where all the volunteers were given this exercise of staring at a stranger around and observing his/her reaction. After the exercise, there were a few questions that were asked to the members. Prabhleen said that the girl she was looking at seemed approachable and that she seemed comfortable as both understood that they might be familiar to each other. But, for Ridhima, the guy whom she stared got at first conscious and is now wondering what happened.

Swati said she avoided staring at the males around and instead shared a look with one of the middle-aged couples who gave a confused look as well.

The session moved to a discussion on the reason for all the volunteers to work with Blank Noise.

For Tamanna, it was because of the fact that she didn’t like the fact that she had to change from what she was because of other people’s habits.

Neeraj felt the need to address this issue urgently. Changing the mindset is what Neeraj wishes for and aims at.

Empowering women and transforming the society to a better place to live in, is what is Chandrashekhars’s view for which he is associated with Blank Noise.

For Prabhleen, it was the issue and the creative and pragmatic process adopted by Blank Noise that urged her to get associated with Blank Noise apart from her academic interest in social legislation and gender.

For Ridhima, it was the issue of gender that instigated her to work on related projects for a better understanding on the same.

Varsha’s idea of her association was to help her as eve-teasing was something that she had experienced many a times.

Swati shared her view with Varsha and said that the girls change their lives because of certain restrictions. It is time for a larger change in the society.

Purba, who has been associated with Blank Noise, said that the first thing that strikes her is that ‘I am never to be blamed’. She said that the it is all about empowering oneself and that is what Blank Noise is all about.

Kriti, how works in the field of education said that we all want to connect and should do so instead of segregating on the basis of gender. A girl’s choice of mobility gets restricted when it comes to her safety in the evening. For her, a balance has to create between the ‘Indian’ and the ‘Western’ culture and ideology that are coming up these days.

She was interrupted when a few members did not agree with the concept of ‘westernization’ of the ‘Indian culture’. It was Purba who gave the example of a saree that is considered traditional, but if not more at least equally revealing as that of any short shirts worn under ‘western influence’. Moreover, again it was not the dress that one needs to change.

For Kriti though, a change could only come if the males sit together and discuss about the issue and get educated on it. But, Purba and a few others consented that it was not the teaching that could bring about a change. Tamanna added that it should work this way, ‘It is my life, I am not affecting you, so don’t affect me’.

But, Kriti still felt that is way too much to romanticize the idea.

The session proceeded with members sharing words, terms etc. that come first in their mind when one thinks of eve teasing. The following words were included-

For Ridhima it was ‘Disgusting’.

For Prabhleen the first word that strikes her was ‘Mall’(in Hindi).

For Tamanna, it was ‘whistling’ and terms like ‘Chalti Kya’

For Swati it was the uncomfortable noises that the boys try and make.

For Neeraj it was ‘Gulab Jamun’ and ‘Jugaad’.

For Purba it was ‘pushy’ as some one was trying to intrude in her personal space.

The session also saw sharing of personal experiences by the members who faced street sexual harassment at all sort of places, during any time of the day and with any means of transportation, be it Jama Masjid, or the Chandini Chowk market that leads to it, or be it a richkshaw or an auto when is traveling from one location to another. There is nothing much that is safe.

Purba and Chandrashekhar also shred their involvement with the previous projects and their experience during the same. They encouraged the group to take action and decide on the venues where the coming interventions could be located. The following venues were decided-

North Campus, University of Delhi.

Janpad.

Sarojini NAgar.

Lajpat Nagar.

Lodhi Garden

South Extension Market.

For the event, it was Chandrashkehar who has volunteered top coordinate the entire process and designs the next intervention of Blank Noise. The next meeting of the group was decided to be the 2^nd of January, 2010.