Young and restless
Now this is probably what you mean by young and the restless. Meet the 19-year-old sensation, Umang Sabharwal, the brain behind the India’s first and much-debated “Slutwalk arthat Besharmi Morcha”, a protest march to be held in the capital next month.
Well, given its provocative title, the march may have already created much stir, but the third year student of Kamala Nehru College seems to have dug in her heels and generate a debate. That’s because she believes that “slutwalk” is the need of the hour.
“I don’t think the title of the march is radical. It definitely shows defiance and strength, which is our purpose. We want to make a strong statement, to be heard,” she says. “And why should we tone it down? The movement is not a meek method of asking for your rights, we are reclaiming them,” she adds.
“The idea is inspired from the ‘slutwalks’ that have been happening all over the world,” informs Umang, adding that the enormous support from various quarters to the idea was unexpected.
But given the conservative nature of the country, you think that India is ready for this? “I do not know how you can tell a country is ready for something. We have gained so much support that should speak for itself. And more importantly, India needs a movement like this,” she says. After all, why should anybody have a problem about what I wear, she says.
“Also, the endless talk about the clothes does take away the focus from the more important issues we are trying to address. The walk is a lot more than about the clothes we wear,” she adds.
She also believes that people need to overcome the age-old stereotypes, which no one dared to question till now. “We as a society need to generate gender equality,” she says.
Interestingly, Umang, who hasn’t organised a gathering before, along with her friends has been working tirelessly to systematically mobilise the expected turn out.
The city being callous to its women is an open secret, but nobody has a concrete plan to do something about it, holds Umang, whose family, friends and teachers form her support system.
“The message of the walk is simple: Gender inequality, repressive stereotypes and sexual violence against women exist. As a society we need to acknowledge these issues and address them, as they are unfair and they are taking away our right to life,” she says.
But how do you explain the title — “slutwalk or Besharmi Morcha” to a housemaid?
“Have you ever been teased, and then when you tried to complain, the blame was put on you? Do the boys in your family receive special treatment when it comes to food, and are their studies a priority? Are you not allowed to wear what you want? If you feel that there is something wrong with it, then join our morcha and raise a voice against this,” she sums up.
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