Photo by Leonard John Matthews (via Flickr)
Love has always remained one of the beautiful emotions inspiring the poets, artists and the other art forms. Love has kept us moving. The Lion falls in love with the Lamb (not just the Twilight Sagainspiration. It is the essence of so many romantic stores we have heard.)
Through centuries we have evolved. From animals to the social animals have we come. But have we left behind our animal instincts? Love and romance is a relatively new concept. These emotions can be well tagged to the Human evolution mainly after the period they started to live as a social animal. (Does that mean love doesn't exist in animals? No I dint mean to say that. I was referring to the kind of love that happens in society living.) However there is an element of Lust that still hides between all the love. There is a part of us that seeks a physical 'love making' which adds on to how we were built biologically. It's only a proof that all your hormones are still functioning well. And Lust has remained an integral part ever since we were animals wandering to satisfy the basic instincts for food, water, clothing and a mate.
However, in the civilized society that we live in, the choice of who we 'make love' to is a choice based on so many civilized facts. But there are still lions wandering around even in this civilized society, ready to pounce upon their Lamb. Though we boast about so much of scientific technological advancements and that humans have come a long long way after the stone age, how much have we really advanced?? When women of our society still have to live in the fear of being raped or molested.
photo by KasiaCie
via PhotoRee
So much have we been debating on the issue of women's empowerment and respecting their personal choice. Lately with the advent of the campaign 'Slut Walk', the debates have only become so much intense.The Slut walk rallies were triggered in response to remarks made by Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto Police officer, who suggested that in order not to be victimized, "women should avoid dressing like sluts". With the advent of the concept into the Indian Scenario, the movement has gained so much of media attention.
Read these articles to see how far the movement has been going for the Delhi Slut Walk whose name had to be changed to match the Indian Scenario to 'Besharmi Morcha' (Shameless Front).
1. "New Delhi Slut Walk Brings Global Sexual Protest Phenomenon To India"
2. "Delhi Slut Walk renamed and Toned Down"
3. "Dress Code Postpones Delhi Slut Walk" ( Here the author very well focuses on the Slut Walk in Indian Scenario)
When it comes to Indian Scenario, to be very much frank, for the first time when I heard about Slut Walk coming up in India through someone's tweet, I kept wondering what slut walk was all about. That was the first time I even heard about something like that was going on in the world. I know that's so lame. But there are still so many people still unaware of it around us. Right? So I went on to Google to find the details and when I came to know it was started by a comment which said women had to be careful about their dressing to avoid themselves from rapes. I wasn't shocked. I dint feel anything so much wrong about the comment. Being a woman who wants to see a world where women could live 'free of fear', I should never be saying this. I know. But I have been so much used to hearing this comment ever since my parents, aunts, relatives, teachers, elder sisters, and even the 'so called brothers' you pick up on your life journey had started to consider me as a 'girl'. It had been so much emphasized in the part of the world where I grew up, that I have started to consider that as a 'deep rooted' fact. Even after seeing so much of propaganda, I still have the feeling there are so many instances where women could avoid themselves from being victims (if not always at least sometimes). I know women wearing traditional dresses and even veils have been raped ( In those circumstances we could never blame their dressing). For the Lions roaming around in hunger, even the smell of lambs around would make them go crazy.
Now forget the 'wild lions'. What about the civilized ones? How many men would want to sit back in chair and relax and surf through the TV set to see your mother, sister or wife on the news wearing a skimpy dress writing captions on their exposed cleavage? Maybe you would drool over to see the photos and the videos, if none of your dear ones went to participate. (I am not talking about all of them. I am talking about the wild lions and the cunning ones who act to be 'civilized' and supporting the women.)
"Slut Walk is all about being comfortable in your skin and in the clothes that you wear"(source). If that is the case, many Indian women (including me if I had gone to participate) would want to opt for a safe jeans or a salwar kurtis. Because that is where I feel very much comfortable. This very much feeling of 'comfort' has been deep rooted in our culture through generations that encouraged women to dress 'decent'. Why because our 'fathers' and 'brothers' wanted us lambs to be safe from the hands of the lions. How much ever generations have gone by, the mere animal instincts that biologically stays within us would always stay there. How much ever I boast about women being strong and the need to empower them, at some point of time in the future I would advise my daughter to be careful and dress in a manner that wouldn't let the 'wild' as well as 'civilized' lions to not pounce upon her. (Maybe I just wish to be a protective mother.)
Note: These thoughts are only my honest personal views and not intended to hurt anyone's views. This is in no way against or in support of "Slut Walk".
This article was originally posted in my blog. You may click here to read the article in my blog.
