Enough

From my side, this is my contribution to the Blank Noise Project Blog-a-thon 2006.

When I was a young girl say 12 or 13 yrs old, I remember the first few disgusting comments and stares that were thrown at me, and I was taken aback. In simple words I was sad very sad. The stares and comments just increased and I got sadder. I shared with my friends who were experiencing the same and we went and complained to our teacher. She did give us a few pointers and guidelines how to combat it but nothing worked. And I realized that eve teasing is something I just have to deal with on a daily basis helplessly many a times by myself. Pathetic!! Suddenly I had to think a hundred times before what I wore and I would spend hours in deciding something that would attract the least vulgar comments. Because by default I would expect some.

Once someone gave me the dumbest advise that these lechers are helping me become stronger and hence I should instead be thankful to them. NO...I refuse.

Some of my friends who were very senior to me in school use to say to me: "Why are you so sensitive? You are so childish, be brave, and be strong! How will you survive in the real world with this attitude?” Yes, once upon a time, I was naive enough to be sensitive and feel miserable. They always tried to encourage me to take a stand and face it. I thank them for it, as that was a turning point.

Ttill date they are every where...buses, autos, bus stands, trains all over...they stare endlessly.

When I travel by train I love to stand by the entrance when the train is moving. I like to enjoy the moment with the wind blowing.... but there comes another train on the other side and guys waving at me as if they have known me since ages...How I wish they would fall down in their excitement but that has yet not happened. One time while standing at the entrance another girl was with me , I expressed my wild wish to her and she suggested that if we wave back at these eve teasing guys they might get an unexpected unanticipated shock and actually fall off the moving train!!!

It takes alot of courage to stand against these perpetrators all alone but its not impossible, we have to deal with the situation at the spot itself.

I would like to see a day when a woman walks down a road she should not be treated like an object but be respected like an individual, a human being.

I also have taken eve teasing silently on several occasions, outwardly silent, but every inch of my insides screaming out louder than I could ever scream . And sometimes I give back harshly and stridently to attract attention of the passerbys. Must say most of these eve teasers when confronted are nothing but the biggest cowards who run away to save their faceless faces.

Dont be silient, fight back.