Encounters

After watching Shyam Benegal's Sardari Begum ,I slept happily last night after thinking about the movie and its various other aspects. It was the first movie in which I got to see, through the eyes of the great director, Shyam benegal, the pertaining issues at that period of time, the culture of the religious communities, the emerging culture of a woman being the protagonist in the film, the nexus of gender, religion,politics, personal relationships, sexuality, life of a woman reporter ,the society's perception of art forms like music and dance taken up by women and the understanding of sub-classical music forms like thumri, all woven together coherently with high degree of perfection.

Feeling satisfied and empowered, I slept for good eight hours.The next day seemed usual except for a presentation which I was excited about since it involved great amount of hardwork and an opportunity to travel and talk to people neglected by the government and the ignorant society.

I got ready, had my breakfast and left for my college. As the weather these days is absolutely suitable for walking a good distance of two kilometres, I decided to walk in the company of good music and fresh air. 

As I was about to reach Gargi College, I saw some men urinating on the wall adjacent to the pavement. Confused whether to scold them or ignore them, I kept walking unable to decide what to do. In a fraction of a minute I saw a woman, with a very familiar face and passed a big smile to. She also reciprocated in the same way. Confused, I kept walking. After some thirty seconds, I turned back and walked towards the woman who was still standing, this time busy on a phone call.

I reached and said, Kamla Bhasin.....infact asked.

We didn't realize and kept holding each other's hands for atleast two minutes. 

In my school days and early days of first year in college, I had heard about this name but never took any interest actively. When attending One Billion Rising in February in 2013, for the first time I saw her and heard her motivating speech filled with healthy humour , self composed songs and dance moves. At that time she was on wheel chair due to temporary health issue.

Next time when I saw her again was in Jamia Millia College during my first field assignment in the month of December where she alongwith Eve Ensler, the feminist best known for her play Vagina Monologues, were busy explaining the young and old audience about the One Billion Rising campaignan and the much needed change in the mindset and attitude of the people for fighting the patriarchal evil .

After my first assignment, completly exhuasted and drawn out , I forgot about them and the campaign.

It was yesterday in the Lady Shri Ram college for Women that I again came across the lady where the jam packed audienece was attentively listening to her,  full of energy , life and psotivism and simulatenoulsy sustaning the long -drawn battle against the 'father' of many evils like rape, dowry, honor killings and many other. 

The audience , 99 per cent of them being women, patienlty listened to a story of a girl giving the reasons why she needs to study to her father. 

"Dar se ladna h , isliye mujhe padhna h.

Kyunki main ladki hun, isliye mujhe padna h.

Kanoonon ko samajhna h , isliye mujhe padhna h.

Sabkuch badalna h , isliye mujhe padhna h.

Har gyani se batiyana h , isliye mujhe padhna h.

Meera ka gaana gana h , isliye mujhe padhna h.

Apna raag banana h , ilsiye mujhe padhna h.

Ms. Bhasin said, "in today's time, it is we the educated people both in the West and the East who are killing our daughters , asking for bigger dowries and polluting more and more. It is the eight members of the Security Council who are responsible for disrupting the peace through their production of weapons".

Discussing about "there is no alternative syndrome", she threw light on how gender equality has not been achieved even by a single nation in the wolrd and how we still can't walk outside wihtout the fear of rape.

"Women are last colonies, all other colonies have been liberated."

 "The another father for patriarchy has been given birth by the economic globalisation and capitalism. A miilion dollar porn industry exists, a million dollar cosmetic industry exists, and games like Barbie Dolls have overtaken our lives".

Explainig how Patriarchy was "struggle concept" and gender an "academic concept", she said that when you talk of gender , institutions like GOI, UN, WHO are all right but as soon as you raise the issue of patriarchy , they all stand up.

Focussing on the products of socio-cultural norms formed by elements like caste, class, religion, only one difference exists between man and womanand is based on reproductive reasons, else there are no differences between them.

"All religions focus on purity and in patriarchal thought, how is purity ensured? It is ensured through controlling of mobility and sexuality of women", said the activist.

Describing feminism as " the most badnaam 'ism', which comprises of both action and theory, is local and global, is a  fight against the partiarchal ideology and not against men.2,500 years ago men supported women equally. Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Phule , Ambedkar all supported women.

The most difficult part as a feminist is questioning oneself. You will have to question your father over property issues, your brother over cooking practices and on 99 per cent patriarchal jokes you cant laugh.

"Personal is the Political", forms the basis for feminism.

With music, dance and humour, we need to fight this battle.

"Zsa Gabor said once,"I am a very good housekeeper. Every time I leave a  man , I keep his house".

 And when I met the lady in the morning today, like a child complained about the practice of men urinating in the open to which she chided the police man who was getting a hair cut at  a barber's shop on the same pavement where men urinate.

The police man said an action would be taken against those found urinating in the open.

 .