Poster Campaign

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Attack # 5

Sorry to report a fresh incident. This makes it the fifth incident in two days.

We have just heard of another incident where a 20 year old girl was attacked somewhere near Cunningham road or Palace road. Details are unclear. The little we know seems to indicate that there were 4 men and she was attacked for wearing jeans.
No FIR has been filed. This happened at the same time as our meeting yesterday evening.

Organise a Pink Chaddi event in your town

Support the Bangalore events by organising a Pink Chaddi event in your town, wherever you are on 8 March 2009.

Some cities are organising Take Back the Night events. Others are kicking off massive email campaigns. If you want more information contact freelancehabba (at) gmail (dot) com.

If you are in Hyderabad: Contact Samir Gandhi at somugandhi (at) gmail (dot) com

If you are in Chennai, contact Ajit Sigamani at 9791158888 and floatingconcept(at) gmail (dot) com

If you are in Kolkata, contact Pranaadhika at 9874135992

Be the first person in your town to organise events. Speak to us.

Fresh attacks: Planning a response

The attacks on women in Karnataka continue. As we now know there have been four more attacks that we know about in Bangalore. As far as we know, young men and women are still being attacked in Mangalore by vigilante groups. In Bangalore, it is not clear whether these attacks are by the Sena or any right-wing group. There is a good deal of speculation that these are opposition groups hoping to continue to fuel the ill-will against groups like the Sena. In any case there is lawlessness being justified by realpolitick. Everyone gets to take advantage of the situation while the government justifies doing nothing with its deep 'cultural' arguments.

Things we are sure about:

1. This is not the mythical 'eve-teasing' or street sexual harrassment.

2. This is not random. Someone somewhere sent these men out to pick on women and create fear.

3. There is no difference between these attacks and the continuing attacks in Mangalore.

Last evening there was a fairly big meeting in Bangalore to plan the response to these attacks.

1. On March 7, a rally and a march to the office of the DG-IGP Ajai Kumar Singh to present a set of demands (police set up efforts, organise a campaign for awareness etc). (More details soon.)

2. On March 8, a Take Back the Night walk when women reclaim their right to be safe at night in Karnataka. (More details soon)

As you know no group less than 500 will be even considered worthy of notice in this mighty nation. These marches need to be huge. They need to be frightening. They need to hit back.

For every one of you who sat about bemoaning the lack of 'real' action over the last month because 'chaddis are not enough', please come to Bangalore and join the action. The rest of you lovely people for whom sending chaddis was only one way of protesting, jump in. This promises to be fun because no one, least of the government, is expecting People Like Us to care at all. Shouldn't we give them a pleasant post-Valentine surprise?

Attacks on women in Bangalore

In the last two days, four different women have been attacked in broad daylight in Bangalore by gangs of strangers. The stories have just begun to emerge as this evening two of them filed FIRs.

Update: Reports in The Hindu here and also here.

The details of other stories will probably emerge in the papers over the next few days. So far it is not clear who is doing the attacks. In one case, I hear, that the girl was taunted and given a cellphone and told to call the cops, implying that no one was going to help her.The most frightening detail that has emerged in these stories is that in each incident members of the public stood close at hand and watched.

As bystanders in these incidents of violence we may be shocked and worried about personal safety. But we need to push ourselves to intervene. We must because tomorrow it will be one of us.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Call the police.

2. Note down details about vehicles if the attackers came in any.

3. Try and remember as many details about the physical appearances of the attackers as possible.

And no matter how scared we are we must shout, I mean literally shout. Wail, scream, shout, throw things, honk, gather a crowd, chase the attackers away.

Are we going to be the bystanders who let women get beaten, kicked in the face, attacked before us. Are we going to tell ourselves that only our own safety matters?

UPDATE: There have been loads of enthusiasm from some very spunky women rights' activists and others culminating in an meeting in Bangalore at 6 pm today. The girls who are the surviviors of these latest attacks refuse to be daunted and are out of their homes doing what normally do. Their message for women everywhere: Do not be frightened. Go out and do what you want to do. Students' groups from different colleges are also joining in to fight back. Two filmmakers have agreed to make one minute ads addressed to THE BYSTANDER.

UPDATE from Survivor #1:
Thanks to you all for your support. It means a lot to me and to the others like me who have had to face such incidents.

I hope the collective efforts of several organisations that have come together will make a real difference. And while all this effort to create awareness and a strong push to do something moves ahead, I would like to make one point; if dealt with properly, these incidents could serve as a catalyst to begin a movement to regain a fearless state and country. However, if not dealt with sensitively, then it could serve to create more panic, confusion and fear. Perhaps it would even encourage more violence.

When we go out there and talk about these issues, let’s be clear - these incidents are symptoms of a larger evil. It is not about what I was wearing, or which economic or religious rank I belong to. It not about what time of day or night I was out on the street, or whether I have a jilted lover. In the end it is not about finding a simple answer to why these incidents happen; it is about sourcing the root and finding a solution. It’s about the fact that as a woman and a tax paying citizen of this country, I have the right to work, learn, earn and engage with the community without fear.

Most importantly, it is not about pointing accusatory fingers at each other. It is not only the fault of the police or the government. It is a problem that belongs to all of us.

My safety is not just my own responsibility. It is the shared responsibility of the community and society I live in. If you stand by and let such incidents happen around you, you condone the actions of the aggressor. By not reacting, you are saying that you are okay with this happening to you or your loved ones.

It is your duty to call the cops, or step in and try to stop the violence, as much as it is mine to report it to the police and write or speak about it so these things do not become the norm.

Chaddi campaign: What next?

Dear all,

I know many of you are raring to go. I know it seems like the revolution is coming towards to you in an auto with a loud horn so why are we hanging around waiting?

We are not. We are just recruiting volunteers so when the next big push comes along, we will be slightly less crazy. Also, having done so well the first time round, we can't really fall on our face so quickly.

I truly believe part of what we are achieving here is staking a claim for our shared culture. Not the fake, monolith, imaginary culture that the right-wing groups insist we have, but the real stuff. It is messy, complicated, wonderful. Each of us define Indian culture differently. No one is wrong, no one is more right. But why slug it out when we can have some fun? Let us go out and win back Indian culture, one chaddi at a time.

It is incredibly important for us to reclaim our culture from the mobs and the manipulators. Today I heard a politican speak at the opening of the NGMA in Bangalore. At the opening of a museum for modern art, he accused artists of disrespecting Indian tradition. When artists tried to argue with him, he had the police escort them out. What next?

So reclaim your culture. Show the world how you live and why your way of life too is Indian culture.

So here is the idea. We each make a little video of ourselves. We make a video of ourselves doing something we love, something we think is definitely a part of Indian culture (and let no one dare disagree!). Speak into the camera. Say "This is Indian culture." Imagine the possibilities, you, your best friend, your grandmother, your 7-year-old nephew, your grumpy boss... each doing what you think is part of you, part of Indian culture.

The video collection (which we can host on a youtue channel) will be like the national integration ads some of us grew up watching, the ones made by Lok Seva Samiti. Except this will be wilder, funnier,less politically correct and most importantly, made by the LOK!

I will put up some suggestions soon. Meanwhile find youself a camera! Films can't be longer than a minute so get your act together and practice your fine, ringing, speaking voice.

All together now: This is Indian culture!


GUIDELINES!

1. Pick something you like to do and you think is a part of Indian culture.

2. Steal/borrow a video camera to make a one minute film.

3. Speak into the camera. Say, "This is Indian culture" in the language you are most comfortable in.

4. DO NOT UPLOAD YOUR FILM YOURSELF on youtube.

5. Send the file to freelancehabba@gmail.com

6. Use any of the following file types .wma, .mp4. (We will smile a lot if you send us .mp4) or .dat or.avi. Uploaded files and edited files are difficult to edit because of loss of quality. Raw files are great.

What NEXT? I am raring to go

Around here we are taking a breather. Stay in the game. There's lots to do yet.

Pink Chaddi