New Delhi: While Delhi prepares for its own version of the SlutWalk, Bhopal has taken it a step ahead and actually put it to action.
The city launched its own SlutWalk – Besharmi Morcha Bhopal – The PrideStride for Women - on July 17th, with an enthusiastic contingent of around hundred fifty participants on its maiden walk that took placed on a rain washed Sunday afternoon from Nutan College to AICUF Ashram where an open discussion took place.
The organisers of the Bhopal leg of the SlutWalk were college students - Ayush Dixit, Radhika Shingwekar, Swati Singh Baghel, Arunima Tiwari and Kshitij Mishra. The group worked hard on Facebook and Google+ to set the wheels in motion. Garnering almost 5500 plus RSVPs on their Facebook event page and a congratulatory message from the Home minister – they were optimistic about the turn out. Though only a fragment of the people who 'liked' the cause turned up – the organisers feel that it was a good start to the movement they have set off.
From the very beginning, they had made the agenda clear that the Bhopal SlutWalk, was not about the clothes.
Ayush Dixit said, "In India, women don’t dress indecently and that was not a part of our agenda, we had a bigger picture in mind. No matter what they were they get harassed. The idea was that – no woman deserved to be harassed or sexually exploited. If men were harassing women – irrespective of what they were wearing – it is a moral offence. And that needs to stop. We want to change the mind set of the males and the females both. It is not ok harass or to get harassed. For the females- it is not ok to be submissive to such assaults. They should stand up to it and take charge."
MP Government has set up an anti-harrassment helpline – 1091, which not many people know about – and as a part of the SlutWalk, the helpline was publicised. According to records- the helpline received 600 complaints last year and 580 were taken care of. Clearly, people were still hesitant when it comes to involving the authorities in such cases. The aim was to let Bhopal know that their women were not helpless and don’t need to remain silent. The organizers have some interesting plans on the cards- they intend to open an NGO – where women can come and report their problems too and the NGO can relay the problems to the proper authorities.
Ayush added, "Women feel that if they approach the authorities directly they will get victimized. The planned NGO will be the intermediary for this. The police are doing everything they can, but at the end of the day the women need to stand up."
While the rains played spoilsport in the morning of the event, the organizers feel that the conservative Bhopal society isn’t quite ready yet to take on something of this stature yet. A 'SlutWalk' would definitely garner negative attention and most parents were hesitant about sending their daughters for it. However, the small group received full police support but were asked to make that it was not about indecent dressing. And since the main idea was to mobilise the capacity to raise a voice – the attendance was quite promising. Clothes were not an issue at all- it was all about the bigger picture.
Calling it 'Besharmi Morcha' was the closest they could get to the judiciary and the authorities to support the cause. Perhaps the name of the event deterred a few – but that’s no matter. The organisers are hoping for more momentum in future. They changed the 'SlutWalk' to the 'Besharmi Morcha' and the 'Besharmi Morcha' to a pertinent concern – and that is what got them the support from the administration and public view point.
The open forum was attended by Dr. Shailendra Shrivastava, IG, Bhopal Police, Dr. Vinay Mishra, Psychologist, HOD Dept. of Psychology, BSSS College, Mrs. Renu Sharma, Retd. District Judge Bhopal, Mrs. Jaya Arya, Social Activist, Dr. Sanjay Siddharth, a psychologist from Canada and Dr. Asha Shukla, Director of Female Study Center of Barkatullah University.
While one has to agree that a 150 strong peace walk is not much to boast of – but coming from Bhopal – they seemed to have beaten the metros to it. Delhi needs to pay attention- no longer just a Facebook page- lets take it to the streets.
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