I can’t address my mom as a feminist but as a young woman she was tenacious and unperturbed. One conversation of ours I clearly remember, dates back to my masters days.We were sipping tea and mumbling on snacks when I happened to tell her about a friend who was sexually harassed in a bus, a few days ago. While divulging into the details I told her that had she retaliated well on time,she could have been saved from a brutal breach of her rights, as a woman and a human.
That’s when she told me of an incident that dated to 1976, when she was a college student and how a man was frivolously trying to flounder her modesty. Initially she didn’t raise a voice,but after the toleration rejected her defensive denial, she flouted every code of conduct and slapped him, much to everyone’s amazement. The crowd in the bus hosted the guy to a treat of physical wear and tear.He was made to get down at the next bus stop and spared of the legal proceedings for back in those days eve-teasing or sexual harassment was a fable and the police were casually callous about the reported incidents.

From her nerves of steel and plaintive prayers comes my strength to shield myself (for street sexual harassment is wrecking havoc in this part of the world), each and every day when I go to work, for in this city a woman has to be thick skinned and cut with cerebral consonants to survive a day and come back home without harm.

I am sorry, if this is late, but just saw it today.!

Sorry the old link wasnt working well.! This is the new link to the post.! Apologies for the inconvenience.!