Dekh Bhai Dekh

There is no dictionary meaning for eve teasing, Wikepedia describes it as :

"Eve teasing is a euphemism used in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan for public sexual harassment, street harassment or molestation of women by men, with Eve being a reference to the biblical Eve."


After I moved to UK, I literally felt free, the lack of 'Roadside Romeos' was quite a pleasant change. I do not have to think twice about what I am wearing or how I look in a particular dress. I do not have to keep adjusting my Dupatta or check myself in the mirror many times to see if my dress was transparent or low cut. 


There are no catcalls or random comments hurled at me or any other woman walking in the street. All women can actually take a walk without being X-rayed with lusting eyes or lasciviousness grins. Men will not rub against you, grope you or pinch you. You can actually give a smile and say 'good morning' to  a perfect stranger without the fear of the man following you and asking to do 'fraandship' with you (these losers don't even spare you online). 


More than 15 years back, while travelling in Bangalore city bus, I felt someone pinching my backside...I turned to see a crooked tooth, middle aged man giving me the X-ray look. At first, I was embarrassed which then quickly turned to anger. I was wearing heels and pulled out a safety pin from my purse. I angled the safety pin and jabbed the man and rammed my heel on his foot. I saw him turning blue in the face, his hand had retracted and he was trying hard not to scream. Ah! the pleasure was all mine. I hope he learnt a lesson for life.


The whole point of talking about this incident was to talk about 'Blank Noise'. It is a project started by Jasmeen Patheja. This is what she has to say:


"We experience eve teasing daily. It is a sexual violation but we ignore it. At the same time, we structure our lives to avoid the occurrence of it - by 'dressing decently', 'coming back home on time', etc, thereby making unwanted rules for ourselves and not recognizing ourselves as citizens.

This daily silent experience of street sexual harassment is what comes closest to the term blank noise".


Photo Credit: Blank Noise


A fantastic project of which I came to know only while trolling on the internet. I feel we should spread the word around and all you bloggers should Blog about this project. They are on Facebook too. They have loads of information on their website and Facebook page on how you can volunteer and become a part of this project in your city.


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Another campaign which caught my attention was 'Stop the Sag' campaign run by Senator Eric Adams in New York. He launched this campaign targeting youth to pick up their pants and tighten their belts.Young men wearing their pants as low as their knees and showing off their underpants. Wearing saggy pants has been in fashion for quite a few years now, inspired by the unbelted and oversized prison uniforms. The sag has achieved new heights in recent years with the pants worn low enough exposing the wearers underpants.



Is this fashionable? Really?

I for one am all for being individualistic but this sure is just not what people want to see. I have ranted about the fashion trend and the horrors of 'Low Waist Jeans' in one of my earlier posts 'Of Buttcracks and Cleavages'


The next edition of my 'Web trolling' finds will be put up soon. Till then...keep the comments coming.

Comments

  1. U mean those unbelted pants are supposed to be loose that way! Oh my god! I thought they had grown loose over time...ah! and my understanding of fashion...:P

    And yes, what more sinful use of the pointed heels than stamping on an eve teaser... the joy, our pleasure their pain..why do they grow so lusty and xrayed I wonder!!

    cya LP

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  2. agreed, we have created our own unwritten rules to avoid eve teasers... a sad tale of indian women... recently i went to shillong and believe me I felt so free... and when I returned back I actually felt like i am back in India...

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  3. and those loose pants... !!!! uptil knees!!!!! lolzzzzz I really wanna see one of those :P

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  4. I don't dig underwear worn inside out... and on a more serious note eve teasing is really shameful and needs to end before we can truly claim to have got off the trees

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  5. Bravo! For the use of safety pin and high heals to teach that pervert a lesson. And Bravo! Once again for surviving those saggy pants. .
    Seriously eve teasing, or better said sexual abuse in public is the issue that is needed to be handled with iron hands. .

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  6. eve teasing is abominable and yes guys it is time to pull up your pants or be bobbited!

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  7. LazyP, it s just not women, men too get into such situations,have heard some weird stories...

    you did a good thing. in fact raise an alarm without inhibition is the best way to get back at the perpetrators.

    On low waist - I wonder how people feel comfortable with such attire.obviously they have an identity crises and scream for attention.

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  8. Way to go. You did the right thing poking him with the pin. He deserved it.
    Such campaigns are important. I fully support the first one. Though, the second one had me laughing.
    Why would somebody wear pants and still show their underpants... LOL

    BTW, the guys shirt on the left seems to have shrunk... tee hee

    Have a good day...:)

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  9. There's another post I read recently, by The Restless Quill on ece-teasing/molestation. We should do something about this, not caring if we create a scene. Nothing else will work.

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  10. Oh yes, these roadside Romeos are a menace to the Indian society. I do not understand the psychology of these men. They probably think women should stay covered through out their lives and stay at home all the time.
    People are wearing those pants? Seriously?

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  11. Way to go sis! The creep really deserved the heels and the safety pin. It is really sad what women have to go through. And the oddest thing is, women are the ones who are blamed for "not dressing modestly".

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  12. wow LP ! that was quiet a neat hit back ! I am sure that person would have stopped any further misadventures in life!

    And about the stop the sag - eeks that is fashion horribly inspired by superman :P

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  13. Yeah Evteasing stuff is a menace and kudos to you how u dealt with it...Bravo!

    I was about to write on that sag thing too :)

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  14. Eve Teasing is just the thing that we see on the surface. Why is this seen only in south asia? The root cause needs to be identified and rectified.

    Ah! that low waist thing - so yesterday! :)

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  15. Eve teasing is such a terrible thing... its amazing how we talk of a progressive society, but forget the basic need to respect each other

    ... and sagging denims/ pants are plain gross... its like, did your butt just sag to your knee?! Its not fashion... just plain stupidity

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  16. Really interesting....Stop the Sag...:) It's so irritating especially on campus to have to have to look at dirty unwashed jocks due to these sagging pants syndrome..i feel like an old matron when I itch to go and slap those morons on their backs and tell them that the display isn't enjoyable...

    Eveteasing: All I'd say is 'I KNOW!!!!!! WHAT A RELIEF,INNIT? " ;)

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  17. OH MY GOD! What's with those sagging pants! Eeeewwww, is that supposed to be cool..?

    Blank Noise sounds like a good initiative. I am going to read up on it.. thanks for sharing.

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  18. Having been eve teased myself when growing up in Delhi, i know how humiliating it is..kudos to you for highlighting the 'Blank Noise' project

    About the underwear/pant thing, u cannot regulate what people wear and this campaign is way tooo much interference by the federal/state goverment...I dont like this style but will fight for their right to wear it:-)

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  19. PNA: Yep, that is apparently a fashion trend...this is something I cannot comprehend..anything goes in the name of fashion.

    Heels...are sometimes a bane..especially in crowded trains and buses :)

    Rajlakshmi: Sigh! its sure feels unclean and horrible to get eve teased.

    The knife: Ah! well till the time society does not stop blaming women for instigating eve teasing cause of their clothes they wear...this thing will not end in India.

    Savvy: As I said...I had jolly fun doing that to the lecher :)
    And saggy pants....eeks the sight you get to see is gruesome :P

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  20. Magiceye: Thank god the trend is yet to be adapted in India...cannot imagine the whole junta showing of their underwear :P

    Gyan: Thanks...all to my quick thinking brain hehe
    And men getting Adam-teased ? woohoo..I gotta know about this :) tell tell...

    Mr. Stupid: Oh its a fashion trend...even prevalent in UK..guess I need to catch one of these blokes and actually ask them :)

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  21. Loved your post!this is my first time here...i think every Indian girl can relate to this!well done.

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  22. Nice post. This is a serious issue. I am glad you fought back.

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  23. It is a shame that we Indian men resort to such actions when there is a dearth of 'action'! (no pun intended).
    The only way to fight it is to get back at the eve teasers instead of just avoiding them. Those who do, can tell u that eve teasing can be tackled and one of the simplest ways to do that is to stare back at the eve teasers! Raising your voice helps too :D

    And oh those really really low rise pants are kinda cool LOL! Imagine showing off the superman logo that way hahahaha!

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  24. Chinkurli: Will go and check out the post.
    Eve teasing starts as a harmless observation by youngsters and then some graduate into thinking every walking woman is their property.

    Aparna: Actually I feel they are a frustrated lot who have not learnt to respect women as Human beings.
    And yes people do wear such pant and even worse..just try google images and your eyes will pop out :P

    Anju: Yep...remember the days when the scooter used to go bust and I had to take the Bus. Some men are such despos and losers.

    Lakshmi: Thanks :) I was really pissed off and so the heel came down real hard tee hee :)

    The fashion is inspired by Prison uniforms and not Superman. At least Superman covered his backside, I have put up quite a decent pic here...you should see the awful sights when someone takes this fashion way to farrrr..

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  25. Nish: I think if all men vow not too look at other women with X-Ray vision and also stop their friends from doing it all this eve teasing business would be out of the window.

    I don't see it in UK. I wonder is it our culture or what?

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  26. Prateek: Eve teasing is a form of sexual harassment which needs to have a law framed for it. Women don't feel safe while walking on the road in broad daylight. It is all about attitude which is developed by today's men who think its cool to go and see 'hariyaali' or call women 'Maal', the buck stops at each and every man, if you say no to this...we would not have this problem.

    Krittika: Welcome to my blog:) ah yes..you got that so right about eve teasing.

    And about sagging pants...its became a rage because rappers are wearing them and the fad caught on..

    Deepthi: heheh...yuck..dirty underpants are still bearable..imagine people walking commando (no underpants) with their hairy butts hanging out :P

    Pooja: Great!! do join their page on FB and if you are in India..you can volunteer as well.

    Sonali: I agree to what you are saying about fashion but when things become obscene and that too all in the name of fashion is it fine then? People walking around airing their butt in the air is way too ugly...

    Magic Quill: Thanks :) *blush* welcome to my blog...ah yes all of us should retaliate in whatever way possible to stop eve teasing..

    Anirban: Thanks :) I am glad too...

    Nishant: Welcome to my blog :) hmmm well yes raising your voice against eve teasing is good but sometimes men on bikes just run off after they have done the deed. What if it never has to happen...will it not be so wonderful..

    heheh Superman underpants :P

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  27. AH that was brilliant--safety pin did come to reclaim your safety quotient after all.
    leech men at large beware of ladies carrying safety pins from now-you never know when you jab you with one, for your indecent acts in public.

    regards,
    wanderer

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  28. My my that was a fantastic return pinch to the man who needed to learn some decency and manners. That was a lesson well taught :)

    I strongly dislike those slipping to the knees kind of trousers, I am a strong supporter of wearing belts :D :D

    Wonderful post LP :)

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  29. Wanderer : haha..yes beware lecherous men..
    women are armed with Safety Pins :)

    Chatterbox: Thanks dear :)

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  30. Ah!!! I loved it that you gave that uncle back! Such perverts deserve such treatment only!!

    Add I totally hate the fact when we blame ourselves for a guy's misdemeanour's!!

    And lol @ the pics!! Are the really wearing those pants?? :D

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  31. Such incidents and the people involved in it can be found anywhere and everywhere. Its nothing to do with a certain category. I believe evil comes disguised in many faces , we just have to keep a safe distance , one never knows who is who.but then in crowd ,even thats not possible..
    One tight slap or a kick in the groin should do the trick.

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  32. Oh! Anyone who has lived in Delhi knows eve teasing at it's worst. Even I felt liberated once I moved out of India and the freedom to be who you wanna be but everyone now and then while living in London or even in US I do encounter eve teasing ... but it's considerably less! [it's mostly in spanish here so I don't understand]

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  33. Smita: Yes that photo is real...seems to be the latest fashion these days...

    Shweta: Ha...that is one cool way to defend yourself...

    Tanvi: Welcome :) I have heard Delhi is really quite bad in terms of eve teasing...I hate such men who think a women is an object and not a human being...

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  34. Alas, I am so used to adjusting my dupatta that I dont even realise its a travesty of my rights :(

    I sure wish I could be in a place where I could step out of the house without agonising over what I am wearing. "Are these clothes right?" is a question that plagues me everyday.

    Regarding those guys in low pants, they sure have a right to wear what they want, but I wonder how they keep the pants on. Do they use a safety pin? Or are the pants made that way?

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  35. Avdi: ohh I know what you mean...we get so used to doing that..damn these eve teasers...

    Ahh yes they do have a right to wear them...but I guess when it starts getting obscene...someone has to make it stop..

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