Choose the right fight for self empowerment
There has been a lot of hustle around the world celebrities for quite some time. Everyone was just trying to settle down when #MeTooIndia picked up. Some time back, I had written a post earlier on #MeToo movement and the fears of a mother, which actually offended some torch bearers of this #MeToo. Anyways, this is what we call right to express our thoughts and viewpoints. Isn’t it?
There were women all over India, mostly celebrities, raising voices (against celebrities) almost every day. Early morning Twitter updated tweets … “Ab agla kaun?” (Who will be the next one?) It was really upsetting reading about people who have gone through so much of negativity and violence at their workplaces. More troublesome was thinking about the plight of those people who were being falsely implicated. False allegations were being used as a tool to settle personal scores. That is how a good movement can be made to burst like a bubble. I believe that one must choose the right fight for self empowerment but oh! did I have any control over it?
Most of the women have their #MeToo stories based on their experiences at work and even home. Though here I refuse to mention how safe our girls inside their so called secure homes are! The basic of all bullying and discrimination has always been suppression of the weak; and that weakness can be financial, biological or social.
Undoubtedly, I support any voice against bullies of any kind with full zeal and faith but just one little thing irks me; Why not raise your voice against injustice at the first instance! I understand, when you are working, there are people who try to exploit you in various ways, but why do you take that nonsense? Why do you accept the bad behaviour from men in positions of power or co-workers and let them make your life miserable?
Recently after seeing a video of a few young girls laughing and giggling at the abusive language and behaviour of a gun wielding guy from ‘Lucknow’ on Twitter, I was too confused. Aren’t those girls, enjoying the sight of drunken bad behaviour just encouraging it in their own way? I was actually visualising those girls coming out with some ‘Hashtag movement’ in a few years blaming and claiming justice for mishaps on that particular night. No, I am not a woman with an orthodox mindset who believes in being a silent observer. Not looking for any controversies yet the fact remains that as a young girl, during my teens and twenties, I have slapped eve teasers right at the spot when they tried to misbehave with me on the road.
As a working woman, I had many times complained against a married senior at my workplace, to his wife about his ill behaviour. After which he stopped talking to me and all other females. That’s fine but for our generation more important was to control the situation without creating a hue and cry and mind you that didn’t make us cowards or weaker. We didn’t belong to a global village thus were more concerned about saving our small communities by making other women in the surroundings aware of the predators roaming around instead of causing hustle.
Times have changed, now we have our lives governed by internet. Social media is powerful enough to easily spread the word through hashtags but nipping the basic symptoms of an illness in the bud is much better a strategy than to allow it to be a full blown disease and then then plan for a major surgery.
As working women, there are times when you need favours from others so you conveniently ignore his/her misbehaviour. That is where you invite trouble. That ‘will sort out later’ attitude turns out to be the major encouragement to the bully. Pardon me but I think that makes you equally responsible for what happens with you later. Hey! Why not raise your voice against harassment right at the first indication of ill behaviour? What is the point coming out and blaming after a long gap of time? No girls no, stop being opportunists. You have to take your call. Either fight out injustice right there and then or just shut up for ever. It should not be that you wait for the favour to be honoured and later start looking for right moment to take revenge.
Who has asked you to be silent! Come on, stand up, speak out, fight it out with your whole might. If you are a person with high self-esteem, you must have the courage to place it above your financial or career gains. The #MeTooIndia / #MeToo movement hopefully is here to stay but I fear the use of social media as a weapon can misfire. All of us need today, to make use of right judgement to know real rage from fake.
“Fighting for others right is a virtue but choosing the right fight is a skill that does not come easy.”
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