Boys speaking on gender-based division of household labor earlier this week in Republica gave me some hope.[break]
If we had more boys socialized like this, then we’d have more boys who were able to see women as people! So, it seems our culture is changing and for that I’m thankful.
But while these changes take place in the capital, what’s with the accepted attack on any girl in town this week?
It’s wrong, mean, rude and downright painful – physically and emotionally so.
You’d understand if you were on your way to an important meeting, and your back got soaked and you had no choice but to go back, change your outfit, and hop into a taxi (rather than the preferred bus) to make it to the meeting on time, in presentable form, by having paid fifteen times what was planned.
I loved Jord Niroula’s piece in The Kathmandu Post asking us to fight back and not be meek, and I thought “Yes, somebody knows what I mean!” I yell at the boys who are close enough and glare at windows I assumed are guilty. The funny thing is that the cowards hide!
If they have to hide anything – including having fun – isn’t it obvious they know they shouldn’t? How much pleasure can one derive from unfair warring tactics? I’m not sure what their parents and guardians are thinking because, let’s face it, it’s not the government’s job!
I was tweeting how this was a form of (sexual) harassment to me, and one tweeted back to say the government’s done nothing! What? Why on earth is our government supposed to monitor the public behavior of silly boys and the stupidity of their guardians?
Are we animal enough that we need a “The Don’t Lola Girls, It’s Wrong Act of 2011” to be passed because we have so little discernment?
If so, then I’m wondering if we need the government to make it illegal to fart in public and elbow through lines. Do we really want the government to dictate such personal spaces?
If we, as a people, are incapable of holding ourselves together, then maybe we do need a totalitarian regime. But I like to hope in the reason, logic and humanity in citizens.
Of course, I get that lola-ing and throwing colors is part of the Hindu population’s festivity and celebration.
But why impose it on the entire city? I’m fairly certain that every practicing Hindu girl who’s been lola-ed this week didn’t burst into joyful laughter and said “Again! Again! I’m on my way to college/school/work/temple/MY LIFE! Lola me again, please!” Or, am I wrong?
I was always under the impression that things like these were kept inside the family/neighborhood compound. Whoever thought it was alright to chuck little packets of water (when we are a country struggling through water shortage!!) out on the street and aim at innocent pedestrians and scootie-wallas?
What kind of adults let their children get away with preposterous behavior like this?
And, why aren’t more speaking against it? (“More” being the code for boys. Hello! You’ve got a mouth, and if you have a head, join us in telling the immature boys off! Trust me, we really don’t want to lump all men into one category).
Though one male tweeter yesterday did ask his male counterparts how they’d feel if they were targeted each time they went out simply because they were males, I salute the comrade!
No one is against a little fun, but when the public target is the girl minding her own business, doing her thing and walking down the street, then we have a problem. Else, I’ll join Jord Niroula up in arms and will go to the extent of arming women with rocks. (That’s us being sensitive to the water shortage.)
We’ll hide inside our house, behind windows, three stories above and hit any men we see – only because they are men. Extra points if we get the sensitive parts. No, I don’t believe in cutting off future generations of Ram, Bam and Shyam – but I do believe in voicing ourselves.
I’m sure I speak for many when I say, tell your brothers to stop, tell your neighborhood to keep it inside their compound and tell them to have fun without needing to ruin someone else’s day to make your own.
What kind of a cruel culture condonesderiving pleasure from someone else’s pain?
Related story
Holi celebration events at 10 venues in Kathmandu valley
