today i learnt what a single person could do... kudos to you namrata.. for pulling together the protest teh way u did... for something put together in less than a week online.. it was AMAZING!!
a lot of people turned up.. including some bloggers.. and u shouldve heard the excitement in people's voices.. "Youre the one who writes that!!! OMG! ive been following your blog!!"
the best thing was taht people really believed in what they had to say.. the worst.. inane qns by some sections of the media... one enterprising yellow journalist actualy asked Namrata if she had been a victim of the moral police.. "maine toh suna hai ki apke saath bhi aisa kuch ho chuka hai..." and she started laughing... i mean.. WHERE did the guy get his questions from?????
good thign was that everyone else from the media was super supportive.. and i'm not saying that just coz i'm a journalist myself.. but it was REALLY cool how even the TV guys showed a rather sympathetic and supportive side.. wish they had concentrated less on the Valentine's day...
The protest was not about Valentine's day or the right to go to a pub... it was for the right to live in freeedom. with dignity.. and the liberty promised to us by the Indian Constitution. it was about teh right of every woman...and man to choose thir lifestyle and teh fact that no political twit has any right to tell teh rest of teh populace what to do...
There was this uncleji there who stopped by on reading our placards.. and asked us what party we belonged to.. he was rather surprised to find that none of us were part of any political outfit.. that we were just a bunch of people who felt concerned enough to come out on the street in protest.. several people passed by in cars and buses and read our banners.. i saw so many ppl react with a smile.. one girl even waved a 'thumbs up' gesture at us... it was heartening to see taht so many people cared...
I carried one placard home with me on the metro... it was for the first time that i saw not lecherousness but curiosity and to an extent appreciation in people's stares... all through the metro ride.. and the rickshaw ride from teh station... dont know how many people read that placard in my lap.. " girls are not cattle. stop locking us up at dusk" for the first time.. the men who stared at me were not looking at my body.. but the placard... women on the road smiled at me.. people stopped to read..
my own little protest.. to add to teh big one i had been part of...
"dharmarashak bohot hain.. samvidhan ki raksha kaun karega!"
This is the Picture that the ASSOCIATED PRESS.. AP guys have put on their website.. be happy girls.. our protest is on international media..wish i could get more pix... i didnt have a camera and my photographer only sent me these...
but if u want you can see more pix on Indyeah's blog... ofsongsforthesoul.blogspot.com
or namrata's avalentineforindia.blogspot.com
NDTV apparently showed teh protest live.. as did Cnn ibn... there were people from TOI, HT, Mail today, India Tv, rashtriya Sahara, Indian Express and a host of others... Mayank Austen Soofi, blogger and photographer was also theer.. as was adnan from Reuters...
i hope Mayank wouldnt mind.. but i thought i could put a link to his flickr photostream..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayankaustensoofi/
17 comments:
Just read this up on Indyeah's blog too.. :)
Stopped by to say that we're so darned proud of you today, and would have so liked to be part of it all!
Great things happen because of conviction, and this protest means that the conviction is strong and will sustain!
Kudos!
THANKS USHA!!!
I loved this post!Amazingly written and presented!
''and the rickshaw ride from teh station... dont know how many people read that placard in my lap.. " girls are not cattle. stop locking us up at dusk" for the first time.. the men who stared at me were not looking at my body.. but the placard... women on the road smiled at me.. people stopped to read..''
((hugs))way to go!!
thanks Indyeah!!!!
loved your post too.. and ive finally figured out how to lonk things!! yay!!
Have added your link and the amazing words which made me smile..:)
And you have a blogroll now!;)
((hugs))
lol!!thats what I just wrote sweetheart!!:)((hugs))
Bravo!
Congratulations !!
Can imagine the pride all women who read the placard on your way home would have felt :)
Some great pictures as well.. :)
He he..great to know about your journey back home with THE placard. :) Well, I have given it place of pride in my post. :)
http://alchemistpoonam.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/anti-moral-policing-protest-in-delhi/
Aneesha, Kudos to all of you. You spoke our minds too.
Your title is apt and so are all placards. Proud of you all!
Here through the link on Indyeah's blog.
I am glad you made this clear. "The protest was not about Valentine's day or the right to go to a pub... it was for the right to live in freedom. with dignity.. and the liberty promised to us by the Indian Constitution. it was about the right of every woman...and man to choose their lifestyle and the fact that no political twit has any right to tell the rest of the populace what to do.."
We do seem to find some people looking for an excuse to dismiss any protest for equality as frivolous.
Creating awareness is a huge task, I am glad you guys did that, I would have loved to be a part of it ... and perhaps was in spirit, but Thank You and Congrats!
Blog rolled you :)
can i get you something ? tanda? garam ?
you did a fine job ..so did everyone who came and stood with you -- the thousands of indian men and women who stood up for the first time and spoke their mind.
cheers !
(came over from indyeah )
would that be you in purple? :)
great job, guys!!!
hehehehe... Thanks roop.. yeah thats me..
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