Dear sexists time for full stop

I’m a self declared feminist, an unapologetic one. No, wait. Before you look at me as one of those bra-burning, men-slamming shrews (for the lack of a better word), I only and only advocate for equality of women, but not at the cost of humiliating all the men on the face of this planet.

 

That’s correct. Picturing a feminist with a butcher’s knife in her hands, baying for the blood of all men is wrong. Or for that matter, a feminist isn’t one who’s blind towards all the good deeds men do. It’s just that she isn’t blind towards some of the bad deeds that some men do, either.

 

Whenever I spot something on the internet that depicts the condition of womenfolk in this country, something in me stirs. Somewhere, I know someone who’s perhaps going through the same. I connect. But of late, I have began showing signs of irritation. Deepika Padukone’s Vogue video got me thinking. Are we overdoing it? A tad bit, yes.

 

The whole point of provoking thought should be to show a spark and let the rest happen on its own. Instead of that, if we keep dumping one idea after the other, how much will the other gender hang its head in shame and tolerate? See, I don’t have a problem with propagating women’s right, I’m all for that. But at what cost? Embarrassing the very gender that makes us blush, that makes us feel special, that loves and cares for us?

 

Come on. Tomorrow, if men start doing the same thing, how are we going to react? Women’s right is a great cause, but please, let’s not shove it down someone’s throats. My life is my choice, why go all out, show bra straps and sanitary napkins to let the world and its wife know? You want to indulge yourself in pre-marital engagements, who’s bothered? Well, maybe your immediate family, but do the other hushed voices bother you? They’ll be there no matter what you do. You don’t have the right to wring their throats dry and choke them to deaths.

 

You want to smoke? Smoke. You want to roam around at wee hours, please go ahead. Why make videos and let the world know what you’re doing? Who do you think is interested? Nandita Das’ ‘all men are potential rapists’ was the final tug that snapped the string and let all the pearls of patience scatter. Who do you think we all are to sit on our couches and judge?

 

The more we do it, the more people will laugh. I’m sure that isn’t what we want to happen. Being a feminist is good, being a sexist is being a douchebag. So, please. Put a full stop.