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Undie Campaign

The pink undie protest underway in India - a neat way to fight the good fight - has been making news. It is refreshing to see women show moxie in a culture where they are usually taught not rock any boats or make big waves. Even ten years ago, it would have been really tough for a group of women in India to say :

Join Us on February 14, Valentine's Day, the day in which Indian women's virginity and honour will self-destruct unless they marry or tie a rakhi. Walk to the nearest pub and buy a drink. Raise a toast to the Sri Ram Sena.

More power to the sisterhood and may their tribe increase. One hopes this campaign is a precursor to many others and is able to give the average woman in India the confidence to claim her right to live in freedom in the country of her birth. The fact is, being "forward" has nothing to do with pub-going or moral laxness. It is a state of mind that can come packaged in many different ways. I want to believe that The Consortium seeks to mock the prejudices held against their ilk and not deny the more laid-back sisters their claim to "forwardness"

While it is easy to get all giddy with excitement about desi women asserting themselves so strongly specially in light of all the media buzz this thing has generated, a little caution would not hurt. I could not help worrying about folks who have their names and contact information available on the web. In the end they are dealing with some self-righteous bullies who will not be able to see any humor in receiving large shipments of pink underwear on Valentine's Day.

Comments

God is Great. Let us pray for peace for the whole world.
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Anonymous said…
The campaign is the most talked about item in India and the Indian blogosphere today! It is the barometer of public opinion on this issue.

It was on the front page in TOI and HT yesterday and everyone in the media wants a pie of it!

The primary post on the Pink Chaddi blog has at this moment 614 comments (including 3 by yours truly) and there are unsavory comments too.

As some wise person said, "you never succeed at anything unless you have fun doing it!"

By the way, the apostrophe in Valentine's in the chaddi logo is missing!

And did you see this pink chaddi video (funny)?!

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