Last year, Blank Noise asked us for testimonials witnessing street sexual harassment. This year, they asked for testimonials of our action against harassment, and I joined the blogathon on the other blog. And I decided to join it on this one too; but not just cross post from there.
So, I thought I’d make this post about some other action heroes: the men who fought for me when I couldn’t fight for myself, when I asked them for help and when I couldn’t.
A long time ago, a cousin who yelled at someone who ‘passed a comment’; do you even remember, anna?
Not as long ago, but long enough. The first floor of the academic block, outside the corridor of teachers’ offices. Waiting for a viva, I think. A friendly argument over something (I don’t even remember what) ends with me standing with my back pressed against a railing, and the guy I was arguing with standing in front of me, his arms on either side of me gripping the top if the railing, barking in my face. I am scared but determined not to show it; how dare he think he can intimidate me?! He moves away when N touches him on the shoulder, and as he goes away, N asks with a look, “why do you let him get away with it?”
Forward a few years, but still a few years ago. A bus trip in Rajasthan on a rickety old bus. Sitting in the aisle seat, a guy standing next to me starts pressing against me. I look up and ask him to stand properly. He pretends not to understand, as do the men around him. I look to my companions, N and S; S switches seats with me, and the man backs off.
Last year, I write this. And in response, this, this and this. Among many others, of course.
My heroes.
Belated, but no too much, I hope.
Yes, it feels nice to have ‘heroes’ as you call them, but the underlying fact remains that there are more villains around than heroes. And what do you do when you don’t have somebody around to protect you when a lame comment is passed at you?
Wouldn’t a clean, clear mentality be refreshing?
Of course it would be nicer if there were more ‘heroes’ than ‘villains’. The reason I wrote this post this way was because I’d already written the post over at Canace about being an action hero, and I didn’t want to just cross-post it. So, since that was about women action heroes, this about the men!