Seeing lot of posts with the same hashtag, and lot of questions in the comment sections, I am really wondering, ‘What is the sole purpose of this #metoo campaign ‘. I asked myself a question, ‘Does posting a same hashtag in a social media is a sign of courage or fighting against it in real life? ‘. Why people blindly follow such social posts? Instead if some woman come up with a harassment issue that happened in her real life and how she responded to it , this might actually stir up some change in women with conservative ideologies. Being a woman myself, I am not trying to be anyhow against any women here. Here to stand by the words I quoted above,
I was around my late teens ( during my college first year days ). Being brought up from a town and to enter an overcrowded metropolitan city, I was new to get used to the public transportations and fighting against my ignorance to gain little exposure. One day, I took a bus which was named the ‘The Ultra Deluxe’ which was as usual the most flooding one. After waiting for more than an hour, I was left with no other option except boarding one as it is already late to enter my hostel premises. I did not want to hire any other transportations for the usual fear that it would not be safe. I entered the bus finally , as guys hanging close to entry stairs paving me a slender way to enter into the bus. I tried to find a space for myself in midst of women , obviously for the fact to stand safe as well to avoid little embarrassing contacts with or without the knowledge of anybody. After few stops, the density of the crowd slowly started decreasing and finally i could stand near the doorway breathing in some fresh air and started catching up with my dreams. I felt little congested behind me thinking that people would be rushing towards the doorway for the upcoming bus stoppings. I was not sure where and when this person boarded the bus exactly, but after few stops, I found a middle aged guy around his 40s standing closer to me from behind probably drunk. I noticed him only when I felt something was touching me from behind where anything not supposed to. Till then, I was okay with someone standing quite close to me for the thought that it is a way to the exit and obviously people would be rushing to get down for every stoppings. Only when i felt this damn touch, I thought even if it were a women and it is her things that touching me , I should either move away or I must ask her to leave some space for me. But when I found that it is actually a man , I was afraid, palpitating and was not sure what I am supposed to do. I was trying to think of reasons why is he doing that to me. I thought that it is a crowded place and it might be because of that and a lot more thoughts to say that he was not doing it on purpose. But as seconds go by, I felt it was being done on purpose. I questioned myself,’ what should I do now? Should I ask him to move away or should I shout at him for what he is doing ? At that minute, I was clueless of what should I have done. I felt tears rolling down my face as a sign of failure. Suddenly , a voice of woman was heard to my content. She just said to him, ‘ We have been seeing what you are doing to her. Get away from that place ‘. Hearing this, he just walked away and got down in the next stop like nothing happened. That moment I felt relieved. But I was sleepless and felt bad for the next two days not because of what he did to me but for what i have not done at that moment. Where did all my courage I am boasting about, disappeared all of a sudden? Was I that incapable of guarding myself from these harassments? “
This is the incident that gave me an insight of what is happening around. This is not just me. Most women and some men every day in their day to day life face such mishaps. You need not be a martial arts professional to combat such things. But at least you need to speak out whenever necessary. Being silent is not going to save you ever. Demand wherever necessary and whatever necessary. If you need your safety, safeguard yourself. Do not wait for a magical light to come and rescue you. I wish this message might help few more than just a hastag #metoo