For some of you, I’ve become a joke. Something you can make fun of. For many of you, I’m a little piece you think you can play with. You bully me, you try and intimidate me. You’ve put up fake videos and morphed my pictures. You are the ones with a million agendas. But I just want to live my life.
You unleashed your fury with unforgiving zeal, with vicious propaganda. You did not spare a moment – not even one thought – in your attempts to troll me. You don’t even know who I am or what I’ve been through. You don’t know my side of the story. All you know is how to have fun at somebody else’s expense, even if that somebody has nothing to do with you. Someone you didn’t know about, but now you know.
You assume that you know. You think I deserve to be humiliated.
You think I am anti-national because I bat for peace with Pakistan.
You think I am a feminazi because I stand for the rights of woman.
You think I am a lesbian/gay because I stand for LGBT.
You think I am characterless because I don’t judge people who wear short clothes.
You think I am shameless because I talk freely about things, I shouldn’t be talking about.
You think I am immodest because I have an opinion.
You label me because I’m clear that I am not afraid of anyone.
I will continue to believe that no one has no right to get violent with me or judge me.
Let me tell you a little about myself. I don’t owe you any explanation nor do I have to explain myself. If I choose to, it is only in the hope that it will sensitise you on how you can hurt complete strangers, who may not be as strong as me. Don’t worry about me; I’ve developed a thick skin and all the credit goes to you.
You ganged up on me but you could not cow me down; you did not make me run scared.
You have actually opened the windows of my mind. And I had to learn to live with the bullshit early, too early. The abuse brought everything back to me in a flash, but then, I composed myself. I had to, I can’t be vulnerable.
Now I take pride in having an opinion.
Feminism isn’t just an idea-it is there in everyday life.
Equality isn’t just a notion, I practice it.
Am I blatant now because I have an opinion?
I will speak up when my rights are being violated.
I will speak up whenever I encounter a sexist, racist, rapist, anti-semitic, homophobic and islamophobic and the society.
I will speak up each time I feel strongly on an issue.
For my pen is my mic and no one can stop me.
So, don’t even try and define me.
I’ll keep fighting. I know right from wrong.
I’ll make sure I speak my mind and you will listen.